Online Programs and Resources
Free Phone Tutoring for Computers and Smart Phones!
From the Senior Center~
Events
From the community ~
Free Welcome to Medicare Webinars
Join the Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors (SHIBA) for their “Welcome to Medicare” webinars to learn more about Medicare options. The webinars will cover all parts of Medicare (A, B, C & D) as well as Medigaps, Medicare fraud, and help in paying for Medicare. These webinars are great for those new to Medicare, those helping someone with Medicare, and those who want to learn more about Medicare.
SHIBA is sponsored by the Office of the Insurance Commissioner.
Register by clicking the link next to the date you would like to attend:August 12 at 10am – register hereAugust 26 at 1:30pm – register hereSeptember 9 at 10am – register hereSeptember 23 at 1:30pm – register here
Memoir Writing: “The Gift of Story”
From the Senior Center ~
With all that is going on in the world, now is a great time to stop and reflect—and write! Join teacher Martin Piccoli in a series of 5 classes that will help you begin a collection of your most memorable moments. All meetings are on Zoom. Members: Free; Non-members: Suggested $50 donation to the Senior Center. Email martinp@soundgenerations.org for more information.
Sunday afternoons, Sept 13, 20, 27, Oct 4, 11 (Time TBD)
Exercise
From the community~
Live Qigong for Health on Zoom
Tuesdays 9:30 am
Qigong is known to be effective for improving your immune and respiratory systems and for reducing stress. These weekly 40-minute classes are open to all Senior Center members, their families, and their friends. No special equipment, clothing, or experience necessary. Please email Terry at terryleers.sfq@gmail.com if you are interested and for registration details. There is an optional $3 class fee.
Live Fitness
Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9:00 am
SCWS Fitness instructor Maria Dowell is offering online Live Fitness classes at 9 am Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Please email Maria ma15dowell@gmail.com if you are interested and for details about how to connect. Optional $3 class fee.
Cardio Salsa with Maria
Tuesdays 10:30 am
Thursdays 4:00 pm
Dancing is the most complete workout there is and is fun for everyone!
- Bring your happy spirit
- Wear comfortable clothing and supportive shoes. (If you have carpet, please use socks or go barefoot to reduce friction when twisting.)
- Bring a big water bottle
- Make sure you have a clear space where you can move freely
Get ready for good music to lead you from an easy warm up, to a little heat and to a cool down, all in 45 minutes!
(Always make sure that you consult your doctor before taking classes and be safe this is to your own risk)
SCWS Fitness instructor Maria loves dancing and looks forward to sharing that with all of you! Contact her at ma15dowell@gmail.com or (206) 574 8944 for information about how to connect. Suggested donation is $8, but any contribution is welcome. Pay via “Venmo” www.venmo.com/Maria-Dowell.
Yoga and Movement with GenPRIDE Instructor Elizabeth Kovar 
Healthy Living Room from the YMCA
Find on-demand online workouts and resources for keeping your brain and body healthy on the YMCA’s Healthy Living Room page.
Art
From the community~
King County Library System
Daily Arts Activities by Silver Kite
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Silver Kite Community Arts is offering daily online intergenerational workshops, talks, social hours, and performances FREE for KCLS patrons. We hope that by offering these opportunities, we are providing stimulating creative engagement opportunities and social connection during this challenging time. New classes weekly.
Gage Academy of Art “Art to Go” Free Online Classes
Art to Go – Unlock your inner artist from the comfort of your home. Art to Go is a free community art series presented by Gage 360. As a public service to the community, Gage has developed twice-weekly classes that are FREE to anyone interested in learning about art. This new program will provide free art tutorials, demos and lectures from Gage artist instructors.
Attending the class via Zoom is on a first-come-first serve-basis as seats are limited, so click here to register online.
Online Art Resources from MoMA
MoMA (Metropolitan Museum of Art) has a number of free online art classes and resources in both English and Spanish.
Seattle Writes
Are you working on a novel? Or perhaps you write nonfiction, memoir, poetry or books for children? Seattle Public Library’s Seattle Writes program offers you time and space to experiment and improve your creative writing. The program offers writing resources, podcasts available anytime and virtual events.
Meditation
From Senior Center Instructors ~
Meditation with Kathleen Dowd
Join Kathleen on Facebook and for two free guided meditations per week.
Wednesdays – Join Kathleen for a guided grounding meditation on the Kathleen Dowd Yoga Facebook page. You can go to Kathleen’s Facebook page at 8AM each Wednesday morning.
Mondays – Join Kathleen for guided gratitude meditations on her private 365 Days of Gratitude! Facebook group. Anyone who wants to share a gratitude practice in community is welcome to first join the group and then participate Mondays at 8 AM.
Kathleen is a certified Yoga Therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapists and a 500-hour level certified yoga teacher. She has been teaching yoga for 8 years and practicing for 25 years.
Mindfulness Classes from instructor Kate Jarvis
MINDFULNESS CLASS. Thursdays from 10am-11:15am. FREE. This is an ongoing class. Email kate@practiceseattle.com if you are interested.
CHECK-IN CLASS, Mondays 10-10:30 am, this is an ongoing class. Email kate@practiceseattle.com if you are interested.
From Kate: We all encounter anxiety and fear in daily life. During this current crisis, it is crucial to cultivate inner resources of safety, strength and connection. Drawing on these resources, we can practice staying present when fear arises and meeting the situation with courage, intelligence and care. We can practice responding, rather than reacting. In this class, we will explore mindfulness, meditation, stress reduction and other empowering strategies and how they can be applied in daily life. This class blends instruction, activities, discussion and practices of mindfulness and meditation.
Instructor Kate Jarvis, MIT. Founder of Practice Seattle, an organization dedicated to daily practices, peace and service. Kate is a student of awareness practice, a certified yoga instructor, and has studied with Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Cheri Huber, Mindful Schools and more.
Social
From the community~
Let’s be Pen Pals Progam
Even though we need to keep our distance from each other for now, it doesn’t mean we can’t make new friends. In fact, it’s a great time to make new friends and to bring back the lost art of letter writing!
The Let’s be Pen Pals Program has an awesome group of people of all ages from around the country and the world who would love to be pen pals with you.
Once you’ve signed up to participate, Let’s Be Pen Pals will match you with a pen pal. They’ll send the first letter (or poem or piece of artwork) via USPS mail to you and include their return address so you can write back to them. Or you can email if you prefer. You can also write to more than one pen pal.
If you’re interested in being matched with a pen pal, please contact Karen Pfeiffer Bush at Karen@Housewarmingseattle.com or by mail at PO Box 80132 Seattle, WA 98108.
Great Resources
From the community~
Seattle Public Library:
50+ Page
SPL has a new page designed especially for people 50 and older. You can find online book clubs, art classes, skill-building workshops, special collections and more. Whether you are learning a new technology, planning for retirement, exploring a creative hobby or delving into geneology, you will find something of interest.
Mobile Library Services
The SPL Mobile Library Services can bring the library to you! Once a month, materials will be delivered either through Books by Mail or Home Service Delivery to your doorstep. This service is provided to Seattle residents who are unable to travel to the library. This may include individuals who have an illness or are living with a disability. For persons under 70, certification of eligibility by a healthcare professional may be required. For more information, call (206) 386-4636 or click here: Books by Mail.
Virtual Arts for 50+: Song Writing
Monday, September 21
1:30-2:30pm
During this interactive workshop, you’ll work together with class and teach to write a song and learn about rhythm, structure and melody techniques.
Ducks in a Row: Funeral Options
Tuesday, September 22
11am-12pm
Learn about estate planning, advance directives for healthcare, and funeral options in a workshop series on end-of-life planning. Registration required.
Nancy Pearl and Jeff Schwager Discuss “The Writer’s Library”
Wednesday, September 23
7-8:10pm
Listen to our favorite librarian Nancy Pearl and noted-playwright Jeff Schwager talk about the books that shaped them and inspired them to leave their own literary mark. Registration required.
Virtual Arts for 50+: Beginning Drawing
Saturday, September 26
1:30-2:30pm
During this interactive workshop, learn basic drawing techniques in shading, shapes, and perspective.
Virtual Arts for 50+ Writing Our Stories
Monday, September 28
1:30-2:30pm
During this interactive, creative non-fiction writing workshop, we’ll engage in reminiscence activities and life story based writing exercises together. We’ll learn basic strategies on how to tackle capturing your life stories to share with friends and family.
17 Ways to Enjoy Your Time at Home While Social Distancing
Lots of great ideas, activities and links to resources from Synergy Homecare.
