BRIDGES East Hartford Senior Center SPECIAL EDITION XI 70 Canterbury Street East Hartford, CT 06118 https://www.easthartfordct.gov HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! LET’S TAKE A TROPICAL VACATION! Drive Thru Grab & Go Event Wednesday, February 10, 2 M 3 PM Tired of the cold and dark? Let’s get away for a while with Join us on Wednesday February 10, from John Banker entertaining us with 2 3 PM for a Grab & Go Valentine treat tropical music. John will sing, play at the East Hartford Senior Center. Each steel drums and the ukulele. Just sit participant will receive a bag of candy, back, close your eyes and before you provided by Riverside Health Care. know it you will be transported to sun Please make sure you are wearing your mask when and fun in your imagination! John is performing on you drive through for your treat. Registration is YouTube. This will be a taped show that you can required. Please call the Senior Center to register view whenever you want. Please call Vinny to register for this program by Monday February 8. and get the YouTube link. Vinny can even email it to you to make it so easy to click on and enjoy! COVID19 VACCINE INFORMATION The Town of East Hartford is committed to sharing COVID THE PRESIDENTS AND THEIR MUSIC 19 vaccination information received from the State of If you liked Kathy Gregory’s “Elvis” video, then Connecticut with our residents. nd come watch her 2 YouTube video: “The Currently, Connecticut is in phase 1B of statewide Presidents and Their Music” M as we vaccination plan. Individuals 75 and older are eligible in prepare to celebrate Presidents’ Day phase 1B of CT’s COVID19 vaccination program. In together! In this video Kathy will go partnership with the CT Department of Public Health (CT through all 45 presidents and sing a song DPH), United Way of Connecticut/211 is setting up a that came out and/or was popular during each one's dedicated COVID Vaccine Appointment Assistance line to term in office. enable phonebased scheduling of vaccine appointments. Hours of operation are Monday M Friday from 8 AM M It’s music AND history M all rolled up into one! 4:30 PM, with a callback option when all contact Every old song was brand new at one time find out specialists are busy serving other callers. exactly when a number of the old standards first appeared on the American Individuals75 and older should speak with their health music scene, in addition to learning a little provider regarding eligibility prior to reaching out and more about our country’s history. scheduling an appointment. Please call 211 for more information or to schedule a vaccine appointment. Make it a little more fun by trying to see how many presidents you can name and in what order For those who would like to make an appointment they were elected! The link is below. through Hartford Healthcare, you may call the vaccine https://youtu.be/crptPU3HTAg help line at (860) 9724993 or visit http:// hartfordhealthcare.org/vaccine. WELLNESS CHECK IN For those who would like to make an appointment through UConn Health, call at (860) 6794400 or visit Join Nurse Sandy from our Health Department on https://mychart.uconn.edu/mychart/Authentication/ Wednesdays at 11 AM as she discusses a Login. different topic each week. The topics she explores will be related to living through the pandemic. Visit this link for more details and uptodate There will be time for questions and answers. Please call information. https://portal.ct.gov/Coronavirus/COVID the Senior Center to register and we will email you the 19Vaccination75andolder. link to join the discussion. Special Edition XI 2021 East Hartford Senior Center Newsletter Page 2 WE ARE AVAILABLE Did you know that East Hartford Senior BY PHONE AND EMAIL! Services has a grocery delivery program for residents age 60 and older? You pay for East Hartford Senior Center & Senior Services the cost of your groceries from Geissler’s Monday Friday, 8:30 AM 4:30 PM Supermarket in East Windsor and the delivery fee is Vincent Sartori Senior Services Assistant paid for (every other week) by a grant from the North 8605684281 Central Area Agency on Aging (NCAAA) and [email protected] Masonic Charity Foundation. Geissler’s has made it easy. You call in your groceries and they deliver them Victoria Liberator Senior Services Coordinator to your door. Consider this program for the upcoming 8605695659 winter months! Donations are accepted for this [email protected] program. For more info or to register please call Lillian at 8605695671 or Vicki at 8605695659. Lillian Miceli Caseworker 8605695671 [email protected] The Senior Center is offering the Community Renewal Team’s (CRT) Grab ‘n Go meal program in place of our ORAL HEALTH PRESENTATION daily Community Cafes. On Wednesdays February 25, 11 AM on Zoom we offer five frozen meals, milk, cheese, yogurt, fruit Do you have any concerns about your oral and some snacks too. The meals can be picked up at health? Students from the Goodwin the Senior Center or delivered to your home if you do University Dental Hygiene Program will not have transportation. Donations are accepted for provide a VIRTUAL presentation on Oral this program. Registration for this program is required. Health on Zoom, Thursday, 2/25, at 11 AM. Oral Please call Lillian at 8605695671 or Vicki at health and oral cancer information will be provided. 8605695659 to sign up initially, no later than Other information will include gum issues or other Friday by 10 AM, for the following week. soft tissue changes that deviate from normal. Questions answered. Information on dental providers Foodshare Mobile Pantry East Hartford in the surrounding areas for individuals on Medicaid Mondays, 2/8, 2/22, 3/8 & 3/22 or without dental insurance will be provided too. Come and join us and receive your 9:00 9:30 AM complimentary gift of dental supplies. Please call the Hockanum Park, 75 Hamilton Road Senior Center to register. Mondays, 2/1, 3/1, 3/15 & 3/29 FUNDRIVE to benefit Friends of East Hartford 1:30 2:00 PM Senior Center, Inc. through February 3. Donate clean, Veterans Terrace, 102 Columbus Street gently used clothing, shoes and accessories in a black Mondays, 2/3, 2/17, 3/3 & 3/17 trash bag. Donations can be dropped off at the Senior Center, 70 Canterbury Street, during regular business 1:15 2:00 PM Summerfield Townhouses, 66 Plain Drive hours. Please call 8605684281, 8605695671 or 8605695659 to let staff know what time you are Mondays, 2/8, 2/22, 3/8 & 3/22 stopping by, so they can be sure to meet you outside of 12:30 1:15 PM the building to accept your donation. St. Isaac Jogues Lower Church Parking Lot 41 Home Terrace REMOTE TECH HELP WITH VINNY Mobile Foodshare distributions are held in outdoor venues, Do you need assistance with your technology? and there is strict enforcement of social distancing. Please REMOTE TECH HELP WITH IPAD, TABLET, bring your own bags. LAPTOP, or CELL PHONE. Please call Vinny at 8605684281 for more information. ASK THE LAWYER with Attorney Robert Hale Flexible Dates FREE One 20 minute appointment via telephone or online ZOOM call. Please call the Senior Center for more information. Page 3 East Hartford Senior Center Newsletter Special Edition XI 2021 What Is The History Behind Black History Month? ByPatricia, Facty Staff (facty.com) Black History Month, also known as African American History Month, is an annual celebration in the United States and Canada, as well as in a few other countries. Celebrated in February, it highlights the accomplishments and struggles of AfricanAmericans throughout history, as well as the struggles they face in the modern world. These struggles have been ongoing for centuries, but Black History Month has only received attention relatively recently. So what is the history behind Black History Month? 1. The Idea For Black History Month Originated in 1926 When first conceptualized by Carter G. Woodson in 1926, the time of recognition was originally Black History Week. Woodson was a historian and the founder of the Association for the Study of AfricanAmerican Life and History. He proposed that the second week of February become known as "Negro History Week," coinciding with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Both of these historical figures fought against slavery, so it seemed the logical date for the recognition of AfricanAmerican History. 2. Woodson's "Negro History Week" Garnered National Support Despite the fact that the national attitude toward AfricanAmericans was still somewhat hostile, Woodson's idea was eventually met with support. The first Negro History Week received a passive but cooperative attitude from several states and a handful of cities. By 1929, however, teachers, educators, and churches were all giving atten- tion to the event, distributing literature and gaining the media's attention. Progressive white people also supported the movement, following the in the footsteps of abolitionist white people in the 19th century, as mayors of cities and towns across the country declaring it a local holiday. 3. The Civil Rights Movement Moved it Forward Years passed, and Negro History Week was continuing to highlight the struggles, accomplishments, and history of AfricanAmericans. During the Civil Rights Movement, the United States' focus was on the fight against segrega- tion and racism. The increased demonstrations and protests, as well as the rise of prominent AfricanAmerican figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, gave Negro History Week and additional boost. This attention caused a big change in 1969.