January Magazine for Pasadena Senior Center

Pasadena Senior Center Board of Directors President Sandra Burton Greenstein

From the Executive Director, Akila Gibbs

Vice President Martha M. Denzel Treasurer Linda Polwrek Secretary Cristina Fuentes Board Members Renée Benjamin, Esq. Joan Branin, Ph.D. Patricia Ann Golson, Esq. Anthony Hou, M.D. Beverly C. Marksbury Lynn Mehl, Ph.D. Angie O’Brien Theresa M. Pranata, Esq. Steve Ralph Abel Ramirez Marsha Rood Kris Stevens, Ph.D. Maureen Tyra Executive Director Akila Gibbs Advisory Council Becky Thyne , Esq., Chair William Bogaard Gene A. Buchanan Katherine Enney, Ph.D. Margie Gregg Grossman Alice S. Huang, Ph.D. Laura Mosqueda, M.D.

This year, the Pasadena Senior Center has been operating for 65 years! We are 65 years old – like you- “eligible” for Medicare! I want you to join me in our campaign to make sure that the next 65 will be just as, if not more, successful and full of vitality.

We need more bold and creative ideas to make that happen: 22% of Pasadena’s residents are 65 and older, and 14% of them live below the poverty line. Pasadena is a city with a larger aging population than any other city of its size. Unlike recreation centers and senior programs funded entirely by taxpayers, the Pasadena Senior Center is an independent donor supported non-profit that relies solely on membership dues and donations to provide services. That’s why you may remember that the pandemic forced all senior centers and recreation centers to close for quite a while, but our Center kept providing vital services, albeit on a limited basis. We receive some city funds to maintain the outside of the building, but the Center must raise money for everything else. Raising our general operating funds continues to be what keeps me up at night because the number of people who are coming to us continues to increase. That’s why I’m grateful for people like Ed Bignell, the city’s first full-time Director of Physical Education and Recreation, who in 1957 convinced city officials that older adults should have the same opportunity for services as children and teens. The city set aside a portion of Memorial Park for the site of the Pasadena Senior Center, and floated a bond issue to construct the building at 85 E. Holly Street. A nonprofit board was named to operate it. In 1959, the Junior League of Pasadena joined the project in a sponsorship that continued for ten years and ultimately provided thousands of volunteer hours as well as operating funds. The Pasadena Senior Center opened in May 1960 and was the first nonprofit center in Southern California to serve older adults and one of the first in the nation. As you can see, it took a village. And, it will take a village to keep the Center vivacious and growing, responding to vital needs. I want to thank Ed Bignell for having the vision to create a space for older adults to gather daily for fun, learning, and companionship. He died in 2009 at age 95. I’d like to think of him smiling because of what the Pasadena Senior Center looks like today: more than 40 classes, regular festive events, a well-outfitted gym, and a lot of people whose golden years have been transformed into joyful living. Speaking of joyful living, we have a number of celebrations planned throughout the year ahead. We hope you will join us.

The Pasadena Senior Center is a prized community asset. As a donor supported nonprofit, PSC relies upon private donations, foundation grants, corporate sponsorship, and community philanthropy along with fees for membership, classes and facility rentals. It takes this combined effort to ensure that we are able to advance our mission to support older adults today, tomorrow and in years to come since the Center does not receive federal funding for its operations and is not a city-operated facility. As the numbers of seniors and their needs continue to grow, we are doing everything we can to ensure that seniors are able to age vibrantly and with grace and dignity.

A printed version of this issue can be purchased at the Welcome Desk for $1 while supplies last.

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