During the COVID pandemic, the Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. Holly Street, offers many free online activities via Zoom for adults 50 and older as well as some onsite activities.
Registration for Zoom and host onsite events is required by visiting www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and clicking on Activities & Events or Lectures & Classes. Everyone who registers for Zoom events receives an email link for joining each activity online. Anyone who does not have WiFi or an email address can call 626.795.4331 to receive a phone number to call and listen to live Zoom events. COVID protocols are observed for all onsite events at the center.
Neither Pasadena Senior Center membership nor residency in Pasadena is required for these Zoom or onsite events.
Monthly Food Distribution Program — Friday, Jan. 7, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot at Pasadena Senior Center. Low-income adults 60 and older receive one free box of food and couples receive two. Each box includes foods that meet specific nutritional needs, such as cheese, canned fruits and vegetables, dry milk and related dairy products, cereals and other grain products, and more. Proof of income and California ID are required for first-time recipients. Boxes are heavy, so bring a pull-behind personal cart to the parking lot between the Pasadena Senior Center and the Metro Gold Line station. Opening boxes on the premises is prohibited. Masks and social distancing are required. For more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Resources, then Food Distribution Programs or call 626.685.6732.
Movie Matinees – Fridays, Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28, at 1 p.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Watching a movie can be revitalizing and can help viewers relax and disconnect for a couple of hours. Jan. 7: "Turner and Hooch" (1989, PG) starring Tom Hanks and Mare Winningham. The closest thing to a witness in a murder case is the victim's big dog, so the detective assigned to the case reluctantly adopts it to keep it safe while he conducts the investigation. Jan. 14: "Mrs. Doubtfire" (1993, PG-13) starring Robin Williams and Sally Field. After a bitter divorce, an actor disguises himself as a female housekeeper and nanny to spend time with his children who are under the sole custody of his ex-wife. Jan. 21: "Hotel for Dogs" (2009, PG) starring Emma Roberts and Don Cheadle. An orphaned brother and sister escape from their foster home to an abandoned hotel to provide a safe haven for their dog, which their foster parents hate, as well as other strays in the neighborhood. Jan. 28: "Miss Congeniality" (2000, PG-13) starring Sandra Bullock and Michael Caine. An FBI agent who prides herself as being one of the boys reluctantly agrees to be groomed by a professional coach so she can go undercover as a contestant at the Miss United States pageant to prevent a suspected domestic terrorist from bombing the event.
Savvy Express Workshop – Mondays, Jan. 10, 24 and 31, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. This three-part workshop will help participants understand Alzheimer's disease and dementia and learn how to respond to challenging behaviors by loved ones with these conditions.
Chair Yoga — Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 11 a.m. via Zoom and onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Improve balance, strength and flexibility while sitting in a chair during this gentle and meditative class presented by Kathy Eastwood RN, a Huntington Hospital community outreach nurse.
Metro Micro – Thursday, Jan. 13, at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Metro's new, on-demand Metro Micro rideshare service offers trips within several zones in Los Angeles County. The short trips, using vehicles with seating for up to 10 passengers, are designed to go hand in hand with Metro's NextGen Bus Plan.
Cultural Thursday: Film Composer Max Steiner – Thursday, Jan. 13, at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Learn about this Vienna-born composer who did more than any other composer to establish the language of film music. He was nominated for 24 Academy Awards and won three – for "The Informer" (1935), "Now, Voyager" (1942) and "Since You Went Away" (1944). He was the first recipient of the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score for "Life with Father" (1947). Emmy-nominated documentary producer and film historian Steven C. Smith, who specializes in Hollywood history, will present this inspiring and educational program.
"Creative Aging" Eight-Week Workshop – Thursdays, Jan. 13 to March 3, from 2:30 to 4 p.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Regular participation in the arts by older adults helps minimize effects of age-related cognitive challenges and contributes to physical, intellectual, and emotional health. Get in touch with the right side of your brain – the artistic and creative side – during this eight-week series of art programs designed to ignite each participant's distinctive expression. Each session will explore a different medium, and all materials will be provided at no cost at the beginning of each class. Previous art experience is not required. Presented by UCLA Visual Arts Performing Arts Education Program.
Name that Tune, Name that Scam: Fraud Self-Defense – Thursday, Jan. 20, at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Listen to clips of your favorite songs from the '50s and '60s, then guess the titles and performers. Test your musical knowledge or simply listen in on the fun! After each song, learn about a different common scam plus strategies for fighting fraud. Presented by Miles McNeeley, director of elder abuse prevention for WISE & Healthy Aging.
Health Fair – Friday, Jan. 21, from 9 to 11 a.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Get free blood pressure and glucose testing, hearing tests, advice on making funeral and memorial plans, updates in Medicare health plans, community resources, and more.
Cognitive Health – Friday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m. via Zoom and onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Cognitive health – the ability to clearly think, learn and remember – is an important component of performing everyday activities and is just one aspect of overall brain health. Factors such as genetics, the environment, and lifestyle are thought to influence cognition, and some of these factors may contribute to a decline in thinking skills and the ability to perform tasks of daily living. Presented by Dr. Seyed Parham Khalili, clinical assistant professor of family medicine at USC's Keck School of Medicine.
Brain Health and Wellness – Thursday, Jan. 27, at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Memory loss, decline and brain fog are not inevitable parts of aging. Learn techniques for keeping your brain active and healthy as you age to improve your memory, concentration, and cognitive skills. Presented by Allison Korrey, managing director of Leeza's Care Connection.
Music on the Patio: Bob and Don – Thursday, Jan. 27, at 2 p.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Join singer Don Snyder and pianist Bob Lipson for an afternoon of music featuring everybody's favorite show tunes and standards. Sing along, kick up your heels or simply tap your toes to the rhythm of the music.
In addition to online classes, onsite events, and other activities, members and nonmembers of the Pasadena Senior Center are encouraged to visit the website regularly for a monthly magazine, COVID updates specifically for older adults, and more.
The center, at 85 E. Holly Street, is an independent, donor-supported nonprofit organization that has served older adults for more than 60 years. During the pandemic, doors are open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for social services and other critical services for older adults in need as well as the library, Sy Graff Fitness Center, computer lab, and limited occupancy for events. Masks and social distancing are required. Rooms are sanitized after each use.
In accordance with Los Angeles County Public Health Department guidelines, proof of COVID vaccination is required for everyone who uses the fitness center or attends onsite activities indoors.
