Tag: senior citizens

A beautiful array of handmade scarves and hats, jewelry and crocheted and beaded clothing for babies, children and adults line the shelves of a shop tucked inside the Gilroy Senior Center.Although it’s been around for 30 years, not many people in the community know about the Senior Craft Store, which is owned and operated by senior crafters who also create much of the inventory.The store provides a place for seniors to supplement their incomes, according to Roberta Garcia, a longtime volunteer.“It’s all about the seniors and contributing back to the community,” Garcia said.Seniors 55 and older who want to sell their crafts in the store pay an annual membership fee of $25. But if they volunteer to help man the store at least two days every month, the membership fee is reduced to $5 and the annual fee is waived for subsequent years.“They can become a member here at the craft store, and that doesn’t mean they have to volunteer,” Garcia said. “But we would love it if they did.”Each crafter receives 90 percent of proceeds from the sale of their crafts with 10 percent going toward the maintenance of the store. But crafter Bonnie Riley said selling their items in the store gives she and other senior crafters much more than extra income.“It gives them a sense of worth that somebody loved their items,” she said.The craft store was born in 1985 when the senior center, which opened in 1972, underwent renovations. Well aware that a devoted group of crafters utilized the center, the advisory board insisted renovations included space for the craft store. Thanks to the generosity of the City of Gilroy recreation department, the space was donated to the center. The rest, as they say, is history.Thirty years later, the craft store still going strong and has expanded to include a “thrift shop” stocked with second-hand items donated by the community. In turn, all proceeds from the thrift shop are donated to local charities.“Last year we made over $2,200,” Garcia said. “One hundred percent of that money goes straight back to the community.”Some of the nonprofit organizations that have profited from the generosity of the Senior Craft Store are the National Guard Armory, Operation Freedom Paws, Live Oak Senior Center, and the store’s host—Gilroy Senior Center.Despite the store’s long history, volunteers say most of the community is still unaware of this hidden treasure. So they found a way to bring the store into the spotlight—by planning a community event. The result of those plans is the Winterfest Crafters Faire scheduled for Dec. 4 at the senior center.Twenty-nine crafters have already signed up for the fair, Riley said. They’ll be selling lots of gift-worthy crafts, including holiday wreaths and decorations, heirloom quality scarves, hats, baby items, doll clothes, pillows, afghans, quilts, baby items, jewelry, ceramics, books and toys.“All the people who do all this crafting for the store—the knitting and crocheting, the sewing, people who make jewelry and ornaments—they’ll be at the fair,” Riley said.Homemade tamales will also be for sale courtesy of the Women’s Club.Riley hopes the fair will help make the community aware of the Senior Craft Store and the talented crafters who fill the shelves and volunteer their time.“I hope it helps the seniors; I hope they make some money and it supplements their income,” she said. “Our senior citizen community is very viable and they have so much to offer.” 

Over the years, there has been lots of advice concerning proper nutrition. We were told to avoid fat, eliminate sugar and cut back on carbohydrates. Today the consensus is to eat as many servings of fruits and vegetables as possible.

When I was a kid, I absolutely adored Davy Jones, the singer from the Monkees. I was so infatuated that I sulked through an entire vacation with my parents because everyone I knew was going to the Monkees concert in Boston that week while I was stuck on Cape Cod with my old (actually they were in their 30s) boring parents. I’d give my right arm for a vacation with my parents on Cape Cod about now, but that memory reminds me of the days when so many of us cherished our transistor radios as they played the latest songs by the Monkees, the Beatles, the Supremes, and so many others. Some of the staff here at Live Oak Adult Day Services couldn’t get through a day back then without a song by Elvis Presley or Bobby Sherman or Three Dog Night.

Dear Savvy Senior,Can you recommend some basic simplified cellphones for seniors with hearing impairment? My 82-year-old father needs to get a new cellphone for occasional calls or emergencies, but he needs something that’s easy to use and one that he can hear on.Looking Around Dear Looking,There are several simplified cellphones on the market today that are specifically designed for seniors, or for people who just like things simple. These are basic cellphones – primarily used for talk and text – that come with big buttons, easy to navigate menus, SOS emergency buttons, enhanced sound and are hearing aid compatible too. Here are some top options.Senior-Friendly PhonesIf your dad isn’t locked into a cellphone contract, there are three senior-friendly options to consider, all from no-contract cellphone companies.One of best is GreatCall’s Jitterbug5 (greatcall.com (800) 918-8543). This custom designed Samsung flip-phone offers a backlit keypad with big buttons, large text on a brightly colored screen, and “YES” and “NO” buttons to access the phone’s menu of options versus confusing icons.It also offers voice dialing, a powerful speakerphone, a built-in camera, and a variety of optional health and safety features like the “5Star” medical alert button that would let your dad call for help and speak to a certified agent 24/7 that could identify his location and dispatch help as needed. “Urgent Care,” which provides access to registered nurses and doctors for advice and diagnoses. And “GreatCall Link,” which keeps family members informed through your dad’s phone activities.The Jitterbug5 sells for $99 with a one-time $35 activation fee, no-contract, and calling plans that start at $15 per month.If you’re looking for something a little less expensive, the Doro PhoneEasy 626 sold through Consumer Cellular is a new option. For information go to consumercellular.com or call (888) 345-5509.This flip phone offers a backlit, separated keypad that can speak the numbers as you push them, which is a nice feature for seniors with vision problems. It also has a big easy to read color display screen that offers large text with different color themes.Other handy features include two speed dial buttons, shortcut buttons to texting and the camera, a powerful two-way speakerphone, and an ICE (in case of emergency) button on the back of the phone that will automatically dial one preprogrammed number.The Doro 626 sells for $50 with service plans starting at $10 per month and no long-term contract. They even offer discounts to AARP members.Another budget-friendly cellphone you should look into is the Snapfon ezTWO for seniors, which costs under $20, with a $35 activation fee, no-contract and monthly service plans that start at $10. For information, go to snapfon.com or call (800) 937-1532. If you don’t want the Snapfon service plan (you can go through AT&T or T-Mobile,) the phone is $80.This is a bar-style phone that provides big buttons, a color screen, enhanced volume with a speaker phone, a speaking keypad and an SOS emergency alert button on the back of the phone that can sound an alert when pushed and held down for five seconds. It then sends a text message to as many as five emergency contacts and calls those contacts in order until the call is answered. Or for an additional $15 per month you can subscribe to their SOS monitoring service that will dispatch help as needed.Shared Plan OptionsIf you want to get your dad a simple cellphone through your cellphone provider, most carriers–like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile–still offer a few basic cellphones that are inexpensive and hearing aid compatible.If you’re an AT&T customer the option is the LG A380. For Verizon users, there’s the Samsung Gusto 3 and LG Revere 3. If you’re a Sprint customer there’s the Kyocera Kona and “Alcatel OneTouch Retro.” And for T-Mobile users there’s the LG 450.Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC “Today” show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or go to SavvySenior.org.