| Secrets of Dynamic Aging - Senior Symposium - May 6, 2011 |
| In 2007, the Lafayette Community Foundation under the leadership of Marechal Duncan formed Senior Liaison Committee. The committee’s initial focus was to serve as a unifying catalyst by facilitating community discussions and actions that enhance the lives of seniors in Lafayette. That focus was later expanded to include education of seniors, their adult children and care givers about all the resources available to them locally. In April 2008 the first community wide symposium was held in Our Saviors Lutheran Church. The title for this symposium was “Aging in Place in Lafayette.” The topics of vital interest to seniors such as affordable housing, transportation, reverse mortgages etc. were presented. Due to robust interest in aging in place, the second symposium also focused on meeting the needs of older adults who wish to remain in their homes. Important senior topics such as in home services, new monitoring technologies and elder law were presented in the symposium that was held at Lafayette Library and Learning Center in May 2010. Invigorated by the excellent response from the community, the Senior Liaison Committee is once again presenting their third community wide symposium on May 6, 2011 at Temple Isaiah, Lafayette. The title and topics for this symposium were chosen after meeting with numerous organizations in the community that work closely with the seniors of Lafayette. The title for the symposium is “Secrets of Dynamic Aging, Finding New Paths and Staying Engaged”. Uplifting topics such as “Shifting gears – Freedoms of aging in the 21st century,” “Happiness- If not Now, When?” are chosen. The Senior Liaison Committee is comprised of Board members from the Lafayette Community Foundation and several energetic volunteers from the community. |
| To RSVP for the May 6th Senior Symposium, please call (925) 330-0060 or send an email to seniors@lafayettecommunityfoundation.org. |
| The Lafayette Community Foundation has announced the recipients of its Spring 2010 grants. |
A total of $12,000, parceled into six grants, was given to Lafayette area organizations in order to further the Foundation’s mission of “investing in programs and projects that promote and enhance the civic, cultural, educational and environmental health of Lafayette and beyond.” The grant recipients included Generation Green, the Lafayette Gallery, the Lafayette Library and Learning Center, Sustainable Lafayette, the Lafayette Historical Society and the Lafayette All-American Football Association. |
| Spring 2010 Grant Recipients |
| Sustainable Lafayette was granted funds to help them expand their capacity to share sustainability stories through their website, speaker series and workshops. Started in 2007, Sustainable Lafayette is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to provide the community of Lafayette with the information, inspiration, tools, and assistance that facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices, and ultimately create a highly sustainable community. Sustainable Lafayette pioneered the use of real-world "success stories" so that residents and organizations can be inspired and learn from each other. There are now over 60 published stories and 800+ members receiving the monthly newsletter. Sustainable Lafayette has grown to have a wide array of programs and works closely with the City of Lafayette, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Lafayette School District, and Lafayette Library & Learning Center, and is beginning to help other cities in the area to establish their own sustainability groups. More information about Sustainable Lafayette can be found at www.sustainablelafayette.net. |
The Lafayette Library and Learning Center was awarded a grant to help purchase new furniture for the Library’s popular Homework Center. Lacking sufficient tables and chairs, the Homework Center was limited in how many tutors could be utilized. The Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation (LLLCF) collaborated with several Lafayette organizations in addition to the Community Foundation to secure the funds needed. Generously, Friends of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center (FLLLC) and the City of Lafayette also contributed grants to purchase additional furniture. Since opening in 2009 the Lafayette Library and Learning Center has seen approximately 1,400 visitors daily. Many of these visitors are children coming after school to work on homework. The Homework Club, launched on March 15, 2010, enjoyed immediate success. Students are encouraged to "drop in" and work with Acalanes High School and Stanley Middle School tutors. In addition, UC Berkeley tutors, including an astrophysicist, a materials scientist, a microbiologist and a retired English teacher have volunteered to help. Susan Weaver, Senior Community Library Manager, said "the furniture has made a huge difference in the Homework Center. The students are more productive because the space is organized and more comfortable. Even better, the new tables and chairs allow us to help more children each hour." |
Generation Green: Last year, the Lafayette Community Foundation provided the financial “cushion” Generation Green needed to organize 11 Green Rheem Film Nights, covering a wide range of environmental topics, with about 1000 total attendees, and providing over $4K in revenue to the struggling Rheem Theater. Most importantly, the grant helped them to break even for the year. Without the grant, they likely would have had to discontinue the event, since none of the organizations involved had the funds available to make up the deficit. Generation Green has been awarded a second grant the year to help them continue these Film nights. As the Rheem Theater has closed, movie nights will continue at the Orinda Theater and at St. Mary’s. May’s event was held at Orinda Theater and featured the movie WALL-E . Students and teachers from Orinda Intermediate, Joaquin Moraga Intermediate, and Stanley Middle School all participated in the event and shared their environmental accomplishments before the start of the film. In addition, the students provided tables in the main lobby of the theater, displaying information about their Earth Week activities. The event was well received, and got great feedback from inspired community members about our students and the efforts of our next generation! |
The Lafayette Gallery, part of the non-profit Lamorinda Arts Alliance is a co-op gallery located in the heart of downtown Lafayette. The Gallery has been awarded a grant from the Lafayette Community Foundation that will enable them to keep their doors open during these rough economic times. “In an economic downturn, purchasing art is not a priority with most people and we are struggling to keep the gallery going,” states Judy Miller, an advisory board member of the Gallery. “Thanks to the Community Foundation, we will be able to keep operating as we get an annual fundraiser up and running.” The gallery celebrated its 10th anniversary on September of 2009. It’s members are proud of their creation that has successfully brought a local art presence to the Lafayette community. Through the gallery, artists have been able to grow and develop their art while having opportunities for teaching and collaborating with the community of Lafayette. The gallery members are always happy to work with schools and community organizations and frequently make donations of their works for community fundraisers. |