As many of you have heard, LLWP’s fearless Program Manager, Susan Sarinas, retired from ACC in December. What would be a job description for her replacement; superwoman? This succession will be challenging, but I look forward to continuing her efforts fostering community relationships, implementing in-person and online classes, and managing clubs and rentals.
Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Dani Lee, I was born and raised in Sacramento, and I am finishing my Master’s in Public Health from the University at Albany. I feel overwhelming support from our volunteers and community members, and am astounded by the ACC family welcome I am receiving.
2021 was a year of changes, with some ups and downs for everyone to say the least. The pandemic continued to affect every aspect of life, and the Lifelong Learning and Wellness Program was no exception. The questions about in-person events versus online were frequently asked, but with our population being at such a high risk, our leaders wanted to be as safe as possible. There is no doubt that in-person learning and wellness has its benefits, but online offerings have shown us just how wide of a reach we can have, and gives us hope for the future.
While some of the social interactions have been missed, the online response has been tremendous! In November, we had some registered viewers and participants from five different states! We engaged a live audience for our variety of topics this fall, including the ACC history project, zero-emission car demonstration, David SooHoo’s cooking, and much more. We have live streamed more than 500 classes, workshops and concerts in 2021! We were able to engage people who otherwise would have no connection to ACC.
As everything was offered for free, we have been relying on donations and sponsors to help support our staff and instructors. Please let us know if you are interested in being involved, we couldn’t be more appreciative of what our community has given, from volunteering all the way to sponsorships – you are all so precious to us.
The Delta variant came as a shock to most, but gave us the signal to put a hold on in-person events and large gatherings. With the coldest months still upon us, we plan to attempt more hybrid (both in-person and online) opportunities, with the anticipation of in-person exercise classes in April! Cold and flu season will continue, but we look forward to taking advantage of the warmer months. These hybrid presentations will allow a small portion of vaccinated, masked, and distanced participants, and will help our transition to a new version of what ACC will become.
As we move forward with this new model of life, our program is exploring a new framework of what exactly “Lifelong Learning and Wellness” means and hopes to provide for the community. Enhancing health outcomes, such as reducing sedentariness, is a priority for us. We also want to enhance our community’s knowledge about, sometimes difficult, but significant topics like how to approach hospice and have meaningful conversations with someone who is passing. We want to heighten an individual’s motivation and self-efficacy to live a life that they desire.
We have some exciting speakers this quarter including food historian Maryellen Burns, end-of-life educator Julie Interrante, and historian James C. Scott from the Sacramento Public Library. We also have Lana Chong Fong’s Joong Boot Camp coming in February! So stay tuned. I look forward to meeting you all in 2022!
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