Special Publications

5 Vivalon Key Contact Information Vivalon Healthy Aging Center 930 Tamalpais Avenue | San Rafael, CA 94901 Open Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:00PM Closed during pandemic except for 11:30am-1:00pm lunch take-out. Website vivalon.org | Email info@vivalon.org Vivalon Resource Office 415-459-5700 Guest Services / Reception 415-456-9062 x100 Meal Delivery Services Meals on Wheels Eligibility (Marin County) 415-457-4636 Vivalon Nourish: 415-456-9062 x176 Transportation Services Travel Navigators/Marin Access Eligibility 415-454-0902 Schedule a Paratransit Ride 415-454-0964 Cancel a Paratransit Ride 415-457-4630 CarePool Volunteer Driver Program 415-454-0927 Medical Rides 415-419-2608 Please contact: directory@vivalon.org to inquire about advertising. Vivalon 2021 Directory Staff Jennifer Golbus, Marketing & Communications Director jgolbus@vivalon.org Mia Edwards, Marketing & Social Media Manager medwards@vivalon.org Missy Reynolds, Design & Production Director missyreynolds504@gmail.com Teri Bleiweiss, Marketing & Community Outreach terib@vivalon.org Our Mission Vivalon believes we share a responsibility to ensure all Marin residents have an opportunity to age with dignity, independence and grace. W H I S T L ES TO P E X P R ES S O C TO B E R 2 018 2 WHISTLESTOP 930 Tamalpais Avenue San Rafael, CA 94901 www.whistlestop.org Main office open M-F 9am-5pm Front Desk – 415.456.9062 Transportation – 415.454.0902 Meals on Wheels – 415.457.4636 Help Desk – 415.459.6700 resource@whistlestop.org To receive the Express by email sign up at whistlestop.org. For annual subscription mailed to your home, send $10 to Whistlestop. WHISTLESTOP STAFF Joe O'Hehir , CEO Yvonne Roberts Development Director info@whistlestop.org Laurence Suter-Gunn Programs Director lsuter-gunn@whistlestop.org Jennifer Golbus Marketing Strategist jgolbus@whistlestop.org John and Val Bowman Whistlestop Express Editors 916.751.9189 john.bowman58@gmail.com Laurie Vermont, Volunteer Manager volunteer@whistlestop.org BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dennis Ryan, President Beth Reizman, Vice President Tom Bonomi, Treasurer Fabia Butler, Secretary Sharon Jackson Robert Sonnenberg Cynthia Wuthmann PACIFIC SUN STAFF Danielle McCoy, Advertising dmccoy@pacificsun.com Marianne Misz, Advertising mmisz@pacificsun.com Kara Brown, Production kara@metroactive.com Rosemary Olson, Publisher rolson@pacificsun.com OUR MISSION Whistlestop believes we share a responsibility to ensure all Marin residents have an opportunity to age with dignity, independence and grace. LIKE US on Facebook By Linda Jackson, Program Director, Aging Action Initiative W e decided to downsize this year. Our family home, long an empty nest since our youngest ones flew away, is simply too large for two people. There were rooms we didn't go into, parts of the yard that we never saw, and decades of stuff that seemed to reproduce when we weren't watching. Most of all, we had a home that deserved to be full with a new, happy family. The challenge was: Where would we move to in Marin? We wanted a smaller place in a neighborhood where we can walk about, close to restaurants, shops, and the movies. After months of searching, we found what may be the very last new unit in Marin. No doubt about it, the process of downsizing is daunting. It took months of sorting, a moving crew of millennials, and many boxes to give away and donate things we don't need anymore. It's been a bittersweet goodbye journey, leaving the house we called home the past 28 years. It's also been great fun to explore our new neighborhood near downtown San Rafael. I can't help but wonder how much harder it would be to do this if we were in our 70s or 80s? What options are there for older people in Marin as their lifestyles change? Will there be enough resources for people who want to grow older in their home and community? For those facing dementia or declining health, will they have what they need for safety, care and companionship? The question for Marin is: what percentage of residents is going to choose to stay in San Rafael as they grow older? According to a national survey by AARP in 2012, about 90% of older adults intend to stay in their own homes for the next 5 to 10 years. People working with older adults are aware of the issues facing people as they grow older. Will there be housing for others who want to downsize? Will there be enough housing for the people who work in Marin – those who are caregivers, healthcare managers, and homecare experts? What about low-income people who need affordable housing, or people who need extra care, like assisted living or memory care? The recent report, Older Adult Housing in Marin: Planning for 2030, estimated that 7,000 of today's older residents need affordable housing, and that there is a shortfall of hundreds of assisted living and memory care units to meet the 2030 demand. One small part of the housing solution in Marin is to support, fund, and streamline the process to create more accessory dwelling units. The new units can be for a caregiver, a family member or the homeowner, who can then rent out the main house. In San Rafael, the number of new accessory dwelling units doubled last year, and the city is on track to double that again. We need to do this across Marin! The Aging Action Initiative is enthusiastic about San Rafael City Council's recent support of assisted living in downtown. This new housing approval portends well for Whistlestop's proposed affordable older adult housing project in downtown San Rafael. We are excited to see new housing options for older people in Marin, especially in places where they can walk to services and shops and be part of the community. Aging Action Initiative is a network of more than 130 organizations, including Whistlestop, that addresses community issues through the lens of aging. It focuses on finding ways to age-in- community, and having economic security, a place to call home, and transportation for older adults. For information, check out www.agingactioninitiative.org or contact Sami at support@ agingactioninitative.org. WHISTLESTOP PERSPECTIVE LIKE US on Facebook! facebook.com/VivalonMarin cuisine. Come e panoramic Mt. your perfect, maintenance-free Now accepting waitlist applications. Upsize Your Life at The Tam 4 15-46 4- 1755 www.TheTam.org MEALS ON WHEELS STAFF PHOTO BY STUART LIRETTE

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