Connecting in community
Tuesday, April 28 — The last week of April brings a series of stories on how seniors are connecting in community spaces.
We have more on a new board of health and a senior center in North Fulton, details on a program that pairs Atlanta teens with nursing home residents for a week-long summer camp, and a park dedication honoring developer Dan Woodley in Brookhaven.
But first, a few headlines:
🗳️ Early voting is now open across Georgia for the May 19 primary election. See where to cast your ballot in advance and check your voting status before you head to the polls.
🌵 Georgia’s state environmental agency declared a Level 1 drought for the entire state, requiring public water systems to launch information campaigns about conservation efforts.
✒️ Gov. Brian Kemp signed an executive order allowing the late U.S. Rep. David Scott to lie in state at the Georgia Capitol rotunda this Friday.
🌳 The Piedmont Park Conservancy set a record in raising more than $700,000 at its 29th Annual Landmark Luncheon last week.
👣 An open house to learn more about the proposed Piedmont Pathway – a 2.1-mile shared-use path and linear green space along Beaver Ruin Creek – is set for May 12 from 6-8 p.m. at the Norcross Cultural Arts & Community Center.
🕓 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter.
• Generation Connect
• Senior support in Alpharetta
• Woodley Plaza dedication
AND
• Stories of Atlanta | Lance Russell
Summer camp promotes friendships between teens and the elderly
🤝 Instead of waterparks and beach vacations with their friends, some Atlanta teens are spending part of their summer with residents four or five times their age.
Generation Connect is a week-long summer camp for high schoolers during which they pair up with an elderly “buddy” at the A.G. Rhodes nursing home and partake in workshops, field trips, social activities, and an oral history project.
“It’s all about bridging that commonality between the generations, right? We’re all more alike than we think,” said Kim Beasley, the Director of Communications and Outreach at A.G. Rhodes.
The partnership between A.G. Rhodes Community Wellness Care and Pebble Tossers, a greater Atlanta-based nonprofit youth volunteer organization, aims to combat loneliness in the elderly and help teens learn empathy and service.
🖼️ Find out more about the program here.
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North Fulton County residents now have board of health services, senior care in Alpharetta
🩺 Residents in North Fulton who previously had to travel to Sandy Springs or downtown Atlanta now have their own board of health, vital records and support for seniors.
Among the services, there are two programs for those 55 and older, Chief Operating Officer for Fulton County Pamela Roshell said.
“One is a senior center, which will have a host of activities from arts classes, fitness classes, everything you need to remain engaged in the community and keep your body and mind and your spirit healthy,” she said.
The facility also has an adult day health program to assist seniors who are a bit more frail or who may be experiencing the early stages of dementia, Roshell said.
“It really will help their caregiver, who often needs a break,” she said. “Caregiving is very hard, and so this will also allow residents experiencing these health challenges to be engaged in the community.”
🧘 Read more about senior services in North Fulton here.
Brookhaven honors developer Dan Woodley with park dedication
🏞️ The City of Brookhaven honored real estate professional Dan Woodley on April 25 by naming a park on Dresden Drive after him, located in the middle of a retail complex that he helped build.
Woodley assembled, designed, developed, and built the Dresden Drive Corridor along with other projects in the immediate area, which was used as a marketing tool to promote and facilitate the formation of the city, which incorporated in 2013.
A release from the city said Woodley was the catalyst in transforming the area “into a modern-day main street where people could live, dine, work, shop, and play within walking distance.”
“This plaza represents Brookhaven’s commitment to creating spaces that bring the community together,” Council Member Jennifer Owens said in the release. “Woodley Plaza is a wonderful way to honor the impact of Mr. Woodley on such a staple area in Brookhaven.”
⛲ Read more about Woodley Plaza here.
‘Thirsty People’: Stories of Atlanta by Lance Russell
VIA SAPORTAREPORT
💧 In 1891, Atlanta’s Mayor began spending the City’s money, secretly buying land on the outskirts of Atlanta.
It wasn’t a case of embezzlement, just good-old business common sense. In attempting to solve one of the City’s ongoing issues, the Mayor had made a decision, a decision that would not only affect every single Atlantan for decades to come, but a couple of our neighboring states, also.
🚰 It’s the tale of a thirsty people on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
🖋️ Today’s Silver Streak was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
