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Avenidas, a nonprofit serving local seniors and their families, will be hosting its 40th anniversary party on Friday, Jan. 23, from 3 to 4:30 pm at 450 Bryant Street, Palo Alto. Jay Thorwaldson, editor of the Palo Alto Weekly, will share anecdotes and memories of each of the past four decades at Avenidas.
The center was founded in 1969, when headlines read “Nixon, “Vietnam” and “Woodstock.” On a local level, people on the mid-Peninsula felt the need to create an agency that would provide services for the older members of the community. That led to the incorporation of the Senior Coordinating Council (SCC), now known as Avenidas.
The SCC had very limited financial resources, but its volunteer board and almost volunteer staff went to work tackling issues such as making public transportation less expensive, producing a directory of health and home services, and creating a central location where information and referral services could be made available to seniors.
“Some of the services Avenidas offers, such as Information & Assistance, have endured the test of time and remain as relevant today as they were 40 years ago,” said Avenidas President & CEO Lisa Hendrickson. “But what sets Avenidas apart is the innovative new programs we’ve added over the years.”
In 2005, Avenidas opened the Rose Kleiner Senior Day Health Center in Mountain View. This day program provides older adults with enrichment activities, group exercise, nursing care, a range of therapies, and nutritious lunches. The program allows adult children to still care for their parents even though they have to work.
Avenidas Village, a program debuting in Oct. 2007, is an “aging-in-community” that concept allows people to stay in their homes as they age, providing service and support. When it opened, it was the first of its kind on the West Coast. In seven months, membership reached 350 people. This program continues to garner media interest, having been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and most recently, on CBS Channel 5 news.
“Avenidas isn’t your father’s senior center,” said VP of Programs John Sink, who has been with the agency for 26 of its 40 years. “As people have begun to redefine aging, so too has Avenidas. Instead of Bingo, we offer Brain Fitness. Instead of shuffleboard, we have Pilates.”
Friday’s anniversary party is free and open to the public. A live band, Linda Makin and Les Sophisticats, will provide music for listening entertainment and dancing. Information and RSVPs: Emily Boltz at eboltz@avenidas.org, (650) 289-5454.
–Palo Alto Weekly staff
–Palo Alto Weekly staff
–Palo Alto Weekly staff
