ConnectionsSpring 2016

ofGreater New Haven

The Newsletter of the Interfaith Volunteer Care Givers of Greater New Haven

IVCG: Greater New Haven’s good neighbor since 1984

30 Gillies Rd, Hamden, CT 06517 – (203) 230-8994 – contact@carenewhaven.org

A Celebration of Philanthropy and ServiceMay 4, 20166 to 8 PMAt the New Haven Museum - 114 Whitney Avenue

Benefit to Support the Work of Interfaith Volunteer Care Givers of Greater New Haven & Community Soup Kitchen

With entertainment provided by the WhiffenpoofsRemarks by William Ginsberg, President & CEO

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

. Or call 203.230.8994 for more information

Special Event

Tickets by

IVCG is teaming up with Community Soup Kitchen to raise funds and awareness about our respective organizations. From its earliest days, New Haven has been blessed with philanthropists and people of good will. For over 30 years, our organizations have exemplified charitable service in this modern

age. New Haven Museum is a beautiful space and the Yale Whiffenpoofs are a world famous a cappella singing group that are great fun to be with. Refreshments will be provided by Caseus Fromagerie, known for superb cheese and other delicacies. Tickets are $50. They can be purchased on line or by check at the door. Please call to RSVP or for more information. Parking available.

Aging At Home

Aging At Home is a non-profit organization providing support services and a social community to enable seniors to stay in their own homes with inde-pendence and dignity. Interesting and varied social programs meet monthly. Call IVCG for more informa-tion: 203-230-8994.

Now part of IVCG

There are three basic components to physical

fitness: strength conditioning, aerobic exercise, and flexibility. “Flexibility leads to a reduction in injury as well as increased performance,” says Karena Wu, physical therapist and clinical director of ActiveCare Physical Therapy in New York City. You need to spend more time stretching. And that’s where this list comes in handy.Just about everyone should be able to do these seven basic stretches, which Wu helped select. Use them as an at-home test to find your own strengths and weaknesses, then focus on the areas that need it most. Ideally, do all seven every day. Hold each stretch (on each side) for 30 to 60 seconds, keep-ing your breath steady and slow throughout. The entire routine should take 6 to 7 minutes. Here it

Stretch & Flexto the right, allowing right hand to slide down outside of right thigh. Keep hips square (don’t stick out left hip) and do not tilt forward or back. Repeat on the other side. Ideally, your right fingertips reach the outside of the right knee, and same for the left side.3. Seated Figure-4 StretchSit on the edge of chair and cross right ankle to rest on left thigh. Gently press right knee toward ground so shin is parallel to floor. Repeat on the other side. Work to get your top shin parallel to the floor.4. Thread-the-Needle StretchStart on all fours. Take right arm and thread through opening be-tween left arm and left thigh. Allow upper torso to naturally rotate to the left and come to rest on back of right shoulder. You can modify this move by dropping your hips to your heels to feel an even deeper stretch. Try to get your shoulder to rest comfortably on the ground, opening up the entire upper back.5. Cobra PoseLie facedown and place hands near shoulders, palms on the floor. Press up, extending arms fully, and allow back to naturally arch. Look straight ahead (not up) and main-tain a level chin. Aim to straighten

arms without feeling compression in low back.6. Half-Kneeling Triplanar StretchPlace left knee and right foot on ground and set hands on right knee. (Grab a towel or some extra padding for your left knee if it’s more com-fortable.) Shimmy left knee back a few

inch-es and lean forward, ensuring right knee does not go over right toes. Try to make a straight line from left pelvis through left thigh and feel the stretch all along the front of your left leg and hip. Repeat on the other side. You want to be able to fully extend your hip, creating a straight line from hip to thigh to knee.7. Assisted Chest StretchFind a door or window frame, or the corner of a wall. Stand close to the edge of the frame with feet hip width and core engaged. Lightly hold the edge of the frame with left hand at shoulder height and rotate away from the frame to open the front of your chest. Try to rotate enough so that your arm is behind you. If you simply feel a stretch holding your arm out to your side, it’s likely that your pectorals are tight and overworked (possibly sitting all day with hunched posture). Focus on having better posture throughout the day, keeping shoulders pushed down and back.

Special thanks to Jackie Dragone, Direc-tor of Barre and certified trainer at Flex

Studios in New York City.

is. Go for it.1. Forward FoldStanding with legs straight, fold forward at the hip and try to touch fingertips to ground. You want your fingertips to graze the floor or be just around your ankles.2. Side StretchWith feet together, right hand at side, and left hand overhead, inhale deeply. Exhale as you bend

cobra pose

(no hissing!)

Connections – The Newsletter of IVCG of GNH – Spring 2016

When you see this symbol it’s your turn to respond to the edi-

tor’s question. Here’s the first one:What do you do to keep your

mind sharp and stretched?Email the editor at

latindoc@optonline.netLook for responses in the next issue of

We

hear so often

about the need to keep our minds engaged as we age. Usu-ally the suggestion is cross word puzzles or Sudoku. That’s when I groan and mumble, “Is that all there is?” Happily the answer is “No.” Here are a few sugges-tions.

TED Talks are amazing. Try them out. TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a global set of confer-ences run by a private non-profit foundation under the slogan Ideas Worth Spreading. The emphasis is on the education as-pect. TED was founded in 1984. Its early emphasis was technol-ogy and design, consistent with its Silicon Valley origins, but it has since broadened its focus to include talks on many scientific,

cultural, and academic topics. TED events are held throughout North American and in Europe and Asia, offering live streaming of the talks. They address a wide range of topics. The speakers are given a maximum of 18 minutes to present their ideas in the most innovative and engaging ways they can. Past speakers have included Bill Clinton, Jane Goodall, Al Gore, Billy Graham, Richard Dawkins, Bill Gates, Bono and many Nobel Prize winners. TED talks have been watched over one billion times worldwide. There’s even a TED app. Check out the website TED.com for more.

On Being is another great way to generate some mental activity. On Being is a pub-lic radio conversa-tion and

podcast hosted by Krista Tippett, a writer and journalist. It exam-ines what it calls the “animating questions at the center of hu-man life: What does it mean to

18 Minutes to Stretch Your Mind

be human, and how do we want to live?” President Obama award-ed Tippett the National Human-ities Medal for “thoughtfully delv-ing into the mysteries of human existence.” Of course there’s a website: onbeing.org.

A final suggestion is the PBS program Religion and Ethics on TV Sat-urday morning at 10:30 for a half hour (Ch 13 WNET). It’s an inter-esting way to review the events of the past week from an ethical or religious point of view.

RR

Readers’ Response

Connections

No, it’s not Meryl Streep, it’s Krista Tippett, host of On Being.

B E I N G O

To our clients:

Call me on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thurs-

day between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm to book a ride.

• One ride per week, please. Our list of volunteers is limited. Try to use other services when possible.

• Give us a week’s notice if possible when re-questing a ride. If it is truly urgent, call and we will try to accommodate you, but no guarantees.

• If there is a parking fee at your doctor’s office, it is your responsibility to pay.

• Always call us if there are any changes.• Please try to schedule your appointments be-

tween 10:00 am and 1:30 pm.

Diane’s Desk 203-230-8994

Connections – The Newsletter of IVCG of GNH – Spring 2016

Drivers Needed For These Towns• Cheshire• Guilford• Branford• Milford• East Haven• Orange• West Haven

• Call us if you can drive a person in need to a doctor’s appointment: 203-230-8994

• You determine your availability• It’s a mitzvah!• What would Jesus do? He’d call us for a

ride. Please help.

Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers of Greater New Haven Inc. (IVCG) solicits and accepts gifts for purposes that will help the organization further and fulfill its mission.• We urge all prospective donors to seek the assistance of

personal legal and financial advisors in matters relating to their gifts for tax and estate planning purposes as appro-priate and necessary.

• IVCG relies on the generosity of our constituents – care recipients, caregivers, families, friends and those who believe that the services we provide are essential.

• Please consider including us in your will. There are many ways to do this. Let us know if you would like to talk about it, need more information or access to professional advice. A future elder will thank you.

• Call 203-230-8994

Interfaith Volunteer Care Givers of Greater New Haven30 Gillies RoadHamden, CT 06517

Connections – The Newsletter of IVCG of GNH – Spring 2016

Or Current Resident

I give and bequeath …

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE PAIDNEW HAVEN CTPERMIT NO. 124

IVCG Executive Director: Kate WaltonConnections Editor: John Anderson