AHA is proud to share that our members Susanne Adams and Babs Waters were honored by the City with awards recognizing their years of volunteer service. Read more on their recognition in June’s newsletter. Also, AHA’s calendar is opening up more in-person events, with one being the Social and Racial Equity group visiting the newly reopened Freedom House Museum. See the calendar of events to read about other opportunities to meet with AHA members for fun and interesting events.

Our members are getting out and about again and enjoying time together! There were several opportunities for folks to participate in an in-person AHA event this past month: Bob and Michael’s happy hour, Easter dinner at Tempo, Men’s Night Out and last but not least Spring2ACTion day at Del Ray Cafe. Our Zoom events were well attended, including our two new events – Movie Group and Travel Group. Click here to read about these happenings and more in the May newsletter.

This past year has been challenging, but AHA remains strong! Spring2ACTion started off very slow for us, but we ended with success. Early giving begins two weeks prior to Spring2ACTion day, and on the morning of “big day” we had only achieved 25% of our goal. Cele and I stationed ourselves at the Del Ray Cafe all day and AHA members and friends stopped by to cheer us on, grab a bite to eat and or make a donation. The day was full of excitement and happy times. It was great to be able to get together again. By the end of the day, we had achieved 85% of our goal. We are grateful to the Del Ray Cafe for allowing us to make their kitchen room our “nerve center” for the day and for donating 10% of their proceeds to AHA. Many thanks to all who supported us through either donations or just cheering us on. Our hearts are full with gratitude.

Today begins the early giving days for this annual fundraiser!

On April 27th, we are celebrating 12 years of Alexandria’s annual fundraiser Spring2ACTion. AHA relies on the donations of our friends and supporters to keep our operations going, as membership dues cover less than 50% of our expenses. Please visit our AHA donation page on the Spring2Action website here.

We welcome your gift of any size on this important giving day.

Thank you for your support – and come see us on April 27th at Del Ray Cafe!

We’re excited to be opening up some in-person events this month! Program facilitators have the option to continue their events on Zoom or schedule them for in-person. Please be sure to check the calendar to see where this month’s events are scheduled to take place.

Spring has sprung and April has arrived! Spring2ACTion, our annual fundraiser, is this month! Members are hosting an in-person happy hour and an Easter dinner is on the calendar. Read about these events and more in this month’s newsletter.

AHA will be conducting a member survey to gauge how well we are meeting our members’ needs. Living with a pandemic over the past two years has given each of us new insights into what we each need to remain safe, confident and healthy as we age. We are pleased to be working with Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC), a professional firm that is generously providing services to AHA on a pro bono basis. CCMC is headed by President and Co-Founder Scott Broetzmann, a longtime resident of Alexandria. Though the firm is located here, it provides services for clients across the country, like AARP, SHEA and Squire Patton Boggs. Scott and his team have helped us to design this survey and, most important, will provide third-party analysis of the information you share with us.

– Cele Garrett

This month’s newsletter is full of important information. Announcement of AHA’s upcoming member survey, remembering three of our members who passed away, What’s Up with our members, what to do with expired drugs, and other interesting articles. Click here to read the full March newsletter.

Though At Home in Alexandria does not have the word “village” in its name, we are considered a village organization—one of over 280 local nonprofit villages across the country serving older neighbors in their respective communities. This month marks 20 years since the very first one—Beacon Hill Village (BHV) in Boston—began operation. It wasn’t long before word of BHV’s work spread like wildfire and countless groups sought to replicate that model in their own community. A small national office was established to offer support and training to these “startups”—and that entity, the Village to Village Network, continues today. Our established movement has proven to be a cost-effective, sustainable solution for healthy, vibrant aging. Collectively, villages serve about 40,000 older adults.

Tuesday, Feb. 15 is National Village Day and the central event will be a virtual celebration from noon to 1:30 p.m. The event is co-hosted by BHV and the Village to Village Network. It will feature BHV founders, trace key developments in the movement, highlight stories from various villages and celebrate the role of villages today. The event is limited to 1,000 attendees.

– Cele Garrett