Events
OLDER & WISER WILKINSBURG: RE-ENVISIONING SENIORS DAY
UPDATES
July 9. Older & Wiser Wilkinsburg: July edition was held recently. Our regular fitness guru for older adults, Germaine Patterson, was in the house to lead some light chair exercises, keeping our attendees active. Our arts & crafts maestro, Barbara Cooley-Thaw, had folks building and beautifying their own birdhouses. We also featured two fantastic speakers this month. First up was Anne Elise Morris with the Wilkinsburg Historical Society. She provided a wonderful slide show covering Wilkinsburg's history up to 1915. After lunch, which we ordered from Salvatore's Pizza House again, Justin Holtgraver with the new Oak Street Health facility in Wilkinsburg came with his outreach crew to share about the great services they are offering to older and disabled adults on Medicare. Overall, another excellent program. June 11. We held our second Older & Wiser Wilkinsburg: Seniors Day, and although we had a bit of a mishap due to a GrubHub driver going rogue, everything worked out in the end thanks to Salvatore's Pizza House. Made possible by the Wilkinsburg Library, Hosanna House, and Age Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, Tuesday’s event featured Germaine Patterson of Wellness Withn kicking things off and leading our small but growing group in some relaxing, light chair yoga. Next up, volunteer Barbara Cooley-Thaw hosted an arts & crafts segment where everyone made fancy eyeglass cases. After crafting and lunch, Gabby DeMarchi of Catapult Greater Pittsburgh spoke to our group about their organization with a specific focus on their CLEAR (Clinic for Legal Equity And Repairs) program. Council Member Renee Haynes-Johnson even hung out with us all day which was so wonderful to see. May 14. We held our first Older & Wiser Wilkinsburg: Seniors Day earlier this week, and while I am clearly biased, I thought it was absolutely tremendous. Made possible by the Wilkinsburg Library, Hosanna House, and Age Friendly Greater Pittsburgh, Tuesday’s event featured Germaine Patterson of Wellness Withn kicking things off and leading our small but very enthusiastic group in some relaxing, light chair yoga that everyone seemed to enjoy. Next up, Jody Guy with Center for Civic Arts presented an overview of artist Tina William Brewer’s Wilkinsburg Untold Stories Quilt Project. Following the presentation, volunteer Barbara Cooley-Thaw hosted an arts & crafts segment where everyone made colorful yarn pieces, weaving on a cardboard loom with the idea of making a mug rug; the conversations throughout were equally as engaging! After crafting and a delicious lunch, Wilkinsburg’s Mayor Dontae Comans and his wife, Ashley, spoke to our group. And even as someone who believes themselves to be plugged in to the community, I was unaware of just how many exciting things are taking place in our community. Thanks to the Mayor for providing us all with so much insight and positivity; he and Ashley are two of my favorite speakers as they are both so enthusiastic about Wilkinsburg. Mar 20. Wilkinsburg Borough Councilmember Renee Haynes-Johnson announced the Borough's support of Older & Wiser Wilkinsburg: Seniors Day. Now all that's left is to finalize the launch date and start marketing. Mar 16. Things have progressed quite a bit since the last update. It appears Wilkinsburg Council is going to vote on our Older & Wiser Wilkinsburg: Seniors Day monthly event Wednesday, March 20 at the next Council meeting. Please attend and show your support! Wilkinsburg Library and Hosanna House have been come aboard alongside Age Friendly to co-sponsor the event. Germain Patterson from Wellness Withn will be joining us to instruct some chair yoga. Jan 17. Randi & Dean presented our proposal to Wilkinsburg Council with the hopes of encouraging the Borough to fund this monthly community event. While we wait for next steps with the Borough, we are finalizing other details such as the caterer, fitness instructor, and location. Jan 4. We held our first in-person planning meeting at Biddle's Escape. It was an incredibly productive meeting with lots of positive energy and enthusiasm. Planning Committee: Ken Chute (resident), Jackie Payne (resident), Barbara Cooley-Thaw (Mifflin Ave Church, arts & crafts co-host), Gail Gratton (Mifflin Ave Church, arts & crafts co-host), Michael McMullin (Councilmember), Randi Vega (Age Friendly) & Dean Brandt (resident, Age Friendly, boardgames host) |
WHEN: Every Second Tuesday of the Month
WHERE: Wilkinsburg Borough Building Auditorium, 3rd Floor (605 Ross Ave, Wilkinsburg, PA 15221) APRIL 8th SENIORS DAY SCHEDULE 10:00 AM Doors Open (coffee, water, juice) 10:15 AM Light Chair Yoga with Germaine Patterson (Wellness Withn) 11:00 AM tbd 11:45 AM Arts & Crafts (Barbara & Gail) | Socializing 12:30 PM Lunch (hoagies, chips, cookies) 1:00 PM Felicia M. Alexander (PA Health & Wellness): Stress and Social Connection 2:00 PM End Upcoming Speakers
Previous SpeakersJody Guy (Center for Civic Arts) - May 14, 2024
Donate Comans (Wilkinsburg Mayor) - May 14, 2024 Gabrielle DeMarchi (Catapult Greater Pittsburgh) - June 11, 2024 Anne Elise Morris (Wilkinsburg Historical Society) - July 9, 2024 Justin Holtgraver (Oak Street Health) - July 9, 2024 Kevin McGuire (Chef) - August 13, 2024 Jacquet Kehm (Wilkinsburg Home Rule) - August 13, 2024 Ruth Boykin (resident-travel slide show) - September 10, 2024 Ruth Kittner (Wilkinsburg Community Ministry) - September 10, 2024 Dr. Mary Buckley (Wilkinsburg Social Work) - October 8, 2024 Jason Cohn (Sacred Spaces) - November 12, 2024 Barbara Hill (AARP): Medicare - November 12, 2024 Mike Rosenberg (AARP): Social Security - December 10, 2024 Ken Chute: Wilkinsburg Lost & Found - January 14, 2025 Jodi Trovato (EAAS): Information & Referral - January 14, 2025 Cassandra McGinnis: Wilkinsburg Library Archives Joseph Aul (EAAS): Protective Services |
Wilkinsburg Home Rule Charter Referendum Passed!
Thank you to everyone that voted YES for the Wilkinsburg Home Rule Charter in the 2024 general election. I will post on this site with an update on the transition between government structures as soon as I have more details.
Home Rule is a broad grant of powers that shifts responsibility for a municipality’s form and operation away from the State Legislature and onto the municipality itself. Under a Home Rule Charter, a municipality is no longer bound by the State Legislature’s restrictions as to the structure of its government, but instead may create its own form of government, which may operate in any manner not specifically prohibited by State law. This flexibility permits a municipality to create a government that will be responsive to the specific and unique needs of the community and its citizens. More than 80 municipalities in Pennsylvania have adopted Home Rule Charters. Download the Proposed Home Rule Charter here.
Home Rule is a broad grant of powers that shifts responsibility for a municipality’s form and operation away from the State Legislature and onto the municipality itself. Under a Home Rule Charter, a municipality is no longer bound by the State Legislature’s restrictions as to the structure of its government, but instead may create its own form of government, which may operate in any manner not specifically prohibited by State law. This flexibility permits a municipality to create a government that will be responsive to the specific and unique needs of the community and its citizens. More than 80 municipalities in Pennsylvania have adopted Home Rule Charters. Download the Proposed Home Rule Charter here.