Upfront AGING
Nonprofit manager backs entrepreneurship to subsidize programs for needy seniors by Chris nspired a decade ago by a class on women and aging, Amy Andonian switched her undergraduate focus at Stanford University from pre-medicine to geriatrics and public health. Now at 30 and with eight years of senior-care management under her belt, Andonian is poised to take over the Palo Alto-based senior services agency Avenidas, replacing its CEO of the past 15 years. “I had no idea that we had this so-called Baby Boom population that was about to turn 65 and there was a total lack of services for them,” Andonian said in an interview Wednesday, recalling the time she first enrolled in a class on aging, taught by professor of medicine Carol Winograd. Winograd, a gerontologist, advises and teaches in the areas of women and aging, mobility and geriatrics. “I was trying to get a (general education) requirement out of the way, but I was just so inspired by her,” Andonian said. “There was this Amy Andonian lack of people going into the field of geriatrics — and there was a huge need — and it really spoke to me and became my calling.” Andonian said Avenidas will be ready for a Boomer generation that’s made it clear it intends to age differently. “They don’t want to just go to another senior center and have a lunch and play bingo. The Boomer population is looking for a lot more — they’re living longer, they’re more active and they want to be mentally and physically engaged — and Avenidas totally understands that. “I love that they’ve already started that shift — wine tastings, lectures, exercise programs,” she said. Andonian made her mark in the nonprofit world — first at Catholic Charities and later at the San Francisco-based Institute on Aging — by helping to launch and manage fee-for-service programs whose proceeds could be recycled into subsidized services for lowincome seniors. When grant funding dried up during the recession for three adult day programs she was running for Catholic Charities, she was forced to contemplate closing them. Then, she said, she realized, “We were going to have to start operating more like a business to survive.” At the time, homecare was gaining popularity, and she helped launch a fee-based program for people who needed help in their homes. Within 18 months the new
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Kenrick business was breaking even, she said, and continues to subsidize services for low-income seniors at Catholic Charities. “Nothing says a nonprofit can’t make money — it’s how you spend the money,” Andonian said. “You can reinvest in services back to seniors, and it’s kind of like paying it forward. “Everybody should get services regardless of income because the needs are universal,” she said. At the Institute on Aging for the past two years, Andonian managed about 200 caregivers who provide home services to about 140 clients from San Jose to San Francisco. Avenidas for decades has used the fee-for-service model for similar goals. “We ... try to keep (fees) low enough that almost everybody can afford them,” departing CEO Lisa Hendrickson said in an interview earlier this summer. “And we also give away a lot of services too, at no cost. “But the fee revenue from charging for some services has made it possible for us to continue to grow,” she said. Andonian also hopes to turn Avenidas into something of a laboratory for entrepreneurs wishing to test their ideas about new technology products for seniors. “There are so many new ventures around aging — devices, apps — and the Boomer population likes all of that,” she said, citing startups like Lift Hero, which employs retired emergency medical technicians to provide transportation to seniors, or True Link, a debit card whose activity can be monitored by family members worried about fraud. “Amy has a demonstrated commitment to providing services to older adults underpinned by a strong passion and enthusiasm,” said Avenidas board Chair Bruce Heister in announcing Andonian’s appointment, which takes effect Oct. 13. “In addition, she has an understanding of how to leverage technology to accomplish Avenidas’ mission of serving a significantly larger population, including the now retiring Boomer generation.” In operation since 1969, Avenidas serves more than 6,500 older adults and their families each year in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, Stanford, Menlo Park, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Atherton, Portola Valley, Woodside and Mountain View. Hendrickson, a banking executive before she joined Avenidas 15 years ago, plans to devote her time to an upcoming capital project for the organization. Q
Moonlight Run/Walk celebrates 30th year Thousands expected for annual benefit race in the Palo Alto Baylands ull out those running shoes and hop on the Internet — it’s time to register for the 30th Annual Palo Alto Weekly Moonlight Run & Walk. Attracting families, running clubs, youth athletic teams and more than 3,000 participants of all ages, the Baylands event raises money for the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund, which each year gives more than $300,000 to local nonprofits serving children and families. The Sept. 5 race starts at the Baylands Athletic Center, 1900 Geng Road (at Embarcadero Road), Palo Alto. The 5k walk starts at 7 p.m.; the 10k run at 8:15 p.m.; and the 5k run at 8:45 p.m. Preregistration of $30 for youth and $40 for adults can be made via PaloAltoOnline.com/ moonlight_run until 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 3. Runners and walkers can also register on race night ($35 for youth; $45 for adults). A free, long-sleeve shirt comes with registration. In addition to the races, there will be music, booths, a kids’ climbing wall and a festive atmosphere. Dogs are permitted on the 5k walk but not on either run,
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Weekly file photo
Avenidas names new president and CEO
COMMUNITY
This year’s Moonlight Run and Walk takes place on Friday, Sept. 5, with a 5k walk beginning at 7 p.m., and 5k and 10k runs following. where the terrain and darkness make it dangerous. Jogging strollers are welcome in the 5k walk or at the back of either run. Despite the near-full harvest moon, headlamps are highly recommended for both runs. Online course maps have been posted at mapmyrun.com/ routes/view/290826835 for the 5k route and mapmyrun.com/ routes/view/283559443 for the
10k route. On the night of the event, police officers and volunteers will direct drivers to parking lots off Embarcadero Road and East Bayshore Road. Participants should plan on carpooling if possible, as lots will fill up. It is recommended that people arrive at least an hour before the start time of their walk or run. Q — Palo Alto Weekly staff
EDUCATION
Ravenswood district seeks input on new, consolidated middle school Despite initial concept plans, any changes will be years down the line, superintendent says by Elena Kadvany he Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto is launching an “intensive listening campaign” to solicit community input on a potential new middle school for all of its sixth- through eighth-grade students, but Superintendent Gloria Hernandez-Goff is stressing that any changes are still far in the future. The district’s Board of Trustees recently approved goals and initial concepts for reconfiguring its facilities, which include the development of a single, comprehensive middle school at the Ralmar Avenue campus that now houses Green Oaks Academy, Cesar Chavez Academy and Los Robles Dual Immersion Magnet School. All Ravenswood sixththrough eighth-graders would attend school on this new campus, “allowing the district to pool resources and provide enhanced
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curriculum and instruction during these pivotal years to prepare the District’s middle school students for academic success in high school and beyond,” a statement from the superintendent reads. Although the district has one middle school — Ronald McNair at 2033 Pulgas Ave. in East Palo Alto — many sixth- through eighth-graders attend school on K-8 campuses. Under the proposal, all other district schools — Belle Haven, Brentwood Academy, Costano Elementary, Los Robles and Willow Oaks — would encompass transitional kindergarten (TK) through fifth grade, according to the statement. Los Robles would continue as the district’s Dual Immersion Magnet Academy but would shift to serve TK-5 students and move to the current Ronald McNair site. Hernandez-Goff has emphasized that the district will not be
moving forward with such a plan until a comprehensive outreach campaign is conducted with community members, parents and other stakeholders. Their feedback will be incorporated into the district’s facilities master plan, she said. “Even once the listening campaign is completed and stakeholder input is taken into account, it would still take several years to fully implement the initial reconfiguration concepts that are now being evaluated,” she said in a statement. Ravenswood will be working with One East Palo Alto’s Youth Empowerment Strategies for Success (YESS) collaborative, facilitated by Executive Director Faye McNair-Knox, to conduct the outreach. Q Online Editor Elena Kadvany can be emailed at ekadvany@ paweekly.com.
www.PaloAltoOnline.com • Palo Alto Weekly • August 22, 2014 • Page 9