Iona Senior Services

08/14/2024

Around Town DC has a many special events happening this month! Check out www.aroundtownDC.org to learn more and register!

07/29/2024

We have some new and exciting fitness classes through our Around Town DC program! Read more and register for our class with Prince here: https://ow.ly/fb4o50SJeKy

07/25/2024

We had a wonderful time celebrating all of our Iona artists at the Summer Arts Exhibition opening. Thank you to all of the incredible artists for allowing us to display their creations to the community!

Interested in seeing the exhibition? Stop by The Lois & Richard England Gallery at our Tenleytown Center during business hours now until the end of September.

07/17/2024

On Independence day, Iona got to participate in the Palisades Parade!

DACL provided transportation for Ward 3 older adults to join the Palisades Parade for the 4th of July. Our participants rode alongside Miss Senior DC and her royal court!

07/16/2024

Transformational Impact: Following its inaugural 2024 open call for grant proposals in March, The Washington Home (TWH) is proud to announce its award of over $4.2M in grants to 31 local non-profit organizations making a transformational difference for DC-area older adults and the critically ill.

TWH provides funding to entities that create and deliver innovative, compassionate, and well-managed programs to improve the quality of life for older and/or terminally ill residents in the Washington, DC area. We invest in local, community efforts that address social isolation, caregiver relief, food insecurity, and specialized health care.

Since becoming a foundation four years ago, TWH has granted a total of $21.3M to support the community.

Meet our newest grantees: https://www.thewashingtonhome.org/2024/07/15/twh-names-its-2024-grant-recipients/

BROOKLAND SENIOR DAY CARE CENTER INC, Iona Senior Services, The Catholic University of America, Georgetown University, Home Care Partners, Christ HOUSE, Sibley Memorial Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, The George Washington University, Unity Health, Bread for the City, Capital Area Food Bank, DC Central Kitchen, Goods For Good, Martha's Table, Miriam's Kitchen, Sasha Bruce Youthwork, Seabury Resources for Aging, Thrive DC, WE ARE FAMILY SENIOR OUTREACH NETWORK INC, East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc., HelpAge USA, HOLISTIC HORSEMANSHIP CENTER, LLC, Howard Universityy, Northwest Neighbors Villages , Plants and Blooms ReImagined, SOME (So Others Might Eat), The Wilderness Technology Alliance, Wendt Center for Loss and Healing, Philanthropy DMV, Food & Friends

07/16/2024

Join Around Town DC for Virtual Tech Tuesday with BAM, a weekly program where you’ll learn essential tech safety tips, discover new technology, and explore various apps. Register here: https://ow.ly/4gWo50SCC6s

07/07/2024

At Iona, we’re working to contribute to a society that ensures all people, no matter their race, gender, religion, politics, zip code, and abilities have the opportunity to age well. It’s a critical tenet for a just society. At our annual Heart of Caring luncheon this past May, we learned how basketball hall-of-famer and former Laker Shaquille O’Neal feels about aging, we met Dennis and Kenneth from Iona’s Oasis Center (the only drop-in center in the District supporting older adults experiencing homelessness), and Mr. Rad and Carly as they partnered together to solve complex challenges. Watch our Heart of Caring video here: https://loom.ly/dLMVQg8

07/04/2024

Happy Independence Day! Iona's offices are closed on Thursday, July 4 for the holiday.

07/03/2024

We had a wonderful time celebrating 🏳️‍🌈 at St. Alban's on Friday! Thanks to all who came out to support the event, and a special thank you to Ms. Jasmine Lavoure who shared her inspiring story and discussed the significant impact ballroom culture has had on her life.

07/02/2024

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Louise Myers. Louise Myers was a pivotal leader at Iona, known for her remarkable dedication to serving others. As Iona’s executive director from the late 90s into the 2000s, Louise integrated key business principles that propelled the organization forward, enabling us to uphold Iona’s mission today. Even after her tenure, she continued to support executive directors that came after her and encouraged staff over the past two decades. Louise was a strong leader with a big heart. Learn more about Louise’s incredible life here:

We are saddened to learn of the passing of Louise Myers. Louise Myers was a pivotal leader at Iona, known for her remarkable dedication to serving others. As Iona’s executive […]

07/01/2024

High school students, like Oliva D., are onsite and “on call” at our Tenleytown location this summer- helping out around the office by watering plants, doing research, sharing their computer skills, or even setting up new robotic pets. Their work is assisting a number of Iona staff members. We appreciate the volunteer efforts of these young people!💙

06/26/2024

As Pride Month comes to a close, we want to highlight our Silver Circles, a partnership of Iona Senior Services and Whitman-Walker Health. Silver Circles are peer-led support groups for adults who are 60+ and identify as le***an, gay, bi, trans, q***r, or questioning (LGBTQ+). Group members are able to connect with other LGBTQ+ peers, talk about issues that impact them in a safe space, and build support to help navigate challenges. Read more: https://iona.org/programs/support-groups/

06/25/2024

June and the summer months have been off to an eventful start for Iona's Wellness & Arts Center! Trips and excursions so far have included gardening, visiting the botanical garden, a violin performance from Anthony Hyatt, and attending Mayor Bowser's annual Senior Fest.💙

06/20/2024

Happy first day of Summer!

Summer is an excellent time to take advantage of local Farmer’s Markets and enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact, June is National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month.

Take advantage of the summer season and try some of these favorite recipes from our staff. These meals taste great, and are sure to wow your guests. They are easy to prepare, delicious, and nutrient-rich. Read our favorite recipes here: https://iona.org/summer-recipes-for-national-fresh-fruit-and-vegetable-month/

06/19/2024

On June 19th we commemorate the Emancipation of slavery across the United Sates. Iona's offices will be closed today in observation of Juneteenth.

06/18/2024

Last month was was national Older American's Month where we celebrated with the St. Alban's Active Wellness Program.

The day kicked off beautifully with a calming meditation session led by Kaili, an instructor with Around Town DC. The celebration continued throughout the day with the help of DJ Ricky Ricardo who kept the energy high, ensuring the place was jumping!

In a beautiful display of collaboration, all our community dining sites worked together to create a community art piece, which had the word "unity" at its center. This was a perfect representation of the spirit of the day.

06/14/2024

Join Around Town DC for an exciting four-part series on Iona’s Dementia Navigator program and Money Management services. Access exclusive resources to help you “Stay Savvy” with your finances!

The Dementia Navigator Team offers confidential support and expert information to people living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, as well as their caregivers, families, and the public. Direct link listed above.

Read More and Register Here: https://www.aroundtowndc.org/event/virtual-ionas-dementia-navigator-program-and-staying-savvy-with-money/2024-06-20/

05/08/2024

The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water) issued a Boil Water Advisory today for some customers that are or have had loss of water pressure following a break in a 20” water main in Upper Northwest D.C. This is a precautionary notice to customers in the impacted area to boil water that may be ingested due to water of unknown quality in this localized area of the system. This advisory will remain in place until follow-up testing confirms the water is safe to drink. Read more: https://www.dcwater.com/about-dc-water/media/news/drinking-water-advisory-dc-water-issues-boil-water-advisory-customers

05/06/2024

Will you be attending the Conference hosted by National Council on Aging ? Join our CEO Joon Bang, Trish D’Antonio, Marcus Escobedo, and Sian-Pierre Regis as they discuss the topic "Time for a Reframe: Why Changing the Aging Narrative Matters More than Ever." This year’s Conference takes place May 6-8 in Arlington, VA. Learn more and register at
www.AgeAction.org

05/02/2024

While National Volunteer Month 2024 has now come to a close, Iona volunteers continue their service throughout the year. This wonderful group gathered for a Volunteer Appreciation event in Tenleytown recently, representing Iona volunteers who give their time and talents to the Active Wellness Program at St. Albans, in the Wellness & Arts Center, and as Age Well/Live Well Friendly Visitors, to name a few. To join them, please contact Iona’s Volunteer Program Manager Tania Sechriest at [email protected].

04/29/2024

Happy !

Iona is proud of its decades-long partnership with the Junior League of Washington. In recent weeks, members have gone above and beyond to support Iona in a number of ways, including: providing Community Care Cards to their annual Tossed & Found event, donating grocery gift cards for clients’ needs, and preparing hand-written messages to mail to Iona clients who are isolated. Thank you, all!

Most recently, they have launched their fourth annual drive for Iona, consider donating to their Amazon wish list to support Iona participants here: https://bit.ly/4dlKvfy

04/24/2024

Over Spring Break, four students from the Holy Trinity Religious Education program came to spend time with the older adults at Iona’s Active Wellness at St. Albans program. In addition to helping with set up, lunch service, and activities, the students witnessed the work Iona does every day. We appreciate their early introduction to volunteer work with Iona!

04/17/2024

Eli Carroll started volunteering with Iona’s Wellness & Arts Center in February 2024 for his Bar Mitzvah project. He is a native Washingtonian, and enjoys art, drawing, and reading graphic novels.

He enjoys volunteering with Iona because he “gets to meet all kinds of people and hear their stories.”

04/11/2024

As we continue to celebrate , we wanted to highlight one of our amazing St. Alban's Volunteers, Eulalie Lucas! Eulalie started volunteering with Iona’s Active Wellness at St. Albans program in 2022. She “loves the diversity, the camaraderie, and the chance to help others.” We are grateful to Eulalie for her dedicated volunteer service!

04/08/2024

Meet Emily Eckert! Emily is part of AU’s Community Service-Learning Program this semester, volunteering in conjunction with her course, “Human Lifespan Development.”

Emily has has been an integral part of the new Age Well/Live Well Friendly Visitor program, helping with research, volunteer outreach, and more! It is so beneficial to have Emily’s help this semester!

04/03/2024

Happy !

In October, Iona Senior Services was awarded a federal grant from Community Care Corps to support the new Age Well/Live Well Volunteer Program. This program is a new initiative that will provide companionship for older adults.
If you are someone you know may be interested in volunteering with this new program, read below!

In October, Iona Senior Services was awarded $196,000 through an 18-month federal grant from Community Care Corps to support the new Age Well/Live Well Volunteer Program. Funded through a cooperative […]

04/02/2024

Did you know that April is National Volunteer Month?

Since 1990, when April was officially designated as such by the 1,000 Points of Light campaign, organizations around the world have dedicated the month to celebrating volunteers. At Iona Senior Services, we will be recognizing volunteers who share their time and talents throughout the month. This past year, 308 volunteers gave over 11,000 hours combined to help in our adult day health centers, at our congregate meal sites, and with administrative tasks!

Please contact Tania Sechriest, Volunteer Program Manager, at [email protected] for more information and to get involved.

03/27/2024

Join Karen for our new Line Dancing class every Tuesday at 1:00 PM! Come learn the latest line dances by choreographers nationwide every Tuesday with Karen. Dance to soul, jazz, pop and gospel music. New to line dance? No problem. Step-by-step instruction provided for each dance before it is performed. Learn how to execute each line dance step correctly. This is a fun, low impact form of exercise. Give it a try. Read more and register here: https://www.aroundtowndc.org/event/virtual-line-dance-lesson-with-karen-s/2024-04-02/

03/25/2024

Many volunteers at Iona engage directly with clients and participants, but there are also volunteers helping behind the scenes, supporting staff in significant ways. Stephanie Ruggles is one of these wonderful volunteers. Stephanie started volunteering at Iona in 2022, and she looks forward to it every week. Her day job at a nearby elementary school is working as a database administrator, so she uses her well-honed professional skills to provide data entry for Iona.

We are grateful to Stephanie for all she does for Iona!

03/20/2024

February was an eventful month for our Wellness & Arts Center! Some activities included a field trip to the African American History Museum, a fashion show for participants, and a expressive collaboration program with The Phillips Collection Museum.