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Providence Village
Begins "Telephone Tree"
Story & Photos by Suzanne Francis
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(l-r) Kate Sanders Hope St Neighborhood, Vivian Malloy (standing) Hope St Neighborhood, and Bobbi Fisler (Blackstone).
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Many of us have vivid mental images of Lily Tomlin as Ernestine, the nosy, condescending telephone operator from the 60s TV show Laugh In, who generally treated customers with little sympathy. Not true of the dedicated group of members who have launched telephone trees in our village. To make the calling more manageable, the Village was divided into seven neighborhoods with 10 to 15 households each. Telephone volunteers have begun making calls in six neighborhoods and the seventh will launch their telephone tree shortly.
The idea of Neighborhood telephone trees came up as part of a Board goal to increase member-to-member communication and create stronger connections to the Village. The idea gained urgency after severe weather and blizzard warnings necessitated calls to a number of members in advance of very severe weather last winter. Callers discovered that there were members who needed information and/or help to be safe during a multi-day storm. The telephone tree calls were tested successfully in two neighborhoods in July. Calls were made to all members within the neighborhoods and will continue on a monthly basis. Four additional neighborhoods will launch their telephone trees in August or September. So, members should expect a neighborly call from a nearby member to say hello sometime soon.
In addition to the monthly calls, emergency alerts and follow-up calls will be made if weather or other emergencies are predicted. Despite our fond memories of Ernestine, don’t expect to be greeted by your neighborhood caller with Ernestine’s cheery, “Is this the party to whom I am speaking?” They are more likely to start by identifying themselves as a fellow Village member calling to say hello. They know they are speaking to the party to whom they are connected and they are eager to hear how you are and to fill you in on the up-coming Village events.
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Providence Village Dinner Club
Story & Photos by Jane Adler
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Our Providence Village Dinner Club is having a lot of fun. We are an adventurous lot. So far we’ve tried Italian food, Peruvian food, and this month we are going to a beautifully decorated restaurant that features Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese food.
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Sure, the food is important, but it’s the camaraderie that everyone who attends talks about. We are a friendly group, and welcome all who wish to join us. The conversation never seems to stop.
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And last month, the activities included a Providence Riverboat ride and lunch. We were lucky to have received a very special, one time only, discount. It was a warm day, but cool on the water. Our captain, Captain Tom, described the various buildings and told the history of this downtown area. It was interesting seeing the city from another angle.
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After our ride, which everyone said they really enjoyed, we walked next door to the Tel Aviv restaurant and sat outside on a balcony overlooking the water. The food was good, and everyone agreed, it was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Please join us. Register early this month.
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Busy Board Summer
Story & Photos by Phil West
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Far from chilling out for the summer of 2018, members of the Providence Village Board of Directors doubled down.
“We’re a working board,” says President Jim Maxwell. “We look forward to a time when we’ll have staff to carry out management responsibilities, but we know that — for now — both the governing and the doing are in our hands.”
Board Secretary Anne Connor co-chairs the Fundraising Committee and is also a service coordinator. She refers calls for rides or home safety projects to vetted volunteers. In addition to leading the Membership Committee, Jane Adler organizes frequent social events.
“Many people wear multiple hats,” says Jim Maxwell. “That’s the way it has to be, at least for now.”
Now in its third year of safely connecting vetted volunteers with members who wish to stay in their homes, the board is building a phone network to supplement email and online communications.
After exhaustive research on how other villages across the country operate, the Board recently voted unanimously to assist other communities in starting villages that would share volunteer vetting services, communications, software, fundraising, and administrative functions.
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2018 PROVIDENCE VILLAGE BOARD, seated from left: Laura Young, Lenore Bunting, President-Elect Suzanne Francis, President Jim Maxwell, Past President Pat Mattingly; standing from left: Bonnie Ryvicker, Joe Fisler, Deborah Dunning, Phil West, Jane Adler, Peter Viner-Brown, Treasurer Gary Leib, Secretary Anne Connor, Tony Allen, Territa Percelay.
Board members serve three-year terms, the Treasurer and Secretary serve two-year terms, and the executive officers rotate through a three-year cycle.
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IPhone Workshop
Story by Diane Strommer
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An indispensable tool! A total annoyance! A computer in your pocket—the object that we can’t always figure out how to live with, but wouldn’t want to be without. That can only be our smart phone, the Apple iPhone for most.
To help members access its many useful features (and avoid of some of the annoying ones), Providence Village held a workshop on the iPhone on Tuesday, July 24 at Hamilton House. John Metz, a history major at Brown University and the computer tutor at Hamilton House, led the workshop. He helped to resolve some of the problems those attending have had and instructed us in how to use some of the most popular apps (or applications).
Participants learned how to download and set up ride-sharing apps like Uber and Lyft. We learned that within the “Health” app on the iPhone, medical information can be stored and found by others even when the phone is locked. The phone’s “emergency” button is a useful feature for doing just that. Even experienced users may not be aware of this option, though John thought that emergency medical personnel were.
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Learning how to organize and to delete photos solved problems for several people. And if one has downloaded enough apps to clutter the phone’s screen, he showed us how they can be very easily organized into groups—like travel, entertainment, books, and so on.
John made suggestions about synching between devices (such as the iPad and iPhone) and the value of using a separate hard drive for backing up one’s phone. Although he was just thirteen when he got his first iPhone, he already was familiar with computers from school. For those of us finding our way around and into these devices much later in life, he had this advice:
Learn one basic skill at a time. Get comfortable with getting and sending e-mail, then perhaps work with the calendar and reminder apps, the camera and photos, and so on. It’s trying to learn everything at once that can be difficult and confusing.
The workshop was a practical and useful experience for all who attended. Many thanks to John Metz and Hamilton House for making it possible.
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RI Primaries Are Coming Soon
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The Rhode Island primary will take place on Wednesday, September 12, 2018. It was moved from Tuesday due to the religious holiday Rosh Hashanah.
How do I find out where I vote?
You can visit the Voter Information Center to find your assigned polling place. Please note, that polling places are subject to change. Generally you will vote at the same polling place in statewide elections. However, in smaller special elections, you may be temporarily assigned to another polling place due to consolidation. It is advisable to always verify your assigned polling place before any election. An emergency mail ballot can be applied for at the local Board of Canvassers up until 4 p.m. the day before any election. Although it is too late to register to vote in the primary, there is still time to register for the November general election!
We urge you to get out and vote on September 12, and please call the Providence Village if you need a ride to the polls. 401-441-5240.
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October Workshop
on LGBT Elders
Friday, October 5 8:15 - noon
One Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI
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NASW-RI Chapter- Aging Committee and SAGE-Rhode Island will present GEN SILENT: Understanding LGBT Elders and Practice Implications on Friday, October 5, 2018. The workshop will be held at One Rhodes Place, Cranston, RI from 8:15am - 12:00pm. The workshop will showcase the critically acclaimed documentary Gen Silent by the award winning producer and director Stu Maddox. It focuses on the lives of six LGBT elders living in nearby Massachusetts, offering a powerful portrait of the struggles they face in later life. The silent generation fought the earliest battles for equality and now faces the prospect of returning to the closet for fear of discrimination.
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This documentary has been viewed by medical schools, governmental policy experts and elder care agencies around the world committed to creating safe environments for an underserved, at-risk minority. It has been described as the best film ever on aging and the role of innovative community services. The film will be followed by a discussion and presentations from a panel of experts to include clinical social workers and community activists working with the Rhode Island’s older LGBT community. Key issues and practice concerns will be addressed, as well as research on demographics of the LGBT elder population nationally and specific to Rhode Island.
Continuing Education Credits: Social Work CE’s will be available – three (3) in cross-cultural practice. Other professionals should check with their local regulatory boards to determine if CE’s approved by the National Association of Social Workers – Rhode Island Chapter will be accepted for re-licensure.
To register online go to: www.rinasw.info
and go to the CE Program tab.
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Photo Exhibit - Hamilton House
Works by Jane Adler
October 11, 2pm - Artist Talk
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If you missed Board Member Jane Adler's exhibit this summer, you have another opportunity to see this exciting new work. The photographs will be up in Hamilton House from September until the end of October. Jane will give a short artist talk on October 11 at 2pm, Hamilton House.
photos by Jane Adler
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Member Group Activities
Story & Photos by Jane Adler
Join us for Member Group Activities, a wonderful way to have a great time and meet new, friendly people. Just a very few of the things we do include visiting museums, attending lectures, going out for lunch, attending book club, and meeting for breakfast. Many more things are planned for this fall so stay tuned! Many of our events fill up quickly, so please register as soon as you can.
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Invite a Friend
Friends interested in learning more about the Village are welcome to join Member Activities; please contact Jane Adler in advance.
Please join us at our next Member Activity. We have a lot of fun and it's a great opportunity to meet others who want to meet you, too. Some new faces join in at events each month.
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Ways to Volunteer!
The Providence Village needs you!
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There are many opportunities to volunteer. Training is provided for each job, and the schedule is under your control. Here are the job descriptions:
Home Help: Household Chores and Handy Help
Village Friends: Provide regular check-in calls, longer friendly phone calls, or in-person visits to members.
Member Group Activities: Help plan and assist small group social, cultural and educational activities.
Technical Support: Assist members with computers, phones, TV remotes, i-pads, and other devices.
Driver: Take members to and from doctors’ appointments, shopping, and errands. The schedule is flexible.
Service Coordinator: Take phone calls from members to coordinate services for them. This can be done from your home.
To volunteer, please call us at 401-441-5240.
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The Providence Village
Our Mission
The mission of the Providence Village is to create a community of mutual support, so that we can live rich, full lives in our homes and neighborhoods.
Our Vision
The Providence Village will provide a single source of access to programs and services that support a healthy, safe and satisfying life for our members.
Our Core Values
Generosity, Diversity, Engagement, Collaboration, Sustainability
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