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Andrew Burke, who works with GE Aerospace Contractor Belcan, and his colleagues collected Thanksgiving food donations for consumers of Phoenix Food Hub. The donations were combined with donations collected by GLSS staff to create over 30 bags of food for local residents.

The Phoenix Food Hub serves people of all ages in and around the Lynn area—a one-stop shop near Central Square where individuals and families at risk of nutrition insufficiency can access a variety of resources to help them better manage their overall health and well-being.

GLSS facing critical need for MONEY management volunteers

Lynn, Massachusetts – The Money Management Program at Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) seeks volunteers to assist older adults in Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott who are having difficulty managing their personal finances. The program’s goal is to help people manage their everyday financial affairs and stay as independent as possible. It is a free service sponsored by the Executive Office of Elder Affairs (EOEA) and local Aging Services Access Points like GLSS.

“Paying bills on time and managing a monthly budget is a very important part of independent living, especially for people living on fixed or limited incomes,” said Kathryn C. Burns, GLSS’ CEO. “Volunteers are needed to assist with developing budgets, sorting mail, writing checks, and balancing checkbooks.” The program is especially helpful to people who are homebound or experiencing impaired vision, difficulty writing, limited mobility, and memory loss or dementia. The elder makes all decisions and retains check-signing authority.

Volunteers make an enormous contribution to people’s ability to live independently. One Bill Payer volunteer worked with a woman who lived in a local senior housing community. She did not have any family able to help her. The volunteer assisted by helping her pay her rent and budgeting for homecare services and food. “The consumer and Bill Payer volunteer formed an incredible bond working together,” Burns said. “This woman would have been homeless or institutionalized had it not been for the program, but because of it she was able to stay independently housed in her own apartment.”

 

A short training course and year-round professional support are provided. Volunteers are asked to commit a few hours a month at a day and time that is convenient to them. “This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone to help an elderly community member in a very important way,” Burns notes.

For more information about volunteering, contact Edwina Lewis at 781-586-8609 or email elewis@glss.net. If you would like to know more about the program, please visit www.glss.net or call 781-599-0110 and ask to speak with Information & Referral.

This event was sponsored by Coco Alinsug, Lynn City Councilor, Ward Three; Jeanne Mares Kleene, honoring the memory of her father Ernest R. Mares, U.S. Army Air Corps; Camp Lion of Lynn, and GE Aerospace. A special thank you also to Michel Chamsarian, our chef and leader of volunteers for todays meal – Michel has donated all of the food and her services in preparing today’s menu. She is assisted by volunteers Roger Garcia from April’s Restaurant and Osvaldo Salcedo and Lenny Salecedo from Tony Tipico; Mabel De La Cruz from Fab Fiesta for providing the balloon backdrop; Karina from Art di Karina Bakery for the cake; and students from Lynn English High as the ROTC honor guard and servers. And last but not least, thank you to our guest speakers – Mayor Jared Nicholson, Jeff Crosby, and Mike Sweeney.

Thanks to City Councilor and Veteran Nicole McClain for providing this information.

Greater Lynn Senior Services invites the participation of area adults age 60 and older and their caregivers in the 2025 Needs Assessment Survey from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. The data gathered will help us develop an Area Plan outlining our goals and priorities for meeting the needs of older adults in our area.

"We are hoping to capture honest, anonymous responses to help us better understand and meet the needs of all those we serve in Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott," said GLSS' Quality Manager Ann Miller. "We especially want to capture the needs of people from socially and economically disadvantaged groups in our catchment area."

Specific populations GLSS hopes to reach include low-income, minority, non-English-speaking, and veterans groups, with special emphasis on members of the Haitian Creole, Khmer, and LGBTQ+ communities.

Please forward the link below to consumers or others in your professional and personal networks who might be interested in participating.

 

https://app.keysurvey.com/f/41748328/8b22/

On Thursday, November 7, GLSS will host a luncheon honoring area Veterans. The event will feature a delicious home-made meal prepared for Veterans and guests, greetings from Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson and other local dignitaries, and special guest speakers. The lunch will take place at 2:00 p.m. on the first floor of GLSS' office building located at 8 Silsbee Street in downtown Lynn.

Veterans are invited to RSVP for themselves and a guest by calling Phoebe Bakeman at 781-586-8619 or emailing pbakeman@glss.net.

The Family Caregiver Support Program will hold its quarterly meeting of the “In the Moment” Memory Café on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at the Phoenix Food Hub, located on the first floor of Greater Lynn Senior Services’ (GLSS) office building at 8 Silsbee Street in Lynn. The program will feature a fall theme; live entertainment with musician and singer Bob Strom, who will lead the group in a sing-along/clap-along; and local chef Michel Chamsarian, who will demonstrate the creation of some fall-inspired fare.

The Memory Café provides opportunities for people to network, enjoy refreshments, connect with a caregiver support specialist, and—if they wish—join in creative projects and interactive learning. Staff and volunteers will be available to assist caregivers and participants. Free parking is available on site.

“Caregiving, especially for someone living with a memory impairment, can be very isolating,” says Michele Parr, Caregiver Specialist at GLSS. “The Memory Café provides an opportunity for socialization, networking with others experiencing similar challenges, and a chance for the caregiver and the person they care for to do something together that’s fun and engaging—and different from their usual day-to-day routine.” According to the Alzheimer’s Association, 1 in 9 people aged 65 or older has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and that number is expected to grow dramatically as the increasing population of baby boomers continues to move into that demographic category.

The Family Caregiver Support Program provides free assistance—including education, counseling, training, and support groups—to caregivers in Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott. To learn more about the “In the Moment Memory Café” or about caregiver supports offered by GLSS, call 781-586-8635 or e-mail mparr@glss.net.

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WELLNESS PATHWAYS AT GLSS CELEBRATES CLASS OF 2024

Wellness Pathways at Greater Lynn Senior Services (GLSS) held its first annual graduation celebration on Thursday, October 3, at the Demakes Family YMCA in Lynn. The festive program recognized the achievements of over 160 adults—proudly dressed in caps and gowns—who completed one of several evidence-based healthy living workshops offered by GLSS in 2024.

“These workshops are not simply a one-hour lecture about living a healthier lifestyle,” said Kathryn C. Burns, GLSS’ CEO. “They require a willingness to actually make the changes that can control chronic illness. You have all achieved something very important.”   Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson commended the graduates for their commitment to being part of creating a healthier community.

Programs offered by Wellness Pathways include the award-winning “A Matter of Balance” class for older adults who have concerns about falling; several workshops geared towards people living with one or more chronic conditions, including specialized programs for people living with diabetes and chronic pain; and healthy eating workshops for older adults who wish to consider how dietary and lifestyle changes can improve overall health. Classes meet weekly for 6-8 weeks.

Graduates represented several local senior living and adult day health programs: Best Choice Adult Day Health Care (Revere), East Point Adult Day Care Center (Salem), Lynn Adult Day Care Center, Lynn Council on Aging, North Shore Adult Day Health Care Center (Lynn), Ocean Beach, Revere Adult Day Health Care Center, and Silsbee Tower Apartments. The Best Choice Russian Community Choir entertained the graduates with a lively concert, which inspired the crowd to sing and clap along.

To learn more about Wellness Pathways programs and upcoming opportunities, contact Jousette Anaya at 978-883-4151 or visit/scan:

https://www.glss.net/Help-me-find/Health-and-Well-Being/Wellness-Pathways

GLSS is the Aging Services Access Point and Area Agency on Aging serving people age 60 and older in Lynn, Lynnfield, Nahant, Saugus, and Swampscott. The agency offers information and referral, in-home services, meals and nutrition, clinical counseling and support, elder protective services, mobility and healthy living workshops, and long-term services and supports. Many of its programs reach beyond the Greater Lynn area, serving people of all ages throughout the North Shore and Merrimack Valley, including Wellness Pathways.