The Senior Center is open on a limited basis, by appointment only, in compliance with the Governor’s “Safer at Home” advisory.
December 2, 2020
As we welcome December, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our ability to gather in large group settings. In fact, at the time of this printing, the COVID-19 numbers are increasing at a potentially alarming rate. With the addition of flu season and increased indoor activity, we are bracing for an increase in COVID-19 cases locally. The Senior Center is currently open on a limited basis, by appointment only, in compliance with the Governor’s “Safer at Home” advisory. We urge you to comply with public health recommendations.
We recognize that the impending arrival of the winter holidays will add additional stress as family and friends attempt to make decisions that will keep everyone both safe and connected. With that, we also know that feelings of anxiety and sadness may occur at this time of the year. Our advice is to be mindful of your feelings, talk honestly and openly with others, and seek professional help when needed.
The Council on Aging social work staff are available during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm), so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything or if you would just like to say hello. You can leave messages for us at 617-730-2777 or 617-730-2770.
We are pleased to offer an abundance of programming online. Thank you to our staff and program leaders for making this transition. As always, be patient with technology glitches. We are aware that there continue to be issues with some of the links that we have included in our December edition. While we have resolved most of the issues, here is a direct link for the Medicare.gov link listed on page 11: https://www.medicare.gov If you experience a problem with any of the other links, please let us know.
You can find the december edition, as well as any past or future editions of the newsletter here:
Are you receiving more than one copy of this email from us? Please let us know by sending an email to Jessica Milley-Gee at .
Be well!
Ruthann Dobek, LICSW
Director
Brookline Council on Aging/
Brookline Senior Center
October 28, 2020
As we welcome November, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our ability to gather in large group settings. In fact, at the time of this printing, the COVID-19 numbers are increasing at a potentially alarming rate. With the addition of flu season and increased indoor activity, we may see an increase in COVID-19 cases. The Senior Center is open on a limited basis, by appointment only, in compliance with the Governor’s “Safer at Home” advisory. We urge you to comply with the public health recommendations.
We recognize that the impending arrival of the Thanksgiving holiday will add additional stress as family and friends attempt to make decisions that will keep everyone both safe and connected. With that, we also know that feelings of anxiety and sadness may occur at this time of the year. Our advice is to be mindful of your feelings, talk honestly and openly with others, and seek professional help when needed.
We encourage you to complete our “Living with COVID-19” survey. The information gathered will assist us in planning future programs and services. An online copy of the survey is available here. If you would like a hard copy of the survey mailed to you, please call us at 617-730-2777.
We are pleased to offer an abundance of programming online. Thank you to our staff and program leaders for making this transition. As always, be patient with technology glitches. We are aware that there continue to be issues with some of the links that we have included in our November edition. We are working to resolve the issue, but we have included some of the direct links below as an alternative way of accessing this content.
We hope that you and your loved ones stay healthy and well in the days ahead and we look forward to celebrating with you all when we are able to safely reopen the Senior Center more fully. The Council on Aging social work staff are available during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm), so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything or if you would just like to say hello. You can leave messages for us at 617-730-2777 or 617-730-2770.
You can find the November edition, as well as any past or future editions of the newsletter here.
Be well!
Ruthann Dobek, LICSW
Director
Brookline Council on Aging/
Brookline Senior Center
June 5, 2020
At the time of this printing, the Senior Center is open on a limited basis, by appointment only, in compliance with the Governor’s “Safer at Home” advisory. For more information on that advisory, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/news/
Since it is uncertain as to when we will be able to safely begin hosting any of our special or ongoing programs at the Center, we have been working to develop a list of online programming options with some of our regular group facilitators, as well as with some of your favorite performers and presenters. Please remember that these “virtual” programs are new to everyone so there will be glitches, but we hope that you will continue to give the online programming options a try.
We realize that there are lots of questions regarding our reopening and we appreciate your patience during this uncertain time. Please feel free to leave your questions on our voicemail or to submit your questions to info@brooklineseniorcenter.
We hope that you and your loved ones stay healthy and well in the days ahead and we look forward to celebrating with you all when we are able to safely reopen the Senior Center.
The Council on Aging social work staff are available during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm), so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything or if you would just like to say hello. You can leave messages for us at 617-730-2777 or 617-730-2770.
Follow This Link To Read Our June Edition:
https://www.brooklinema.gov/
March 18, 2020
In order to proactively slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community, the Senior Center is Closed To The Public at this time.
The Brookline Senior Center will be monitoring its phone lines during the Covid-19 emergency. Older adults can leave their names and phone numbers on our voicemail at 617-730-2777 or 617-730-2770. Staff will be responding to questions and concerns Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm. Emergencies should be directed to 911.
In order to address the many questions and concerns that exist in the community, the Town of Brookline would like to share the following information :
For general COVID-19 questions, please call the State 2-1-1 line. For Brookline specific medical or public health inquiries, please contact the Department of Brookline Public Health at 617-730-2300. For non-medical questions specific to Brookline, please call the Brookline COVID Information Call Center at 617-879-5636. These call centers, for the time being, will be operational Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm, these hours will be adjusted as needed. Messages can be left after hours and will be returned the next day. You can also email your non-medical inquiries to: COVID19Info@brooklinema.gov.
Stay up to date on COVID-19 updates here: https://brooklinecovid19.com/senior-center/
Please remember the importance of social distancing to reduce the impact of COVID-19, and please stay home as much as possible. Thank you.
World War Monument at the Brookline Town Hall, 333 Washington Street.
Residents are invited to attend Brookline’s annual Veterans Day Program, and join various town officials, veterans, veterans groups, and the general public in honoring local veterans for their service.
Due to COVID-19, participants will be required to wear a cloth face covering and practice social distancing.
Zoom link: https://bit.ly/3odkric
Questions? email
Town Meeting will start Nov. 17 and continue Nov. 18, 19, 30 and Dec. 2 and 3.
The forums on Nov. 9 and 12 will present brief explanations of some of the most important warrant articles, with short presentations for and against, and a chance to ask questions. Town Meeting members and all Brookline residents are encouraged to attend.
Those interested should email with a full name and phone number and whether or not they are a Brookline resident. The Zoom link will be distributed shortly before the event.
Dr. James DiReda and Jack Maroney along with their childhood friend, Henry Grosse (in memoriam) co-authored The East Side of Addiction, a story of an inner city neighborhoods coming of age during the drug culture of the 60’s.
This virtual presentation's objectives include:
Register Here You will receive the Zoom meeting details after registering. with any questions.
This program is a partnership between the Brookline Senior Center, BrooklineCAN, and the Public Library of Brookline.
Join the Zoom meeting here.
Meeting ID: 870 4431 2721
Passcode: 994Ffa
To join by telephone, please dial (929) 205-6099.
Enter the Meeting ID 870 4431 2721 and the passcode 462871.
Join us virtually for a wonderful performance by singer-songwriter guitarist Laura Wetzler. Laura will explore songs from classic American films and celebrate their creators. Musical selections will include songs by Berlin, Gershwin, Kern, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Hamlisch, Bacharach, the Bergmans, Paul Simon, Bob Dylan, & others. This program is sponsored by Center Communities of Brookline, Goddard House Assisted Living and Memory Care and the Brookline Senior Center.
To join by computer, simply click here at the designated time: If you have any trouble using the above link, please contact Julie Washburn at and she will send you the link directly.
To join by phone, dial 1-301-715-8592 (toll call) and enter the meeting ID: 828 6346 0620 and passcode: 4243433
We hope to see you there!
The Brookline Budget Forum will serve as an opportunity for residents to hear directly from Kleckner as he provides insight on municipal finance and the town’s annual budget process.
To register and access the online event, click here. The meeting will also be broadcast by Brookline Interactive Group online here and on BIG’s Civic Channel — Comcast channel 23 and RCN channels 15/613.
"Pursuing Social Justice"
This year's program will feature a Moderated Conversation on “Philosophical Mentoring and the Impact of Words on a Generation”. The conversation is hosted by Nick Bates, the Assistant Director for Thurman Center Networks in the Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground.
This program is being offered collaboratively by Center Communities of Brookline, Goddard House Assisted Living, BrooklineCAN and the Brookline Senior Center. To join by computer, simply click here at the designated time. If you have any trouble accessing the link above, please contact Julie Washburn at and she will send you the link directly. To join by phone, dial 1-833-548-0282 (TOLL FREE) and enter meeting ID: 858 118 6414 when prompted. Please note that there will be time allotted for questions at the end of the presentation.
For more information or to register: www.brooklinema.gov/health.
Contact Lynne Karsten
or phone - 617-730-2336.
Program of Events:
Whether or not you have completed a Health Care Proxy, this workshop, run especially for the Brookline Council on Aging, is for you! Do you still have questions about how the Proxy is used? Are you wondering just how you will talk with others about your values? Why is the Proxy not just for end-of-life care? This interactive workshop is set up to be useful and fun.
There is no cost. MHD asks that you participate in all three parts. Limited to 16. To register, ask questions, or to request a full workshop outline, please email with your name and contact information to:
Please join us as we celebrate the official renaming of the school in honor of Florida Ruffin Ridley. Due to the ongoing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic, only a small group will gather for the in-person ceremony at the school. Community members will be able to view a livestream of the event on the Brookline Interactive Group (BIG) page here.
Women in World Jazz features world music composed by women artists past and present. From USA Blues and Jazz styles, the group ventures to Jamaica, Brazil, Japan, Cape Verde, and Israel to celebrate the diversity and power of creativity. Audience members will have a chance to ask questions and are invited to create their own music by bringing a shaker instrument (you can make a shaker using a vitamin container or soda bottle). This interactive tribute to women composers from around the globe will delight adults and kids of all ages.
Sign up to see the concert on Zoom Webinar here! Or watch the livestream on the Library’s Facebook page.
Following the concert, a recording will be posted to the Library’s YouTube channel and will be available to watch for four weeks. This event is generously sponsored by the Brookline Library Foundation and the Library Trustees.
RSVP or call 617-730-2767 and leave a message if you plan to attend.
Festival of Learning, which is also an important fundraiser for our program. Early registration is open and week-long passes are being offered at a reduced rate of $75. The pass allows participants to drop in on any of the 30+ live virtual classes or speaker sessions, held over Zoom, at their convenience and for less than it would cost to sign up for a typical single class. It is a bargain!
To register, visit our website or give us a call at 617-730-2700 and we will gladly assist you in completing the registration process.