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President's Message
I’d like to start by thanking the members who were able to attend our Annual Members’ Meeting on March 2. In addition to enjoying dinner together, I hope you learned more about our Village Strategic Plan, our finances and what our Board of Directors is doing to ensure we are following through with our mission of supporting the health and well-being of our members. TVSD is committed to providing social events to prevent isolation and build community; educational opportunities and resources related to aging well; and exercise classes to improve fitness and balance. As we pursue our Member Services Plan, we hope to provide more practical support through volunteer assistance. We are so fortunate to be members of TVSD!
Now on to April! Did you know April 19-25 is National Volunteer Week? On April 28 we have our Volunteer Appreciation Social. This is not just for committee members, Board members or neighborhood captains. Maybe you’ve been on an event planning team, participated in a community outreach event or member-to-member forum, provided transportation somewhere, brought food to a member in need or sent a birthday or thank you card to a member. Maybe you purchased something on Raise Right or answered someone’s request on our Time Bank or Social Forum. This social is a thank you to all our members who volunteer their time to participate and help in numerous ways.
I must put in a plug in for the Living Well 65+ Resource Fair. This is a huge undertaking for our Village volunteers (“All hands-on deck!”) organized by Cassandra. The organizations participating at this event service the needs of seniors. It’s a great opportunity to provide resources to our members and our community. Be sure to attend and invite your neighbors. Thanks to Leslie for all she does to help with front desk duties, which allows Cassandra more time to focus on the Resource Fair.
Our April Village calendar is filled with many worthwhile events and activities. On April 7 we reach out to our Veterans with our Honor Flight letter writing. There is a CPR class on April 10 and Neighborhood groups are continuing to meet. Check out the Village calendar and sign up for two events related to “spring cleaning”:
Casual Conversation on April 14 and the Decluttering Workshop on April 17. There is also a member-to-member forum on Transportation on April 24.
April is a special month marking the full arrival of Spring and special days, including April Fool’s (Beware!), Easter, Passover, and the beginning of the baseball season! Go Padres! Whatever your spring traditions or plans happen to be, I will just say, “May April bring showers of blessings to all of you!” Hope to see you all at the next Members Meeting on Monday, April 6. Sign up on the calendar now!
Ginny VanBenthuysen
TVSD Board President
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Living Well 65+ Resource Fair
Tierrasanta Village Movement is hosting its free Living Well 65+ Resource Fair on April 22 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Seventh-day Adventist Church (11260 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., San Diego).
Designed for adults 65+, this informative and engaging event will feature community health and lifestyle resources, the Live Well on Wheels (WoW) bus, opportunity drawings, and expert presentations.
THANK YOU TO OUR EVENT SPONSORS!
| CPR/AED Training
CPR Training: Put the Power of Life in Your Hands
Friday, April 10, 2026, 1:00 PM until 2:30 PM
This class trains attendees to respond to breathing and cardiac emergencies, injuries and sudden illness. There will be mannequins to work on as well as training to use an AED.
The skills covered in this class include:
- Adult CPR
- Choking for the conscious and unconscious victim
(when you need to call 911, when you don’t need to call 911)
- The use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)
- Each participant will receive a course completion card valid for two years.
(Everyone will need to complete the skills on the mannequin to get the two-year certificate.)
Attendees must be able to kneel on the floor to perform the learned techniques. You can bring a towel or pillow if that will assist in kneeling positions.
TVSD is subsidizing 50% of each member's class fee. Cost to member is $25 payable in advance by credit card or check to TVSD at 10601 Tierrasanta Blvd G-405, San Diego 92124.
Please register and submit payment before April 5, 2026.
| | Rhinestone Grannies
The Tierrasanta community enjoyed a fabulous show from the Rhinestone Grannies, featuring John James of The Platters!
If you missed this performance, you can see their 28th Anniversary Celebration Show on Saturday, July 25, 2026, 1:00-3:00 at VFW Hall, 8118 University Ave. La Mesa, CA. Admission by Donation. | | | Longevity Fund
San Diego County is on track for a significant demographic shift, with the number of residents age 60 and older projected to exceed one million by 2040—up from roughly 730,000 today. In response, local leaders are beginning to take action. A newly released “State of Seniors” report from the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation highlights key challenges facing older adults and outlines potential strategies to strengthen the region’s healthcare systems and community-based services in the years ahead.
The San Diego Seniors Community Foundation (SDSCF) is introducing a new “Longevity Fund” aimed at expanding services tailored to residents age 60 and older. A key part of this effort includes plans for a “Longevity Club” in East County, where older adults can participate in classes focused on fitness, financial literacy, nutrition, and fosters a stronger sense of purpose and connection within the community.
Tierrasanta Village is always happy to partner with SDSCF to expand access to valuable resources for older adults. Through this collaboration, we’ve supported hands-on smartphone classes to help seniors build confidence with technology and participated in AARP’s Scam Jam to raise awareness about fraud prevention. We invite all members to visit the SDSCF exhibit booth at the Resource Fair on April 22 to connect with their team and learn more about available programs. Be sure to attend the 9:30 AM Elder Fraud Prevention presentation, led by SDSCF in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni Association, where you’ll learn how to spot common scams, protect your personal and financial information, and report suspected fraud. | Social Committee Update
Here's what's coming up:
Casual Conversations
Date: Tuesday, April 14th
Time: 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Location: Villa Monterey Clubhouse
This is an informal gathering aimed at building connections.
One of the topics we will talk about is “spring cleaning!” If you are able, clean out a cupboard, shelf, closet or any other area of your house and bring something you no longer need. Someone else might like it OR we can donate your item to a favorite charity. Also, do you know any April Fool’s jokes or April traditions?
Casual Conversations is relaxed discussions with no strict agenda. Going off on a tangent is welcome! Please register and we hope to see you there .
Friday Fiesta!
Catered by El Indio Mexican Restaurant
Date: Friday, May 1st
Time: 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Location: Tierrasanta Lutheran Church (TLC)
Cost: $23.00
Registration Closes: Monday April 27th, 5pm
(Being a catered event, please honor the registration deadline)
Please join us on May Day for a delicious meal catered by El Indio Mexican Restaurant! The food will consist of cocktail size chicken burritos, beef taquitos, and cheese enchiladas, along with beans, rice, guacamole, salsa and El Indio’s delicious chips. Village members are providing homemade cookies for dessert. Dinner will begin at 5:45 – followed by dessert, and a bit of entertainment and games, including a pinata with unique prizes. This promises to be a fun evening of fellowship and camaraderie. This is a great opportunity to meet and visit with other village members. Please register by April 27th.
SAVE THE DATE!
Cornhole and Pizza Extravaganza – Friday, June 19th
Patriot's Day Parade and Tierrafest - Saturday, May 16th |  | | New Tierrasanta Village Partner
The Board of Directors is pleased to welcome Michael Salamon of Reliable Builders as a new Tierrasanta Village Supporting Partner. Michael brings extensive experience in home improvement and construction, with a strong commitment to quality, integrity, and responsive service. Michael also owns and operates Ghiloni Granite & Tile, specializing in custom granite, marble, and natural stone fabrication and installation, further expanding the range of high-quality home services available to Village members. | Upcoming Care Committee Forums
Decluttering Workshop
Friday, April 17th
1:00 PM until 2:30 PM
Decluttering is an ongoing process in maintaining a home. For members who participated in our workshops in the fall, let’s get together again and talk about progress made since our last meeting, For those of you who didn’t attend our workshops, you’re welcome to come learn more about this oddly gratifying practice. Please register.
Driving Options
Friday, April 24th
1:00 PM until 2:30 PM
Looking for alternatives to driving your own car in San Diego? We hope you will join us for a member-to-member session to share what has worked and what hasn’t worked for you and learn options you may not know about. Please register.
Sleep Disturbances
Friday, May 15th
1:00 PM until 2:30 PM
Are you a senior experiencing difficulties with sleep? Many believe that poor sleep is just part of getting older and that idea may discourage us from seeking help. Lying awake at night can lead to chronic exhaustion as well as many other health problems. In this peer to peer discussion, we will meet and share our sleep issues and empower ourselves with some solutions that have worked for us. Please register.
|  | | Volunteer Appreciation Event
April is National Volunteer Month and we are going to celebrate this volunteer theme on Tuesday, April 28, with a new event to recognize our Village Volunteers.
Our Village is blessed to have a long list of committed volunteers who have taken leadership roles and who serve on our board of directors and committees. And, we have so many other volunteers who step up when we need lots of individual help, such as setting up for our exercise classes, making a restaurant reservation for Lunch Bunch or SNAP, decorating tables, setting up and cleaning up for a potluck, hosting events in their homes, and driving our members to village activities and medical appointments. These are just a few of the several ways that our members volunteer. Many of you volunteer your time and talents through the Time Bank and for that we are appreciative that so many skills are shared. So, the TVSD leadership wants to recognize all of YOU who have put forth time and effort in keeping our Village sustained and healthy day after day and month after month.
Please join us on April 28th any time between 2:00 and 5:00 to enjoy a cup of frozen yogurt (at Heavenly Yogurt, 10791 Tierrasanta Blvd., in the center near Newbreak Church, across from the library) as we recognize our volunteers and have fun with some door prizes!
Let us know you'll be there with your RSVP.
We want to thank you for all that you do. Your time, talent, and treasure are most appreciated!
Marilyn Bente
Membership and Volunteer Chair
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Rock Painting
Thanks to member Jim Batterson for hosting another Rock Painting Workshop and to Mike Sisson and Laurie Brown for the great photo showing off their work! | | | Care Committee Corner
Getting Your Steps In
Whether you walk daily for fitness, take a stroll each night after dinner, or make numerous trips through your house while doing daily chores, it’s good to get your steps in. Walking is a way to help us stay fit that doesn’t require equipment or a gym membership, and it is good for our health. Any amount of walking is good, and if you’d like to count the steps you take, it can help you measure the benefits you’re getting.
You may have heard that a good goal is 10,000 steps per day. That number seems to pop up in articles and videos often. But for a senior, is 10,000 steps per day a good goal? Not necessarily. A quick online search using Google revealed the following:
“For many seniors, 10,000 steps per day is not necessary to maintain good health, and it may not be realistic for everyone due to mobility limitations or lifestyle. While walking is excellent for health, research suggests that for adults over 60, significant health benefits—including reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and mortality—are achieved at lower levels, generally between 6,000 and 8,000 steps per day”.
So, how do you know how many steps you’ve taken on a given day? There are tech devices that count your steps for you, and you probably have one already. It’s your cell phone! If you have your phone on you during the day, and if it has a health app installed, it’s already counting. I have an iPhone, and it says I’ve taken 1,832 steps today. I’d better get moving! If you have an Apple Watch or FitBit, they count your steps too. You don’t need an app to use a simple pedometer, or step counter. There are pedometers available online for less than $15.00, and combination digital watches/pedometers available for less than $30.00. Whether you count your steps or not, enjoy walking—it’s good for you!
Joan McGeachy
TVSD Care Committee
| Honor Flight Letter Wrtitng
Our Village will again be supporting the Honor Flight Card and Letter Campaign on Tuesday, April 7, at 1:00, at the clubhouse. This will be the fifth time that we have participated in this community outreach activity to honor our country’s veterans. This program was brought to our attention three years ago by one of our members, Gunnar Schalin, who was an Honor Flight participant and who has encouraged our village to become involved in the letter writing campaign.
Here is a thank you letter from the organizers of Honor Flight for our support:
Dear Honor Flight San Diego Friends & Supporters:
Thank you so much for your continued support for Honor Flight San Diego! Your Mail Call letters and cards are always one of the highlights for our Veterans on their Tour of Honor to Washington DC!
Our next flight is scheduled for May, 2026! We will be including 90 WWII, Korean War and Vietnam War Veterans on this flight but won’t have specific details until closer to flight time. Honor Flight San Diego will be collecting Mail Call cards and letters in order to assure that we have lots of cards and letters for our heroes.
Village Members: You can personally support this program by doing three things:
1.) Donate any thank you cards or blank cards that would be appropriate to write a note to a veteran. Marilyn Bente will be collecting them.
2.) Sign up to come to the clubhouse on Tuesday, April 7, to join other Villagers in writing these notes of appreciation to the Honor Flight veterans.
3.) Write some appreciation notes on your own time and bring them to the clubhouse by April 7.
Thank you,
Marilyn Bente
| | Singalong
Join in a Singalong with The Village Vocals on Friday, May 15th 3-4:30 PM. Registration is now open. | | |
FINANCIAL FOCUS®
Time for some financial spring cleaning
Spring is here — which means it’s once again time to wash the windows, organize your cabinets and steam your carpets. This year, in addition to tidying up around your house, why not also consider some financial spring cleaning?
Here are some suggestions to consider: (Read the full article.)
| April Member Meeting
The April Member Meeting is on Monday, April 6th at 3pm at the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The presenter at the meeting will be Steve Gelb, who will be discussing “Transportation Options for Villagers”. Steve is the Board President of SanDiego350, a local environmental organization. He is also a member of its Transportation Team. Since 2022, he has represented Council District 7 on the City of San Diego Mobility Board. Steve taught in the University of San Diego’s teacher education and leadership studies programs before retiring in 2015.
Please bring your name badges and non-perishable food items for the Seventh-day Adventist ongoing Food Drive. Thank you for registering. | | Tuesday Lunch Bunch
Tierrasanta Mexican Restaurant
April 21st, 11:30 a.m. | | ROMEO
Admiral Baker Club
April 9th, 11:30 a.m. | | |
(SNAP) Singles Network
Elijah's
April 18th, 11:30 a.m.
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April 2026 Village Events
Check out the Event Calendar for all of the upcoming events, classes, and activities!
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Tierrasanta Library Upcoming Events
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Thinking about joining Tierrasanta Village?
Attend the next Informational Happy Hour! This event is an excellent way to meet our members and learn about the Village Movement.
Every 3rd Wednesday 4 to 5:30 p.m.
Let us know you'll be there with a Call/Text to 858-569-9119 or email tierrasantavlg@gmail.com. | | | Tierrasanta Village
Clubhouse Address:
5275 Rimpark Lane
San Diego, CA 92124
858-569-9119
www.tierrasantavillage.org
Mailing Address:
10601 Tierrasanta Boulevard, G-405
San Diego, CA 92124 | |