Avenidas

Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center The Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center in Mountain View is a supportive, caring adult day health program.

📣 Volunteers needed at the Avenidas Pride Celebration!

Assistance is needed for:
- Friday, June 14, 4-6pm: Set up, prep rooms, and decorating
- Sunday, June 16, 9-11am: Prep registration, vendor tables, finishing touches on decor, and greet/direct vendors

Volunteers are essential during the event to work with staff to assist performers, guide people around the building, help with open mic session, greet guests, and more! This will be a fun event for a good cause, and we rely on volunteers like you to make it possible!

Please contact Director of Community Engagement Jyllian Halliburton at 650-289-5412.

Our volunteers keep seniors connected! We need volunteers like you to help provide meaningful transportation options for older adults. For more information about how to get involved, email [email protected] or call 650-289-5411.

From the 59,000+ service encounters to 4,300 older adults we serve each year, see how we make strides every day in helping older adults be as active, engaged, and healthy as possible. Join us in continuing our impact – your donation today helps Avenidas continue providing for older adults and caregivers, and will be appreciated for years to come.
https://www.avenidas.org/donate-2/

We believe in working closely with each other and our government, business, and community partners. Our Annual Report demonstrates our reach throughout the San Francisco Mid-Peninsula communities, with three locations in Palo Alto and Mountain View. Discover a location near you: https://www.avenidas.org/contact/

To our inspiring honorees, amazing sponsors, generous donors, esteemed guests, supportive board members, tireless volunteers, and our incredible hosts, THANK YOU for helping us celebrate an afternoon of inspiration and connection at the Avenidas Lifetimes of Achievement Garden Party!

2024 Honorees:
Clayborne Carson
Judy Deggeller
Julie Jerome
Eimi Okano
Valerie & Jim Stinger

Thank you to our presenting sponsors and community champions:
Star One Credit Union
Mike Rantz
Thoits Bros. Inc.
Association Senior Day Health
Comcast

Our 2022-2023 Annual Report amplifies our deep relationships with community and county partners, philanthropic foundations, and corporate funders as we work together on our shared mission to support older adults. Learn about our partners in the annual report here:
County of Santa Clara, California
Santa Clara County Office of LGBTQ Affairs
Palo Alto Farmers Market
Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto
Kiwanis Club of Mountain View
Los Altos Mountain View Community Foundation
City of Milpitas, City Government
Morrison Foerster
Palo Alto Community Fund
Rotary Club of Los Altos, CA
Stanford Health Care
Sourcewise

Annual Report Highlights 2022-2023 - Avenidas Read the 2022-2023 Annual Report to find out what your support has enabled Avenidas to do this year.

Don't forget about next week's Affordable Housing Month walking tour on Tuesday, May 21st starting at Avenidas at 6:00 p.m. Meet the team from , , and and have a discussion about housing downtown. We'll have a reception with snacks and drinks afterwards.

Tell your friends and RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/877398852587?aff=oddtdtcreator

See you there!

On Sunday May 19, join us in celebrating this year’s Lifetimes of Achievement honorees – Julie Jerome, Clayborne Carson, Valerie & Jim Stinger, Eimi Okano, and Judy Deggeller – and learn more about their contributions to Palo Alto and beyond.
RSVP here to commemorate their incredible community impact at our garden party:

Lifetimes of Achievement 2024 - Avenidas Join us on May 19 to for the annual Lifetimes of Achievement to honor older adults who make remarkable contributions to the community.

Judy Deggeller has been instrumental in creating meaningful and impactful community-focused programs. From nurturing a library program into the nonprofit Bring Me a Book Foundation to co-authoring a memory, music, and exercise program for dementia patients in skilled care nursing facilities, she has brought innovative programs to the community. During the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, she delivered meals to neighbors and friends, and from those recipes self-published a cookbook with the proceeds donated to the Ecumenical Hunger Program. She currently volunteers with the Rosalie Rendu Center in East Palo Alto.

Find out more about the accomplishments of our Lifetimes of Achievement honorees: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/palo-alto-people/2024/02/01/avenidas-names-2024-lifetimes-of-achievement-honorees/

Photo by Magali Gauthier/Palo Alto Online & Palo Alto Weekly

Our Annual Report highlights the power of our dozen programs, and how they enrich the lives of older adults with caregiving support & resources, health & wellness, and purposeful community. Explore our programs here:

Programs - Avenidas Ten engaging programs for older adults at Avenidas provide something for every senior in the Mid-Penninsula.

Eimi Okano has changed the face of California textbook education and addiction awareness. A former elementary school teacher, she witnessed the lack of inclusion of California’s ethnically diverse population in textbooks. She and Jeanette Arakawa prepared a report for the California State Board of Education, advocating for change, which led publishers to diversify K-12 textbook content and illustrations. In 1973, she was one of the founders of Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), an instrumental force in advocating for reparations for Japanese Americans after WWII and providing social services to Southeast Asian immigrants. As a County of Santa Clara employee, Eimi established the award-winning County Learning Institute, which provides County employees with access to the most recent and effective drug and alcohol research. Eimi is also a longtime leader at the Palo Alto Buddhist Temple, and has held officer roles in the Buddhist Women’s Association.

Learn more about the Lifetimes of Achievement honorees: https://www.paloaltoonline.com/palo-alto-people/2024/02/01/avenidas-names-2024-lifetimes-of-achievement-honorees/

Photo by Magali Gauthier/Palo Alto Online & Palo Alto Weekly

We are pleased to share our latest Avenidas Annual Report. The report showcases the progress we have made towards our mission: to help older adults in our community be as active, engaged, and healthy as possible throughout their lives by providing relevant services and programs. Dive into the details here: https://www.avenidas.org/annual-report-highlights-2022-2023/

This year’s Lifetimes of Achievement honorees span the whole breadth of Palo Alto’s greatest givers, from teachers to musicians to volunteers and everything in between. Read about our Lifetimes of Achievement honorees and signature event on May 19 in this cover story from Palo Alto Online & Palo Alto Weekly.

Lifetimes of Achievement honorees leave a long-lasting legacy This year’s Lifetimes of Achievement honorees span the whole breadth of Palo Alto’s greatest givers, from teachers to musicians to volunteers and everything in between. Reflecting on their years of service and impact, there’s one theme that shines through brightest: community. All of this year...

Valerie and James Stinger: two successful Bay Area professionals turned devoted community service champions.

Valerie Stinger spent 25 years of her professional career in marketing and development at Bay Area companies such as Smith-Kline Instruments, Syntex Corporation, and Genentech. Then she had a moment of revelation on her Highway 101 commute to work: it was time to give back. This jumpstarted a tour with the Peace Corps in Morocco, where she taught English at a business university and worked to develop a market for artisans. She continued to advise and mentor micro-businesses in developing countries in Africa including Lesotho, Sudan, Malawi, Ghana, Tanzania, and Uganda, as well as women in the Middle East, and with former weapons scientists in the former Soviet Union. Locally, she has served on community-focused commissions, such as the City of Palo Alto Library Advisory Commission and the Human Relations Commission.

Jim Stinger was a research engineer at Hewlett-Packard for more than 30 years, where his work in software development was awarded numerous patents which fostered the growth of “The HP Way.” His 2005 retirement allowed him to nurture other interests, such as watercolor painting, and to devote his time more fully to community service. He has tirelessly supported the YMCA of the Mid-Peninsula, the Challenge Learning Center, Avenidas, American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure, Palo Alto Community Child Care, the Society of West-Coast Artists San Francisco Chapter, and the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto. His paintings have developed a fan following and are sought after at auctions held for philanthropic causes.

Join us on May 19 for Lifetimes of Achievement 2024 at Avenidas!
https://www.avenidas.org/conferences-page/conferences/lifetimes-of-achievement-2024/

Photo by Magali Gauthier/PaloAltoOnline.com

Leading and influencing local civic institutions for over three decades, Julie Jerome is a former member of the Palo Alto Unified school board, and served as its president twice. In addition to being selected for the first class of Leadership Palo Alto, she also offered campaign support to local politicians. She has been the Board President of Palo Alto Community Fund, Adolescent Counseling Services, Palo Alto Community Child Care, and Co-president of Women’s Club of Palo Alto. She remains an active member of the Rotary Club of Palo Alto. In 2004, she received the Tall Tree Award as an Outstanding Citizen Volunteer.

Stay tuned for the cover story on May 3 from Palo Alto Online & Palo Alto Weekly!

Honor Julie at our May 19 garden party:
https://www.avenidas.org/conferences-page/conferences/lifetimes-of-achievement-2024/

Lifetimes of Achievement is just around the corner on May 19! Each week, we will be sharing a little about our extraordinary honorees.
Dr. Clayborne Carson – devoting most of his professional life to the study of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the movements he inspired, Dr. Carson's award-winning book, "In Struggle: SNCC and the Black Awakening of the 1960s" remains the definitive study of the courageous activists who challenged the strongholds of segregation. In 1985, Coretta Scott King selected him to edit and publish the papers of her late husband. In 2005, he founded Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Research and Education Institute to disseminate King-related educational resources to a global audience. In his retirement, he founded The World House Project to work toward a global community where people can “learn somehow to live with each other in peace.”

Honor Dr. Carson at our May 19 garden party: https://www.avenidas.org/conferences-page/conferences/lifetimes-of-achievement-2024/

Check out the cover story on May 3 from our media partner, Palo Alto Online & Palo Alto Weekly!
Photo by Magali Gauthier/PaloAltoOnline.com

Pole walking has gained popularity because using the upper as well as the lower body to move increases strength, balance and flexibility. Center Director Tracy McCloud and Avenidas instructor Jayah Faye Paley discussed seniors' love of active fitness and its many benefits with Palo Alto Online & Palo Alto Weekly in this article.

Moving into aging It’s one of those things we hear about aging over and over again. Keep exercising. Keep doing things. But are there certain forms of exercise that aren’t safe as we get into our seventies and eighties? Are there things we need to change?

A consumer protection lawsuit has been filed against an in-home aides agency after unregistered employees were caught stealing money. Manager of Avenidas Care Partners Paula Wolfson, LCSW, provides best-practice information and her perspective on the state of caregiving in this Palo Alto Daily Post article.

“It’s just a sad situation because it’s our vulnerable loved ones. But in today’s day and age, you have to play it very safe.”

https://padailypost.com/2024/03/22/da-in-home-aides-stealing/

We couldn't be prouder of Pinki Fung, director & diversity outreach, of Avenidas Chinese Community Center, who received a "Compassionate Leader Award" honorable mention from Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, and was celebrated at . This award honors Pinki's empathy, kindness, transparency, and flexibility while making her community a better place to live, work, and grow. One of Pinki's nominators stated it perfectly: "Pinki has been a driving force in making marginalized older adults feel like they belong in our community." Congratulations, Pinki!

Are you ready for a new season full of fun and enrichment? 🌸 Registration for spring activities at Avenidas opens this Monday, March 4 for members and Thursday, March 14 for non-members! Whether you're interested in health & wellness, technology, creative arts, or games, there's sure to be a class and club right for you!
Visit our website at www.avenidas.org to find the full schedule and register today.

Gratitude Alert!
A HUGE shoutout to Downtown Palo Alto Farmers Market for their incredibly generous contribution to support Avenidas and our mission to empower older adults! 🙌 Your support will directly impact the lives of seniors in our community, helping us provide essential services and programs. For over 40 years, you've stood with us in our commitment to enhancing the quality of life for older adults. Together, we're making a meaningful difference!

We are grateful to the Kiwanis Club of Palo Alto for the continued support of Avenidas Early Literacy Program, an impactful way for senior volunteers to help kids not only improve their reading but also grow in confidence.

Being a sports fan is age-agnostic! Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center participants rally together for the , cheering for their hometown team !

'Rainbow Seniors' Programs Offer Connection and Resources for Older LGBTQ People Across the U.S., groups for LGBTQ older adults are tackling issues, forging chosen families and changing the lives of people who often feel invisible

Many thanks to SFGATE for featuring the California Department of Aging's important LGBTQIA survey and Avenidas – be sure to contribute your thoughts at the survey link provided in this article.

Department Of Aging Survey Seeks Input On The Needs Of Lgbtqia+ Older Adults By Susan Nash

Palo Alto Online & Palo Alto Weekly featured Avenidas Care Partners Manager Paula Wolfson and Avenidas Rose Kleiner Center Director Nancy Keegan in an article on the importance of geriatricians for those 70 and up. As Paula said, "Their mode is more of the old fashioned family doctor who visits you at home, is patient, gentle and kind. They conduct a comprehensive intake to manage your care, from head to toe."

Finding a doctor for the end of life Geriatricians, who serve adults over 70 years old, possess a deeper understanding of the nuances of how aging affects the body. They specialize in the unique challenges of old age, such as the effects of taking multiple medications.

A big thank you to Mission Hospice, our partner in a fantastic "Week of the Dead" series at Avenidas@450 Bryant Street. 🧡
"Our community of older adults came together to celebrate our loved ones with honor, humor, and hope," says Avenidas Center Director Tracy McCloud. "We are thrilled to work alongside Mission Hospice, an organization that shares our core values of respect, care, and compassion."

This year we partnered with Avenidas and Avenidas Rainbow Collective to host a Day of the Dead Series. This series included a community altar/ofrenda, a reflective collage workshop, a film screening and discussion, and concluded with a happy hour and open mic-night.

These are some of our favorite memories from the series!