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JCA Insights, March 2024

By JCA on March 29, 2024

Heyman Interages^® and Clancyworks

Launch New Program

The Heyman Interages Center is seeking female volunteers, age 50+ for a collaborative program with Clancyworks. The mission of this program is to bring diverse ages and backgrounds together through dance and art forms to spark dialogue. The program incorporates gentle movement, dance, dialogue, crafts, and storytelling.

At Kennedy High School, Mondays, April 8 until June 10. If interested, please contact Indira Dingledine at idingledine@accessjca.org or 301-255-4239.

Senior HelpLine: 240-290-3311 or 703-652-1515

Please reach out to the J-CARING Community Support Line if you feel the need for mental health resources.
Call (703)-J-CARING (703-522-7464), and a J-Caring provider will connect you to community resources to address your needs.

In this issue:

➢ Interages and Clancyworks program

➢ Good Deeds Week

➢ OMA art supplies

➢ Travel Training

➢ JCA Focus Groups

➢ Safe Driving Class

Participate in Good Deeds Week With JCA

As part of this global initiative, JCA Interages is hosting their annual food drive and requesting donations of children’s books, new or gently used. The drive will be held at JCA, 12320 Parklawn Drive, Rockville MD 20852, from April 8 to 12, between 10 AM and 4 PM. Check out our desired items list. Thank you for your support!

Columbia Foundation Donates Art Supplies

JCA is grateful to Columbia Foundation for donating an incredible amount of art supplies so we can continue offering Opening Minds Through Art (OMA). These supplies will be well used by those in our intergenerational program that matches volunteers with members of our social day clubs that are designed to meet the needs of adults who are in the early stages of diagnosed memory loss.

Seniors Get Moving with JCA’s Travel Training Workshop

JCA’s Travel Training program got off to a strong start with 11 seniors and a translator from the Active Golden Corner group at Holiday Park Senior Center learning how to use public transportation to get around Montgomery County.

Travel Training is a free half-day workshop and field trip presented by JCA Connect-A-Ride that helps 50+ seniors get confident

using Ride On buses and Metro trains and buses. Upcoming dates:

April 9 (Schweinhaut Sr. Ctr.) | April 19 (Benj. Gaither Ctr.) | May 16 (Wheaton Sr. Ctr.) | July 17 (Rockville Sr. Ctr.).

To learn more and register contact JCA’s ConnectARide at 301-738-3252.

JCA is Looking For Focus Group Participants

Do you have great ideas for improving JCA programs and services? Would you like to give feedback on your experience with JCA? Are there services for older adults you would like to see at JCA? You can participate in an upcoming focus group that will help make JCA better and more innovative. Please respond with your contact information and we will let you know how you can get involved.

Driver Safety Workshop

With electric and hybrid vehicles being all the rage, JCA’s VillageRides program and Montgomery County hosted 35 seniors at an educational AARP Smart DriverTEK workshop. The program helps new car owners better understand how to safely and effectively use new technological features on vehicles.

The interactive AARP program demonstrated how technology can make driving safer, especially for older adults and how safety features, including sensors and cameras, are designed to provide:

forward collision warnings with automatic emergency braking
adaptive cruise control to maintain proper distancing
reverse automatic braking systems
blind spot and lane departure warnings

Montgomery County Police Officers also shared how their unit protects the public safety of seniors, particularly those adults experiencing memory loss.

The 90-minute workshop is also available free of charge online.

This past month the JCA blog, Information for the Sandwich Generation, gave tips on improving your cybersecurity, and warned about ageism in healthcare. The latest Senior Resources Guide, Aging Gracefully, Positively, and Healthily outlined recent advances that make life easier for older adults. As you have seen in previous issues of this newsletter, art is a big component of JCA’s programs. An article about art and dementia care, shows why.

50+ Virtual Employment Expos

Jobseekers and employers – have you registered for the 50+ Virtual Employment Expo? The next JCA Northern Virginia Expo is April 18, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Jobseekers and employers, register today! We are always looking for new employers (Federal/ State/County/Local governments and for

profit and nonprofit businesses) to participate. Upcoming Expo Dates for Montgomery County, MD are May 14, and June 18. Employers with at least three professional openings can register to participate. Registration for jobseekers and employers is complimentary.

JCA thanks our generous donors who made Honor and Memorial gifts in the last month.

Lynn Feinberg in honor of Lori Simon-Rusinowitz

Geraldine Fogel Filzer in memory of Ruth Fein

Toby Friedberg in memory of Morton Greenberg

Steer your car donation to JCA!

It’s easy to donate your car through CAR-J, a collaborative program of JCA and Makom (formerly Jewish Foundation for Group Homes). Get started by filling in the CAR-J form. CAR-J will pick up your car at no cost!

Come learn about the impact JCA has in our community in a 45-minute Zoom “tour of our mission.” You might be surprised at what you hear as we introduce you to our CEO, board president, Career Gateway graduate, Interages volunteer, and Kensington Club activity leader. Reserve your spot for April 11, May 9, or May 30 at 4:00 p.m. We really would love to meet you!