VillageVibe
Leadership View: Good Summer, Promising Future
It’s been a busy and rewarding summer for the Village. Our members participated in over 30 recurring interest groups led by member volunteers, including a new Travel group. Our members also continued to give back to our community through our Stitchers for Good group, food collection for Shepherd’s Table, and social events at local restaurants. Our Executive Director, Doug Gaddis, also organized and led a discussion with the County Council and 21 other Villages on the role of villages in the County.
In recognition of our community involvement, our Village was named “Nonprofit of the Year” by the Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce in June (see story on page 9). We were also proud to be recognized for a second term as a critical nonprofit in the the Washington, DC, metropolitan area by Spur Local, formerly known as the Catalogue for Philanthropy. (The new logo of Spur Local appears on the right.) Our success is possible because of our dedicated staff and all our volunteers listed on pages 6 to 8.
In Board news, we were focused on diversity and outreach in the past fiscal year that ended in June. Our efforts included enhancing our scholarship (reduced fee) program, supporting outreach in diverse locales, fostering diverse programming, and refining metrics to monitor effectiveness. One of our Board members also started the fun-loving “old coots giving advice” at the local farmer’s market (see story on page 3). For the new fiscal year beginning July 1, we welcome Board members Beverly Moss and Sara Daines (bios appear on page 4). Our focus will be on upgrading financial operations and supporting our Executive Director in the development of more wellness programs and a website upgrade that will support our diversity and outreach efforts. We are also thankful to start the year with a bequest from the Barbara Leyser estate. If you’d like to learn more about including the Village in your estate plan, please give Doug a call at (240) 833-5580, extension 2.
Sue Decker, President2nd Quarter 2023
Volume 10, Number 2
In This Issue
• Village stats
• From Vibe files
• Events sampler
• Community events
• Fun at the market
• Village Reels
• Board changes
• Books
• Volunteer megalist
• Nonprofit of the year
• Dine out September 26
• Volunteer corner
• Donation form
Launched in 2013, Silver Spring Village sustains a robust neighbors-helpingneighbors network that supports older adults who wish to live as independently as possible and be fully engaged in their community as they age.
Village Stats
Totals as of end of August
Members: 280 (126 full, 154 associate)
Volunteers:128
Volunteer hours
April: 562
May: 566
June: 573
July: 556
Volunteer help April-July
388 one-way rides
151 friendly calls and visits
89 sessions of tech help
34 household assistance
Events
• April: 78
• May: 87
• June: 80
• July: 81
From the Vibe Files
The keynote speaker at our fall 2013 launch was Stuart Rosenthal (at left), publisher of The Beacon newspapers and now a Village member. In winter 2014 our founding Board President Roberta Gosier (right, below) met with Pazit Aviv, the newly hired County Villages Coordinator. Roberta, sadly, passed away in 2015; Pazit continues to work with villages across the county and at the national level on the Board of the VillageToVillage Network.
Events Sampler
This past year the Village averaged almost 80 events a month! So much to choose from, with a variety of fun, one -time events as well as numerous regular weekly and monthly favorites.
For example, on a sunny Saturday in May we held our ninth annual Plant and Seed Swap! Members hung out together, traded annuals and perennials, and passed along excess seeds, garden tools, and other planting goodies. Thank you to Mae Novak and Beverly Lunsford for making this happen.
Batter up! In July we saw the Silver Spring/Takoma Park Thunderbolts play the Gaithersburg Giants at the Blair High School stadium. These teams are part of the Cal Ripken Collegiate League and consist of competitive college players from around the country. Member Laurie Ekstand is the mother of a Thunderbolt coach and yes, the Thunderbolts won.
Also in July we had a “Sunday sundae” with 26 Village members answering the siren call of free ice cream. Claire and David Maklan opened their home to the hungry, friendly group. In August, member and party animal Laurie Ekstrand held a backyard games party with croquet, cornhole, and refreshments.
We also have dozens of “interest groups” that range from discussing Socrates to playing games. One very regular group is bridge. Thanks to coordinator Peggy Gervasi, members play up to five times a week!
Three Members Filmed for “Village Reels”
Three of our Villagers were recently featured in short documentary videos (“Village Reels”) created as an intergenerational collaboration between the Village, Montgomery Blair High School, and the nonprofit Docs in Progress. Marge Hirano talked about her experience as a professional artist. Martha Wittman described her experience dancing professionally, something she only recently gave up. Cheryl Gardner explored her exciting times as a student in Paris during the 60’s. Two other Village Reels were presented involving the Villages of Kensington, Wheaton High School, and Docs in Progress.
Nearly 100 people attended the unveiling of the videos at the Silver Spring Civic Building in mid-June.
Our three- and four-minute videos can be seen here:
• The Life of Marjorie Hirano https://youtu.be/ B2IZvsE-pTs
• Martha Wittman https:// youtu.be/1h8_HWj5VLM
• Cheryl Gardner: C'est La Vie https://youtu.be/ GCFLP8PF7_s
All of the documentaries appear here: https:// www.youtube.com/
@DocsinProgress/videos
Board Comings and Goings
As we begin a new fiscal year as of July 1, we thank Jim Gormally, Dion Hamilton, and Jacqueline Wallen for their recent service on the Silver Spring Village Board and welcome our newly elected Board members, Beverly Moss and Sara Daines. Beverly has over 30 years of experience working with management teams across a broad spectrum of Fortune 200 corporations and Federal agencies, including positions as the manager of the employee service center and director of operations at Fannie Mae. As an independent management consultant, she provided executive coaching, leadership development, strategic planning, DEI development, and process analysis for clients such as AARP, L'Oréal, Nike, Habitat For Humanity, Hilton Hotels, the Federal Reserve, and numerous Federal agencies. Beverly was a founding member of Kemp Mill Village and served on its board until it was incorporated into Silver Spring Village. She currently serves as a member of the Village's program committee. She has lived in Silver Spring twice once in the 1970s and now since 2001.
Sara is retired from a career focused on housing and community development. Most recently, she served as the Housing and Community Development Director for the City of Takoma Park and then as a subject matter expert in local and state affairs, housing, and community development for The Cloudburst Group. Prior to moving to Silver Spring, Sara worked in a similar capacity in Faribault, Minnesota. She holds a bachelor's degree in urban and regional studies from Minnesota State University and a master's degree in historic and economic geography from the University of Chicago. She also earned a certified public manager designation from George Washington University's Institute for Regional Excellence. Sara was a member of the Village's outreach task force last year and has been a contributor to the Village’s support of Shepherd’s Table.
The Board also elected officers for the new fiscal year. Officers can serve up to two consecutive years. Sue Decker will be serving her second year as President and Katherine Anderson will be serving her second year as Treasurer. Connie Raab is our new Vice President and Beverly Lunsford is our new Secretary. We thank Cheryl Gardner for serving as Vice President last year. Thank you to these Board members for taking on addition responsibilities.
Community Events
The Village calendar of events includes something for everyone almost every day. Most events are exclusively for our members, but some, like those below, are also open to the public. Join us! To sign up and for Zoom links as need be, RSVP to programs@silverspringvillage.org. Visit our website to see all of our events.
• Wednesday, September 13, 2 pm SPARKLE program From Monorails to Montezuma: Journeys of a Roving Scholar In Conversation with Smithsonian Curator & Folklorist James Deutsch. At the Koiner Farm, 737 Easley Street in Downtown Silver Spring.
• Thursday, September 14, 3 pm Online Book Club. Join us to discuss The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman. In this novel, four members of a peaceful retirement village meet weekly to discuss unsolved crimes. But when a local developer is found dead, the sprightly senior citizens put aside the old case they were working on to try to solve their first live case. By Zoom.
• Thursday, September 28, 3 pm In Person Silver Spring Village Book Club at the Brigadier General Charles McGee Library. Come talk about The Four Winds, a historical novel by Kristen Hannah. This is a sweeping saga of one family's struggle to survive in the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression. At Brigadier General Charles McGee Library (Silver Spring Library).
• Thursday, October 12, 3 pm Online Book Club. In October we will discuss Remarkably Bright Creatures. Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a warmhearted read about a widow who, while working at an aquarium, befriends a giant Pacific octopus. By Zoom.
• Wednesday, October 25, 2 pm SPARKLE program
Come join us for an afternoon of original one-act plays written by your Village friends and neighbors. If you like Halloween, you’re in for a treat! At Silver Spring Civic Building.
• Thursday, October 26, 3 pm In Person Silver Spring Village Book Club at the Brigadier General Charles McGee Library. Join us in October to discuss The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. After suffering a bout of amnesia following a bike accident, the author returns to her home in Colombia to recover. This poetic memoir interweaves family stories (from both the living and the dead) with Columbian history. At Brigadier General Charles McGee Library (Silver Spring Library).
• Thursday, November 9, 3 pm Online Book Club. In November we will discuss American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard. This book examines American history through on a framework of eleven rival regional “nations” The author describes how the deep roots in each of these regional nations continue to influence our politics today. By Zoom.
Fun at the Market
As part of our work to get out in the community and let people know what the Village is, we have had a table once a month at the Silver Spring Farmer’s Market. Thank you to Laurie Ekstrand for coordinating this.
We see dozens of people every time and let them know about Village services and events. We have a table, a big Village sign, handouts, and friendly Village members happy to talk to people. At one or two of these events, we brought an extra sign that said, “Old Coots Giving Advice.” It seemed to bring over even more people who were wondering what sort of free advice was available. Says Laurie, “It was meant to show that old people can have a sense of humor, that they like to have fun, and they can be silly.” Some asked whether they would win the lottery. Others took pictures with the sign. They never asked serious questions, like what they should major in.
You can see the fun in the picture below. Here a young couple is laughing because Laurie has just suggested they have 14 children!
Books and More Books!
The Village now has two active book clubs going. The Silver Spring Thursday Afternoon Online Book Club meets by Zoom on the second Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. The In Person Silver Spring Village Book Club at the Brigadier General Charles McGee Library (that is, the Silver Spring Library) meets at the library on the fourth Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. Both groups are open to the community as well as Village members and are run by Sarah Letnes, email scletnes@gmail.com. Dates and books decided on so far are listed below.
Online Book Club
• June 8: The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict.
Host: Minnedore Green
• July 13: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.
Host: Barbara Mirel
• August 1: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.
Host: Janet Kravis
• September 14: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.
Host: Sandra Friedman
• October 12: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
Host: Margo Pennock
• November 9: American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard.
Host: Beth Kameras
• December 12: Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee.
Host: Christine Skarbek
• January 9, 2024: Origin: A Genetic History of the Americas by Jennifer Raff. Host: Carolyn Lauer
• February 8: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.
Host: Connie Raab.
• March 9: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.
Host: Hedy Clark.
• April 11: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro.
Host: Christine Skarbek
In Person Book Club
• June 22: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande
• July 27: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• August 24: The Road to Character by David Books. Host: Sarah Letnes
• September 28: The Four Winds by Kristen Hannah. Host: Debbie Haarburger
• October 26: The Man Who Could Move Clouds: A Memoir by Ingrid Rojas Contreras. Host: Dianne Cox
• November 23: Thanksgiving, no meeting
• December 28: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel. Host: Beth Kameras
• January 25: The Last Days of Café Leilia by Donia Bijan. Host: Kathy Bell
BookTalk
As you can see from the story on the left, our members love to read books. Our members also write books and recently the Village hosted an event to celebrate a member’s new book.
Congratulations to Christine Skarbek (a member of one of our three memoir writing groups) for the recent publication of her memoir Confronting Power and Chaos about her multifaceted life, from the placid midwest to exciting Europe (including 12 years in Poland.)
Making Good
The friendly, creative members of the Stitchers for Good knit, crochet, and sew items to donate to local charities and to members, giving away hundreds of handmade items since they started in 2017. They recently visited Autumn Lake at Oakview, a senior living facility in Silver Spring, and provided them over 30 walker caddies that could be used on both walkers and wheelchairs. Here Stitcher
Joanne Schwandes looks at several of her colorful caddies
How to . . .
...join: We offer two levels of membership, Full and Associate. Both levels include invitations to all Village events, exclusive discounts, and access to Washington Consumers’ CHECKBOOK. Full members (only) can receive volunteer services like transportation, home assistance, tech support, and friendly visits and calls. Full membership is for residents of zip codes 20815 east of Rock Creek Park, all of 20901, 20902 east of Wheaton Regional Park ("Kemp Mill"), and all of 20910. Associate membership is open to all. Annual dues: Full - $380/individual, $495/ couple; Associate - $180/ individual, $295/couple. Reduced cost memberships, per person (Full - $60, Associate - $25) are available for those who qualify. For information, please email membership@silverspringvillage.o rg
...volunteer: We welcome volunteers 18 or older who support our mission of assisting seniors to age in their homes and communities of choice. Whatever your skills or interests, we have a place for you!
Our volunteer program allows you to help as much as you want, when you want. Potential volunteers can find application materials on our website. We will do a brief interview. After your initial application is approved, you’ ve cleared a simple background check, and you’ve attended
Village Volunteers as of the end of August 2023
The Village has a “deep bench,” that is, we have never relied on just a few people to make things happen. Multiple founding members established the Village, many more keep it going. The next three pages list all the ways that people volunteer (many are members). The core is direct service volunteers, who help members. But many people also make events, activities, community service, and policy decisions happen. Several have multiple roles. This active involvement is part of what makes the Village strong.
DIRECT SERVICE VOLUNTEERS
The following individuals assist our full members directly via rides, visits, errand running, tech support, and much more. They sometimes are organized as part of support teams when a member needs more short-term help (such as the post-surgery period). We also have equipment (walkers and more) to lend to members.
Jeanne Adams
Natalie Alm
Katherine Anderson
Kathy Beck
Keith Berner
Catherine Berry
Marta K Brenden
Martine Brizius
Jane Brown
Sylvia Buie
Mary Campbell
Nancy Caporaso
Jane Carroll
Beth Carter
Ruth J Conlon
Alan Constantian
Susan Decker
Tanya DeKona
Ellen Dreyer
Stephen Durako
Gwen Earle
Lynne Ebner
Brian Eggleston
Susan Farr
Mary Fields
Lucia Fort
Rick Foucheux
Raymond Fudge
Cheryl Gardner
Anne Gavin
Peggy Gervasi
Deborah Gilbert
Myrna Goldman
Howard Gorin
Libby Griffin
Debra Haarburger
Sheldon Haarburger
Bill Hole
Jeanette Honsa
Nancy Horowitz
Elizabeth Joyce
Leah Kefalos
Sandy Kemper
Colleen Kendrick
Gary M Klauber
Barbara Kriss
Dominick Laddy
Jonathan Lane
Edward Lee
Thomas Letnes
Jennie Lichter
Michele Lumet
Beverly Lunsford
Lynn Olson
Claire Maklan
David Maklan
Maryann McGowan
Anne McHenry
Kathryn McMahon
Isabelle Melese d’Hospital
Mary Millar
Rita Naimoli
Sarah Nealley
Mae Novak
Marsha Obusek
Alicia Pfund
Nancy Pinto
Connie Raab
Joe Reinhard
Howard Rong
Jeri Roth Lande
Gary Rubin
Barbara Ryan
Tony Sarmiento
Making Silver Spring a great place to age in place!
Bill Schauman
John Schmoldt
Joanne Schwandes
Suranga Senarathna
Nan Shellabarger
Chuck Sherer
Denise Sherer
Orit Simhoni
Andy Slettebak
Bonnie Smith
David Snapp
Zach Stein
William Strein
Janet Surrett
William (Roy) Surrett
Katie Thompson
Dalise Toevs
Darren Vieira
Linda Warschoff
Susan Watters
Sally Wechsler
Eric Wiemann
Lawrence Wyborski
Deborah Zuckerman
Pamela Zurer
Support Team Program
Vanessa Ripps, Lead Support coordinators:
Marta Brender
Steve Durako
Anne Gavin
Carolyn Lauer
Equipment Lending
Closet
Laurie Ekstrand
Village Volunteers (continued from page 6)
EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
Along with members of the program committee, many people are involved in initiating and making a wide variety of one-time and regular events happen.
Annual Pi/Pie Day
Mae Novak, the “Pie Lady” Village Bakers (2023):
Mary Fields
Sarah Nealley
Claire Maklan
Jim Roumell
Fran Sussman
Beadsie Woo
Pam Zurer
The Pie Delivery Squad (2023):
Kathy Bell
Jane Brown
Nancy Horowitz
Claire & David Maklan
Debbie Roumell
Annual Plant Swap
Mae Novak
Beverly Lunsford
Interest Group Leads
These groups meet from one or more times a week to once a month.
Jeanne Adams
Playwriting, Act Out!
Marilyn Bate
Duckpin Bowling
Kathy Bell Memoir
Writers
Joanne Bender
Mahjongg
Marta Brenden and Bill
Schauman Write On memoir writing
Cecilia de Kanga
Rummikub (online)
Mary Kave Talking about Travel
Interest group leads, continued
Lynne Ebner
Scrabble, Let's Talk
Laurie Ekstrand and Joe Anderson Poker Dawgs
Cheryl Gardner Yoga
Peggy Gervasi
Bridge, Dinner at Parkway after Scrabble
Cynthia Goodman
LGBTQ+ group
Leslie Hansley Chess
Chris Hough and Amity
Hall Socrates’ Inspired Dialogue on Topics of Our Time
Cynna Janus
Canasta, Getting to Know You groups, Rummikub (in person)
Gary Klauber Monthly birthday ice cream celebrations, Friday Teas
Ed Lee Current Events
Sarah Letnes Online and In Person Book Clubs
Dave Maklan Men's Breakfast Group (in person)
Jane Newhagen
Friday lunches
Mary Rubeiz and Maria Burcroft Reflections Memoirs
Chuck Sherer Men's Group (by Zoom)
JoAnn Thacker Sligo
Hikes
Many other members carry out ideas for events and even host them at their homes from time to time.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
As part of the Village, several people contribute to the wellbeing of the community.Two major examples are below.
Shepherd’s Table (donations of food and other items)
Penny Passikoff, coordinator
DeAnna Anderson, contributor, driver
Jim Anderson, contributor, driver
Marta Brenden & Bill Schauman, contributors
Maria Burcroff, contributor
Suzana Cooper, contributor
Tom Diaz, contributor
Lynne Ebner, contributor
Mary Fields, contributor
Mehrnaz Green, contributor
Amy Henchey, contributor
Bill Hole, contributor, driver
Michele Holzman, contributor
Sarah Letnes, contributor
Michele Lumet, driver Claire Maklan, contributor
Barbara Marcus, contributor
Michaellyn Martinez, contributor
Anne McHenry, contributor
Penny Passikoff, contributor, driver
Connie Raab, contributor, driver Cont’d on p. 8
How to, continued from page 6 our orientation training, you ’ll be able to start making a difference in our community.
…support: To keep our Village strong, we need funding from organizational and individual donors, in-kind contributions, and grants. Your contribution in any amount will be gratefully accepted. Checks should be payable to Silver Spring Village and mailed to Silver Spring Village, 8700 Georgia Ave., Suite 306, Silver Spring MD 20910; or donate online via our website. Also consider donating appreciated stock, including the Village in your will or other estate plans, or making contributions in someone ’s honor. We also love to hear from local businesses that wish to contribute or provide in-kind contributions or member discounts. Contact us!
Give Us a Try
Do you have friends or family who are curious about how you manage to have so much fun? Ask them to try out the Village with a no-risk trial membership! Residents of any zip code can join as an associate member for three months with no upfront cost. At the end of the trial, they can choose to pay the normal fee to make their membership permanent or walk away having invested nothing but a little curiosity. Trial members can also upgrade to full membership if they live in our service area, which includes all of zip codes 20901 and 20910, 20815 east of Rock Creek Park, and the Kemp Mill portion of 20902. Contact us for more information.
Playwrights Present
Creativity abounds in our Village members. One group in particular, our Playwrights group, writes plays and even performs in them. Often, they hold events for Village members. Lately they have held events for the public at large.
“Playwrights Present” was advertised for the community and held at the Silver Spring Civic Building in mid-July. This was an evening of six one-act plays written by our playwrights, acted by them and some colleagues, and involving laughter and tears, giant crabs on the beach, vampires, a cave man, hilariously irritating cell phone technicians, and more. The Village Playwrights Tom Diaz, Rick Foucheux, Jeanne M. Adams, Bill Schauman, and Shelley Herman Gillon provided a great evening. And they have been invited back the afternoon of October 25 to put on Silver Spring Village Playwrights Present Halloween!
Village Volunteers (continued from page 7)
LEADERSHIP AND COMMITTEES
Programs Committee
Gary Klauber, Chair
Carol Regan, contributor
Joe Reinhard, contributor
Barbara Sosnick, contributor
Fran Sussman, contributor
Dona Teplitz, contributor
Deborah Zuckerman, driver
Pamela Zurer, contributor, driver
Stitchers for Good
Connie Raab, coordinator
These are current members who, as part of Stitchers for Good, have created and donated items for local nonprofits (and in some cases, to members) in the past couple of years:
Rita Carlson
Cecilia de Kanga
Amy Henchey
Sandra Master
Barbara Marcus
Beverly Moss
Jane Newhagen
Penny Passikoff
Connie Raab
Joanne Schwandes
Janet Swope
VIBE EDITORS
Connie Raab
Erica Summers
Many other people contribute to the Vibe’s 4-6 issues a year by drafting and editing, taking photos, and suggesting ideas for material.
Clipart in this issue is courtesy https://creativecommons.org/
Making
Village direction and operations require many individuals to make things work.
Board of Directors
Sue Decker, President
Connie Raab,Vice President
Katherine Anderson, Treasurer
Beverly Lunsford, Secretary
Sara Daines
Laurie Ekstrand
Cheryl Gardner
Carolyn Lauer
Gail McDonald
Beverly Moss
Joe Reinhard
Darren Vieira
Finance Committee
Katherine Anderson, Chair
Sue Decker
Anne Gavin
Bill Schauman.
Darren Vieira
Governance Committee
Martine Brizius, Chair
Sue Decker
Peggy Gervasi
Gail McDonald
Anne McHenry
Connie Raab
Doug Gaddis, ex officio
Membership Committee
Claire Maklan, Chair
Sarah Letnes
Denise Sherer
Laurie Ekstrand
Cheryl Gardner
Jim Gormally
Minnedore Green
Kathy Bell
Cynna Janus
Barbara Marcus
Beverly Moss
Carolyn Lauer
Cecilia de Kanga
Jacqueline Wallen
Jane Gorbaty
Jeanne Adams
Laura Farmelo
Leslie Hansley
Lynne Ebner
Marilyn Bate
Roy Lykes
Volunteer Committee
Vanessa Ripps, Chair
Debbie Gilbert
Maryann McGowan
Joe Reinhard
Denise Sherer
VILLAGE STAFF
The Village has a paid staff of three (one full time, two part time) who do way more than their allotted hours and contribute additional time of their own to making things happen and run successfully.
Doug Gaddis, Executive Director
Vanessa Ripps, Director of Volunteer Services
Brooke Kenny, Operations Manager
Note: There may be some inadvertent omissions in or errors on these lists. If you wish to bring this to our attention, please contact Vanessa Ripps at Vanessa.Ripps@silver springvillage.org
Nonprofit of the Year!
In late June, the Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce named Silver Spring Village the Nonprofit of the Year! Given the number of excellent nonprofits in this area, this is a great honor. Thank you to our hardworking and innovative Executive Director, Doug Gaddis, staff, Vanessa Ripps and Brooke Kenny, and to the hundreds of members, volunteers, and donors who make our work possible. Below is the write-up that won us the award. It provides a good overview of what we do and how.
Bravo!!
Mission: Silver Spring Village sustains a robust neighbors-helpingneighbors network that supports older adults who wish to live as independently as possible and be fully engaged in their community.
Contributions to and involvement in serving the broader Silver Spring community: The Village provides a range of practical help that makes aging in one’s own home feasible, and provides social, educational, recreational, and cultural (“SERC”) events that combat loneliness and social isolation. The Village currently supports 275 seniors living in Silver Spring neighborhoods. All services are provided by a team of more than 100 volunteers drawn from the Silver Spring community and beyond. Examples of services include transportation to appointments, errands, grocery shopping and meal delivery, home organizing, gardening help, short-term pet and plant care, support teams for seniors experiencing short- to intermediate term healthcare crises, medical notetaking, friendly visits and calls, wellness calls, walking buddies, household tasks, technology troubleshooting, technology coaching, and more. In the last year, the Village has produced more than 900 SERC events, some of which are open to the public. More than 6,000 area residents have attended events this year. With an eye toward achieving greater socialeconomic diversity, the Village underwrites membership fees for those with very low income. Village members take their commitment to the community seriously, and periodically conduct donation drives or volunteer as a group for other local organizations such as Shepherd’s Table, A Wider Circle, Easter Seals, and Holy Cross Hospital. The Village operates the County’s only social group for LGBTQ+ seniors and is partnering with Long Branch Senior Center to reach Latinx seniors. How the organization engages and empowers employees to participate in its community service and stewardship efforts: The Village has a staff of just 2.25 full-time equivalents. The executive director serves on the board of directors of the Washington Area Villages Exchange and on several committees for the Village To Village Network, including the planning committee for the 2023 national conference to be held in Silver Spring this October. Staff also collaborate with other area non-profits including Interfaith Works, Silver Spring Town Center, Inc., Docs In Progress, Habitat for Humanity, and Rebuilding Together; and with students at Montgomery Blair High School. The Village’s work would not be possible without the dedication of its volunteers, who together in the last year contributed more than 6,000 hours of service valued at more than $205,000. Staff regularly attend community events to educate Silver Spring residents about resources available to older adults and to explain how the Village model can keep people living in their homes and communities of choice.
Dine Out September 26 to Support the Village
All Set Restaurant runs a weekly program to support local nonprofits. In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the founding of Silver Spring Village, All Set is holding a Dine Out Tuesday on September 26 from 6 to 9 pm.
All Set will donate 25% of the pre-tax total of every bill/ check/receipt from guests who tell their server they are there for the Village. The restaurant has outdoor and indoor seating at 8630 Fenton Street. All Set reservations and information: (301) 495-8800, website https://allsetrestaurant.com/
Happy Birthday!
Silver Spring Village turns 10 on September 29!
Do Good: Declutter the Garage
If you have an unneeded or unwanted car, motorcycle, boat or even an airplane you can help the Village by donating it to us. call (866) 829-2918 or click on the "Donate Your Vehicle" menu tab on the Village's website and click on the blue "Donate Your Vehicle" link to fill out a short form. We'll take care of all the details such as towing, replacing a dead battery, paperwork, tax receipts, etc. You just stand on your porch and wave goodbye to your unwanted jalopy or your dusty old motor boat. .
Volunteer Corner: Combating Loneliness and Isolation
In May 2023, Dr. Vivek Murthy, United States Surgeon General, wrote an op-ed essay for the New York Times entitled We Have Become a Lonely Nation. It’s Time to Fix That. In the essay, Dr Murthy discusses loneliness and isolation as two of our generation’s greatest challenges. He states that building connections is a way to combat both.
In becoming a volunteer of Silver Spring Village, you can help address the problems that Dr. Murthy highlights. Every time a volunteer provides a service to a member, they provide a connection. Whether driving a member to a doctor’s appointment, changing a light bulb, or helping with a computer problem, the volunteer is spending time with a member and showing interest in them. A volunteer who helps to move furniture might stay a little longer to visit and listen to stories the member chooses to share. Spending time with a member is a way to develop a friendship with someone you might not have met any other way. Recently I learned of a volunteer called a member they had never before met. Through the course of their conversation, they learned that they worked in the same field. They had so much in common that their conversation lasted about an hour.
Members so appreciate all that volunteers do for them. As one member recently said: “I’m very grateful that yhe Village offers this much needed service. The Village is a comfort to me knowing that I have access to their many services. I hope one day to be a volunteer as well.”
Vanessa Ripps, Director of Volunteer ServicesSilver Spring Village is a member of the Washington Area Village Exchange, the national Village-to-Village Network, and the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce.
DONATE NOW Help Silver Spring Village continue to provide programs and services that strengthen our community while helping neighbors age in place. Your contribution is tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Name: __________________________________________
Address: ________________________________________
Phone: _____________ E-mail: _____________________
Amount: __$500 __$250 __$100 __$50 __$25 __Other: _____
Please make your check payable to Silver Spring Village and mail it to Silver Spring Village, 8700 Georgia Ave., Suite 306, Silver Spring MD
To contribute by credit card, please visit the donations page on the Village website. If you would like information about how to leave a legacy gift, please contact Doug Gaddis at (240) 833-5580.
Silver Spring Village, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Maryland corporation; the EIN is 460723926. You will receive no goods or services in exchange for this contribution, so it is taxdeductible as allowed by law. A copy of the organization’s financial statements may be examined upon written request to Silver Spring Village, 8700 Georgia Ave., Suite 306, Silver Spring MD 20910. Documents required by the Maryland Charitable Solicitations Act are available for the cost of copying and postage from the Secretary of State, 16 Francis Street, Annapolis, MD 21061.
Making Silver Spring a great place to age in place!
