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A Message from the Board President
This article is a chance to share some of 2023’s GOOD NEWS!
These are only a few I collected from a variety of sources:
- A record number of countries eliminated a variety of diseases.
- Malaria vaccines started arriving in Africa.
- Child mortality rates have declined worldwide.
- Polio is fast nearing eradication.
- Two new drugs have been heralded as a turning point in the fight against Alzheimer’s.
- The world’s capacity for solar energy development doubled in the past 18 months.
- The World Food Program provided 30 million more school meals than in 2020.
- The USA violent crime rate is at its lowest in 50 years.
- Deforestation among 9 Amazonian countries fell by 55.8%.
- Over One Million square kilometers of ocean were newly protected worldwide.
Tierrasanta Village of San Diego surely experienced a lot of good news, as well. We hired a part time Business Manager. The role of President of the Board of Directors enjoyed a smooth transition. We allowed two long time dedicated TVSD Board members to retire, Fran Zweibel and Carol Lee, yet they will continue to contribute in other ways. The Board welcomed four new, energetic members. In addition to myself as TVSD President, Ginny VanBenthuysen is our new Vice President and Gunnar Schalin is the new Secretary. TVSD Founder, Candy Walsh, is now an active board member as well!
What does all this mean for our Village? I suggest it means our future is a bright one! We will continue to enjoy a team of leaders committed to fulfilling our mission of serving its members.
The implementation of our Strategic Plan is ongoing and is delivering results. We are attracting new members at a record pace. Our newly created Supporting Partners program has launched and we are optimistic this will create a new income source. TVSD was awarded two grants to support our programming! More details about this exciting growth will be shared in this newsletter.
Why have we been prioritizing the attraction of new members and the addition of new funding sources? So we can deliver the services needed by our members. All of our committees have remained active and effective making sure this happens. Perhaps they have been less evident in the news recently but our Care & Wellness Team, Social & Events Committee and Information Technology Committee have all been extremely active. Offering social opportunities are so important and we are blessed to be offering many of these. The education, sharing of information and expressing care when members are in time of need is among the most important things we can offer. The IT team continues to provide the back up support to help bring it all together. Please take time to visit and explore our beautiful, new website they put together with the help of our ad hoc design team.
We owe so many thank you's to so many volunteers! Though we have two part time employees, our Village could not exist without our volunteer corps! Let’s continue to work together: Neighbor Helping Neighbor!
Ken Ross
TVSD Board President
| Terri Talks
Dear Members,
It is with great pleasure to announce that we have been accepted to receive the Community Enhancement Grant by our District Supervisor, Joel Anderson, in the amount of $20,000! Supervisor Anderson was so impressed with our organization that he also advised that we qualify for the next round of grants coming soon if there are funds available. The grant requires us to utilize the monies on books, educational speakers, rental fees for ADA compliant meeting rooms, and for exercise personal and equipment.
In addition, we were just informed that Copley Foundation is providing us with a $3500 grant for the use of exercise classes!
My wish is we never have to increase our dues and we offer a more robust exercise program in an ADA compliant facility that fulfills everyone’s needs.
Terri Gilbreth
TVSD Business Manager
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Supporting Partner Announcement
The TVSD Supporting Partner Program launched in January and the Board of Directors is happy to announce our first partner relationship with Julie Adams of LUVSD Realty! Julie believes that the best businesses serve others. She treats clients like family and is committed to doing the right thing for those entrusting the sale of their home to LUVSD Realty.
Julie supports the Tierrasanta Community in many ways. You may remember meeting her at one of the 2023 TVSD Monthly Member Meetings when she talked about the new publication we all enjoy receiving in our mailboxes – the Tierrasanta Pulse! Julie sponsors this seasonal publication and is happy to help the community share information. Julie generously provides space in the Tierrasanta Pulse free of charge to all Tierrasanta nonprofits, including TVSD! She is also active in the Tierrasanta Junior Women’s Club.
TVSD is grateful for Julie‘s continued support and looks forward to a strong partnership with LUVSD Realty. You can learn more about Julie and her business at the LUVSD Realty website.
Visit the TVSD website to see the details of the Supporting Partner Program. | Introducing…The Care Committee Corner!
Happy 2024, Villagers! The Care Committee is happy to announce that we will have a monthly item in the Village Vibes called “Care Committee Corner”. Our aim is to keep you informed of upcoming Care Committee Peer-to-Peer meetings, guest speakers, and articles of interest. We will feature topics of interest based on your answers to our Care Committee survey.
Now that 2024 is here, have you made a New Years resolution? If not, we bet you did some reflecting on the past year and how you can make things better in 2024. Did you decide to improve your health and wellness? Did that decision include better pain management?
The Care Committee will host a Member to Member Forum on Friday, February 23rd@ 1PM. The topic will be: Dealing with Pain - Strategies and Solutions. This will be a chance for Villagers to discuss their aches and pains and how they manage them. If you share what helps you, someone else may be helped. Does a soak in a hot tub help with your pain? How about massage, or stretching exercises? What about meditation or imagery? Let’s share our solutions and help each other.
Future Care Committee events will feature topics we have discussed in the past, but which always deserve a review: What to Do With Our Treasures, Transportation Options, and more. Stay tuned!
| Donor Drive
Well done TVSD! You've raised $16,178 in the Year End Donor Drive. TVSD members are showing their support for this wonderful organization via their donations to our 2023 annual appeal. Those who can afford extra contributions have stepped forward to help assure the continuing success of TVSD! Thank you! - Ken Ross, TVSD President | | Steve Aardappel
Marilyn Bente
Pat Berkebile
Laurie Brown
Pete & Carol Burgert
Jo Carle
Chris & Sue Christian
Ruth Cleveland
Lesley Fitzpatrick
Patrick & Kathy Guilfoyle
Tom & Arleen Hitchcock
Anne Hoffman
Jim & Virginia Inouye
Barb Kanneman
Rhoda Keegan
Jean Kerr
Delise Konigsbach |
| Ann Lasdon
Carol Lee
Barbara Lester
Ken & Marilyn Licht
Becky Lunneberg
Melinda McGlinn
Al & Marianne Meth
Bob & Diane Modrzejewski
Patty Mudd & Dorothy
Jerry & Joyce Muinos
Bradlyn Mulvey
Carol Mundell
Marc & Grazina Narkus-Kramer
Trish Newbill
Tom & Kathy Passios
Dick & Linda Rees |
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| Joann Reichenbacher
Mike Rigdon
Carol Rinehart
Diane Roland
Ken & Sue Ross
Gunnar Schalin
Mike & Bev Sheehan
Barbara Solomon
Don & Gayle Stewart
Mick Tartaglia
Thom & Ginny Van Benthuysen
PK & Candy Walsh
Sheila Weiner
Art & Gail Wilson
Greg & Fran Zweibel |
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| Chocolate Factory Tour
In January, members enjoyed a lunch together and a tour of Seabreeze Chocolates in Carmel Valley. Seabreeze is the only chocolate factory and retail store in San Diego County where customers can witness the chocolate creation process, from roasting and grinding the beans to the making of bars, truffles, bonbons, and other treats.
| | | Social Committee Update
The social team has been working hard to finalize dates for the 2024 social calendar! A big THANK YOU to the
members who attended the January 16th Calendar Kickoff and to all who signed up to
be part of an event planning team. Every event has a “lead” member and we hope that more of
you will sign up to help on an event team in some small way. Our social events can only be
planned and implemented by members working together to make it happen. Being on a
planning team can be rewarding and fun! Members will have an opportunity to sign up to
be on an event team at the February Member Meeting on February 5th.
Be sure to Save the Date - March 15 St. Patrick’s Day potluck! Promises to be fun!
|  | | Something We Should Know
by Carol Lee
February 15th is National Village Day! Tell your friends about a Village They Should Know! Talk about Tierrasanta Village with your friends and family! Share our stories. Invite nonmembers to events. Grow our Village as our founding members age and new members volunteer to keep us thriving!
With more recognition for villages comes more opportunities for funding and the ability to help more and more older adults thrive where they choose to live, with meaningful connections to their communities. Let us advance the village movement so that millions more older adults can benefit.
TVSD is not alone in sharing the Village experience with local seniors. Go to https://villagemovementcalifornia.org/ to find the website of any of the California villages to learn about how each one operates.
| Vetted Providers & Resource Directory
For many years Tierrasanta Village has tracked and organized service provider recommendations given by members. This allowed members to share good experiences they have had with service providers such as chiropractors, home health agencies, contractors, plumbers, etc. While this list of resources was helpful to members, it was difficult to maintain because only a couple of recommendations were made annually, and the ones already listed quickly became outdated. Additionally, most villages across the country are moving away from providing members with vetted providers or resources. This is because of the liability it creates for nonprofits like ours. Due to all this, the TVSD Board has decided to eliminate the Recommended Providers List. TVSD will also no longer vet or recommend any service provider. On an individual to individual basis, the Board continues to encourage members to share their experiences and recommendations with one another. Note that the one exception to this is our vetted drivers. TVSD will continue to confirm that each member driver has a valid license, up to date insurance, and a clean driving record.
Even with these changes, TVSD will continue to connect members with the quality resources needed to age well in Tierrasanta. Our Business Manager, Terri, is working to compile a clear list of top community resources in areas such as transportation, medical, social, nutrition support and technology. Additionally, our new TVSD Supporting Partner Program will guide members to needed service providers. It is important to remember that the supporting partners are not vetted nor is TVSD officially recommending them. The partner program simply helps members to be aware of these specialists in the field of aging. If you have any questions about these new village procedures or know of a service provider that would make a great village partner, please contact the Front Desk. | |
Welcome New Member!
Mike Sisson | | | Intergenerational Event: UCSD Tech Help
Once again the UCSD student members of their Intergenerational Club are offering their tech help to our Villagers. This is a hands-on opportunity for you to get assistance with your smart watches, cell phones, tablets, and computers. These tech-savvy students will answer your questions such as:
- How can I use my watch to call 911 if needed?
- How can I access the Village calendar and register for an event from my cell phone?
- How can I crop a digital photo on my tablet?
We will be meeting on Saturday morning, February 10, at 10:00 at Fran and Greg Zweibel’s home.
Come join us for coffee, tea, scones, and donuts while we socialize and get the tech assistance we need. And don’t forget to register so we know how many to expect.
- Marilyn Bente, TVSD Past President | TVSD To Once Again Support Honor Flight San Diego
Village member Gunnar Schalin, a veteran of the Honor Flight San Diego, introduced us to the Honor Flight program here in San Diego and our Village has been on board to volunteer to honor WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War Veterans. The next flight will be in April, and we are going to participate once again in a letter writing campaign to thank these veterans for their service and heroism.
One of the highlights of the Honor Flight is “Mail Call” where there is a surprise distribution of cards and letters showing appreciation for all that these veterans have done for our country. Our Village is going to hold a letter writing campaign to add to the hundreds of letters needed. This event will be held on Friday, March 1st, from 1:00 to 3:00 at the clubhouse. We are asking you to come and spend some time writing messages of appreciation. The cards and stationery will be provided; we just need lots of volunteers to generously give of their time to pen some thank you notes. Come anytime during the two-hour period. This is an opportunity for some of our “one time” volunteers! And, if you can’t make it that day, you can write some thank you notes at home and I’ll be sure to get them from you to add to our campaign. Last year we wrote over 250 thank you notes!
Here's a little anecdote about TVSD’s participation in this event. Member Lesley Fitzpatrick has recently related to me that her father-in-law participated in one of the Honor Flights from here in San Diego. As a Christmas gift for him, she gathered all his memorabilia from the flight, including the stack of letters and cards he received. As she was creating a notebook/album of his flight, she came across two “thank you” cards that were signed from Tierrasanta Village! Our cards have come full circle, right back to Tierrasanta!
- Marilyn Bente, TVSD Past President
| Village Book Club
Here's the lineup for the TVSD Book Club through summer of 2024:
February The Invention of Wings - Sue Monk Kidd
March Dear Edward - Ann Napolitano
April Happiness Falls - Angie Kim
May The Daughters of Yalta: The Churchills, Roosevelts, and Harrimans: A Story of Love and War - Catherine Grace Katz
June The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman
July How to Know a Person - David Brooks
| Monthly Member Meeting
The next Member Meeting will be held at the Seventh-day Adventist Church on February 5th at 3:00 p.m. Our guest speaker will be Jeremy Davies, the Branch Manager for the Tierrasanta Library. Jeremy is going to share ways to access library functions as well as new opportunities to connect with all the library has to offer. This meeting will also be available via Zoom. Please register. | Annual Meeting
Save the Date! This year's Annual Meeting will be held on Monday, March 4th at the Seventh-day Adventist Church beginning at 3 p.m.
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Tuesday Lunch Bunch
Wood Ranch Restaurant
February 20th, 11:30 a.m.
| | Singles Network (SNAP)
Panini Kabob Grill
February 17th, 1:00 p.m.
| | | ROMEO
Maggie's Cafe
February 27th, 11:30 a.m. | |
Village Funnies
Thanks to member Don Stewart for keeping us laughing in the new year! Don has compiled a new set of funnies available by scrolling down on the home page of the Village website. If you have a funny to share, send them to Don at sdonald.don@gmail.com. | | | Rubio's Fundraiser
Support TVSD at the next Dine-Out Fundraiser on Wednesday, February 28th, ALL DAY. See you there! | | February 2024 Village Events
Reminder:
The Clubhouse is closed 2/19 for President's Day
Check out the full Event Calendar for all of the upcoming events, classes, and activities!
| | | | 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.
| | | New Library Book Sale Hours
Feb. 2nd (Friday) 11:30-5:00
Feb 3rd (Saturday) 9:30-5:00
Feb. 5th (Monday) 11:30-6:00
Tierrasanta Library CLOSED February 19th
| 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 | |