Ongoing:

MARCH Mondays at a Museum – zoom program

free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Join us on Monday, 11am-noon, as we preview video highlights from a range of Museums, free

Monday, March 1, Mary Cassatt and other Impressionists

Monday, March 8, Japanese Edo

Monday March 15, Rembrandt and Sargent

Monday, March 22, Outdoor Art- Murals, Sculpture

Monday, March 29, Degas

Mindfulness Meditation- Zoom program

free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Every Thursday with Sharon 1:00-1:40 pm. This meditation is audio only and participants are muted during the meditation portion. Everyone is welcome to join for some guided meditation, some quiet sitting and some reflection with Q & A and sharing.

Special Programs

Visit Elm Bank/Mass Hort Gardens by borrowing the Natick Council on Aging member card. Free, Gardens open April 1. 

Request this by calling the center 508-657-6540 or e-mail [email protected]  to reserve the pass (admits 2). Give me the date you wish to go. The garden is open to members for a timed entry Tuesday through Sunday from 12:30-5:00 pm and 12:30-1:30 pm for senior citizens and those with disabilities. We will send you a confirmation & entry pass to your e-mail. Please send your request at least 5 days in advance of your visit. Sponsored by Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Natick. 

Small Gardens for Smallish Spaces- zoom program

Wednesday, March 10, 1:30-2:30, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Join Gretel Anspach from Mass Hort/Elm Bank in this talk on creating a small-sized garden. Whether you have a huge yard without the time or desire to tend it all, or an apartment with no outdoor space at all, this talk will give you tips and techniques to start and maintain a garden you can call your own. Gretel Anspach is a Lifetime Master Gardener with the Massachusetts Master Gardener Association, a Trustee of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and a recently-retired systems engineer for Raytheon. Gretel helped to establish and maintain two food production gardens that have provided fresh produce to the Marlboro Food Pantry for the last eight years.

Sponsored by Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Natick. 

Virtual History Bookgroup with BFL and NHS

Thursday, March 11, 11am-noon, free

Presented by the Bacon Free Library & the Natick Historical Society 

Join us for a discussion of historical fiction and nonfiction books. 

Our non-fiction book pick is The Mayflower: The Families, The Voyage and the Founding of 

America by Rebecca Fraser. Sign up at https://baconfreelibrary.org/clubs-programs/

Social Security Nuts and Bolts- AARP zoom program

Thursday, March 18, 10:30-11:30am, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

If you have questions about Social Security as you prepare for retirement now or down the road, we have the answers you need! Watch the recording to learn how AARP is helping to preserve Social Security for current beneficiaries and future generations. 

You’ll hear from speakers Kurt Czarnowski and Tom Nicholls in this webinar from AARP. 

Kurt Czarnowski is currently the principal in “Czarnowski Consulting,” a retirement planning firm which in now in its 10th year of providing “Expert Answers to Your Social Security Questions.” 

Tom Nicholls is a Senior Legislative Representative in AARP’s Government Affairs Department and serves AARP’s 38 million members and all older Americans as a federal lobbyist and public policy expert on Social Security issues.

Book Group with Karen Mallozzi- zoom program

Friday, March 19, 1:30-2:30pm, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

The book pick is Lessons from Lucy by comedic writer Dave Barry. From Washington Independent Review of Books- “As Dave Barry turns seventy—not happily—he realizes that his dog, Lucy, is dealing with old age far better than he is. She has more friends, fewer worries, and way more fun. So Dave decides to figure out how Lucy manages to stay so happy, to see if he can make his own life happier by doing the things she does (except for drinking from the toilet). He reconnects with old friends and tries to make new ones—which turns out to be a struggle, because Lucy likes people a lot more than he does.”

Curbside Composting- Zoom session

Monday, March 22, 3:00 pm free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Join Karen Mallozzi, a Task Force Member of the Natick Curbside Composting Program to learn how you can do it. Benefits include save money not having to buy the Blue Bags for all your waste. Keep biodegradable matter out of our landfills and saving the town money.  About 35 - 40 % of our municipal waste (by weight) is compostable. 

Volunteering in 2021- Giving Back to the Community- zoom program

Wednesday, March 24, 1:30-2:30 pm, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Join Jeanette Szretter, long standing local volunteer and coordinator of community volunteering along with Frank Foss, Town of Natick Moderator, talk about volunteering during COVID times, how you can explore local volunteer opportunities including volunteering on a Town Board or Commission. Q&A and discussion as well! Participants will receive a list of local Natick nonprofits and volunteer opportunities. 

E-Resources from Bacon Library zoom event- zoom program

Monday, March 29, 1:30 pm, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Join Casey Stirling and Karen Kassel from Bacon Free Library for a Zoom presentation on how to access library e-resources including Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy and how to sign up for a Boston Public Library card. These resources are available for anyone with a current Natick library card. Following this presentation we invite anyone who has specific questions regarding these resources to email us to set up a one-on-one Device Advice session (on Zoom or phone) with one of our librarians.

Sleeping Well- Tips for a Better Night’s sleep with Robb Webb- zoom program

Wednesday, March 31, 1:30-2:30 pm, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Join Robb Webb, Sleep Lab Manager, MetroWest Sleep Disorders Center, MetroWest Medical Center. Do you chronically have trouble getting a good night’s rest? Do you wake up feeling un-refreshed? An estimated 50-70 million US adults have sleep or wakefulness disorders. Join Robb as he talks about the causes of sleep difficulties, treatments/procedures, and how to identify them- helping you get back on track with a healthier life! Better sleep is a healthier YOU. 

April and May Coming UP

Ongoing:

APRIL Mondays at a Museum – zoom program

free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Join us on Monday, 11am-noon, as we preview video highlights from a range of Museums, free

April 5- Art in Gardens and parks- NYC Central Park, St James Park, London and NY Botanical Gardens

April 12-Frick Museum

April 19- Patriot’s Day - COA is closed

April 26- Manet, Bonnard, Vuillard and more

May/June Mindfulness Meditation- Zoom program

free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Every Thursday with Sharon 1:00-1:40 pm. This meditation is audio only and participants are muted during the meditation portion. Everyone is welcome to join for some guided meditation, some quiet sitting and some reflection with Q & A and sharing.

Virtual History Bookgroup with Bacon Free Library/Natick Historical Society

Thursday, April 8, 11am-noon, free 

Join us for a discussion of historical fiction and nonfiction books. Our book pick is Purple Hibiscus by Chimanada Ngozie Adichie (fiction).  Sign up at https://baconfreelibrary.org/clubs-programs/

Forgotten Patriots: Little Known Heroes of the American Revolution- zoom program

Tuesday, April 13, 1:30-2:30, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

We are all familiar with the names Washington, Adams, Franklin, and Lafayette.  They were some of the important figures in our struggle for independence. Yet there were countless others whose deeds and sacrifices helped shape and win the Revolutionary War.  This lecture will look at some of those lesser known, or even forgotten, patriots. Join historian Paolo DiGregorio for this talk. Thank you to Whitney Place Assisted Living & Memory Care for their generous support of this and other programs at our Center.  Now open for Virtual Tours!  Call (508) 655-5000 to schedule yours today!

Meet Marth Washington-dramatization with Anne Barrett- zoom program

Wednesday, April 14, 1:30pm, free. register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Meet the first First Lady, Martha Washington. Known for her genteel and quick-witted personality, she was devoted to her husband, as well as an outspoken and loyal patriot. This performance will include songs from the battlefields. Anne is an actress and singer who brings historical theatrical performances to communities across New England. 

Earth Day - zoom program

Thursday, April 22, 1:30pm, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

We’ll stream a talk given by environmental activist and founder of 350.org, Bill McKibben in 2019 about climate change, what we need to do and where we go from here. We’ll also hear from climate activist, Greta Thunberg and the CDC on How Climate Affects Communities.

Planning for Medicare- Countdown to 65- zoom program

Monday, April 26, 1:30-2:30pm, free. register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Are you turning 65 soon? Then let us help you navigate signing up for Medicare! Whether you’re continuing to work & remaining on your current health care plan or retiring and wanting Medicare coverage, you will need to enroll. We will cover the following:

• Explanation of Medicare Parts A, B, and C

• Medicare enrollment timeline

• Medigap plans that help supplement Medicare coverage

• Medicare Advantage plans, such as HMOs and PPOs

• Medicare Part D prescription drug plans

• Plans and programs available to early retirees, such as COBRA

Mother’s Day Breakfast Goody Bag - Special Give-Away to pick up at Natick CSC

Wednesday, May 5 between 9:30am-11:30am, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

RSVP required, free, call Natick Community Senior Center to register 508-647-6540.  

Our traditional Mother’s Day breakfast will be a bit different this year, it’s Drive-Through! You are invited to enjoy a free bagged Panera continental breakfast including pastry, fruit cup and orange juice, plus a special surprise, provided by Mary Ann Morse Healthcare Center here in Natick.  We’ll have 100 breakfasts ready to go for community seniors, in honor of Mother’s Day. Preregistration is required. Sponsored by Mary Ann Morse Healthcare Center, Natick

Art Matters- Mother and Child- zoom program

Wednesday, May 5, 1:30 pm, free, register thru Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

The bond between mothers and their children is very special, very personal, and yet universal. This relationship transcends language, different cultures, great distances and time itself. We’ll look at a range of art and artists from ancient times to modern including Cassatt, Picasso, Raphael, Kahlo and many more. Come and celebrate Mother’s Day with this art appreciation!  All are welcome. Sponsored by Mary Ann Morse Healthcare Center, Natick. 

Garden Tour at Elm Bank/Mass Hort – in person

Tuesday, May 25, 10:00am, rsvp required, free, register thru  Community Pass or call the center 508-647-6540.

Garden Tour- limited to 15 participants. Meet at the main parking lot of Elm Bank, 900 Washington St, Wellesley. Join this lovely garden tour to admire shrubs, trees, flowers and learn about the history of this fascinating estate as well as horticultural plant identification and background stories. Highlights include the Bressingham Garden, Weezies garden for children (including pollinator plants), seed to table vegetable garden and the show stopping Italianate Garden by the Manor House. Some seats available throughout the gardens, but be prepared to stand and walk, wear comfortable shoes, hat etc. Bathrooms are available on-site. Allow 2 hours, but feel free to stop whenever. Rain Date will be Wednesday, May 26, 10:00am. Sponsored by Whitney Place Assisted Living Residences, Natick. 

NOTES:

Home Fit Tips (12’ video) 

https://states.aarp.org/massachusetts/watch-a-homefit-video-from-home

Did you know that 89% of people 50 and older have told AARP that they want to remain in their homes for as long as possible?

The AARP HomeFit program was developed to educate older adults how to navigate all living spaces independently to allow them to remain in their own homes as they age. Participants receive information on how to easily evaluate their own home for “livability” should they themselves or one of their family members become unable to use stairs, or must rely on assistive devices. It is designed help individuals plan for independence, choice and dignity as they age.

AARP Massachusetts Executive Council member Ellie Meyer is an occupational therapist with 30 years experience covering a wide range of populations and settings.

Ellie has put together this useful video to help you stay safe at home during COVID-19. You’ll get tips to help you understand how homes can be designed and modified to help you get around independently in all of your living areas and how to make your home as safe as possible.

Author talks from NEHGS – zoom program

Monday 3/8, 1:30-2:30pm, free

1:06’ Abe: Abraham Lincoln in His Times” author talk by David S. Reynolds, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rabQgOxHWmQ 

3/22, 1:20’ Demagogue- The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy, author talk NEHGS, https://forum-network.org/lectures/demagogue-life-and-long-shadow-senator-joe-mccarthy/

LINK for Social Security program 1 hour long: a little over an hour long- https://states.aarp.org/massachusetts/want-to-know-more-about-social-security-join-our-webinar-october-21

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfm6mfU5uko

We’ll stream this ½ hour talk given by environmental activist and founder of 350.org in 2019 about climate change, what we need to do and where we go from here. Greta Thunberg’s TED talk 11’ from 2019

CDC 4’ you tube on How Climate Affects Communities

TBD- Bee Keeping for Bee-ginners- zoom program with NCOF 

Wednesday, April 29, 1:30-2:30pm, free

Join Heather Livingstone and Antonio Nissi from Natick Community Organic Farm to learn all about bees, the benefits they bring, how you can encourage these pollinators to flourish and how you might get going on establishing your own beehive(s). 

Earth Day Talk with Bill McKibben- zoom program

Thursday, April 22, 1:30pm, free, call Natick Community Senior Center to register 508-647-6540.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dfm6mfU5uko

We’ll stream this 24’ talk given by environmental activist and founder of 350.org in 2019 about climate change, what we need to do and where we go from here. 

Greta Thunberg’s TED talk 11’ from 2019, https://www.google.com/search?q=ted+talk+greta+thunberg&oq=ted+talk+greta&aqs=chrome.0.0j69i57j0l2j0i22i30l2.3128j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

CDC 4’ you tube on How Climate Affects Communities, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JywsWktvODc