Fredericksburg Chapter 3396 in Action

The AARP Fredericksburg Chapter 3396 work in their community is very extensive from helping veterans, organizing food drives, contributing to Soup for Seniors, advocacy and more. Join the AARP Fredericksburg Chapter 3396 at their next meeting every first Tuesday of every month, for more information visit their website  http://aarp3396.org/.

Fredericksburg Chapter Food Drive Helps Local Food Bank

Americorp1.jpg

Americorp2.jpg

Americorp3.jpg

Americorp4.jpg

Americorp5.jpg

FD7.jpg

FD8.jpg

FD10.jpg

FD11.jpg

FD16.JPG

Food Drive 1.jpg

Food Drive 3.jpg

Food Drive 18.jpg

Silent Auction.JPG

Silent Auction Co-Chairmen Lucretia Edreos and Marietta D'Ostilio are taking inventory of the donated items for the auction baskets.

In September the Fredericksburg chapter, along with its sponsors and partners, collected 4,203 lbs. of non-perishable food donations as well as $532.00 in monetary donations for the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. Marietta D'Ostilio, Food Drive Chairman, would like to thank not only the Fredericksburg AARP Chapter members, but also the following individuals, companies, and organizations for helping to make this year's food drive a success: Carey Sealy, Food Safety and Volunteer Coordinator and Brandon Root, volunteer, from the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank; David Kinsey, Sean Conlon, and Jonathan Spears, managers from the Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania and Stafford Giant Food Stores; Sgt. Carol Burgess, Cadet Cpt. Ryan Wilbur, Cadets Corey Mitchell and Tristen Muterspaw from the Stafford County Sheriff's Office; Dominique Thomas, Community Service Coordinator/Assistant Program Director AmeriCorps Goodskills; Teresa Bowers, Senior Visitors Program Director; Amber Couch, Healthy Generations Area Agency on Aging; Joy McIntire, Library Branch Services Coordinator; and Sharon Boyd, Stephanie Burroughs-Saffold, and Juanita Channel from the Celebrate by Del Webb 55+ Community Multicultural Festival Planning Committee.

Fredericksburg Chapter Silent Auction Helps Local Charities

On October 1st members of the Fredericksburg chapter hosted a Silent Auction at Chancellor's Village with all proceeds going to local charities. Lucretia Edreos and Marietta D'Ostilio, Chapter Co-presidents and Silent Auction Chairmen, would like to thank chapter members, the following downtown Caroline Street merchants, and other local community merchants for their generous donations: Abner B's Ice Cream, Basilico Italian Market and Deli, Capital Ale House, City Vino, Crown Jewelers, Curitiba Art Café. Firestone Complete Auto Care, Irish Eyes, Jabberwocky, Juan More Taco, Shawn's Smokehouse, Sugar and Spruce, The Card Cellar, and Tea Tyme.

Sincere appreciation to everyone for helping to make this event a success.

The Community Service Committee's goal for 2019 is to provide numerous opportunities for our members to serve the Fredericksburg community. We have scheduled the following service projects:

• Assist the Disabled American Veterans' volunteers with food donations and support in preparing and serving breakfast to the homeless.  11/18/19

• Pack food boxes at the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. 10/5/19,

There are many opportunities for chapter members to volunteer. In November, we will be serving meals to the homeless. In September and October, package food boxes at the food bank again. All are encouraged to join the 2019 Walk to End Alzheimer’s on October 12th. You can walk as little as a mile and at your own pace. The Walk to End Alzheimer’s is a fundraising event, and there will be cans to collect donations each month until October at each chapter meeting. In July and December, we will support the Senior Visitors Program as they honor their volunteers. Signup sheets will be available at all meetings.

We are excited to continue supporting those in need of nutritional and emotional support in the Fredericksburg community.
- Juanita Channel, Community Service Committee Chairperson

The Community Service Corner

September 11^th was our last scheduled date to serve breakfast at the Brisben Center. The 2020 calendar for organizations to select dates to serve meals to the Center residents has been posted. It’s so exciting to see how quickly the slots are being filled by various organizations in the area. As I shared before, the Brisben Center does not have a budget to feed the clients they support 365 days a year. There are still many slots open for either meal daily, so I encourage you to ask your church or other organizations you are affiliated with to sign up to furnish a meal. This month the Fredericksburg chapter #3396 volunteer team was led by Andy Gaeta with Co-President Lucretia Edreos and new chapter member Celeste Bateman. Volunteers from the Celebrate Del Webb Community, Harry and Miriam Ayala, also joined us in serving on the 11th.

They were on and off again in supporting the Commodity Supplemental Food Program of the Fredericksburg Food Bank. This program provides food for seniors in need in the area. Chapter volunteers participating in packing boxes on September 18^th were Mike and Marietta D’Ostilio, Stephanie Sloan, Marti Finck, Betty Lee Sprinkle, Marlene Pollard, Margaret Watkins, and Juanita Channel. The following volunteers from the Celebrate Del Webb Community joined in Cindy Blakely, Mike Del Balzo, Catherine Tully, Billie Cooke, Debbie Duncan, Sharon Kuhlmann, and Carol Fitzgerald.


Five Pillars of Brain Health Presentation at Lake of the Woods with Locust Grove AARP Chapter 5239 Members

5PillarsofBrainHealth_Mike.JPG

Medrano, Ingrid L

MDostilio_5pillars.JPG

Medrano, Ingrid L

On August 22nd Mike D'Ostilio, a member of AARP Virginia Speaker's Bureau, met with Locust Grove Chapter President Larry Eiben and presented to chapter members and guests a presentation on the Five Pillars of Brain Health. The audience was enthusiastic about the subject matter as was evident by their questions and participation.



Fredericksburg AARP Federal Advocacy Team Busy at Work

Medrano, Ingrid L

On August 15th three members of the Fredericksburg AARP Virginia Federal Advocacy Team visited with Congressman Rob Wittman's Outreach Coordinator, Karen Klotz, at his Stafford office. They were Mike and Marietta D'Ostilio and Juanita Channel. The main objective was to drop off petitions signed by more than 2,600 of Congressman Wittman's constituents.


AARP Virginia's three main priorities when the House is back in session are:
1. Allow Medicare to negotiate prescription prices.
2. Cap out-of-pocket costs.
3. Improve access to lower-cost generic drugs.


Father's Day at the Carriage Hill Health and Rehab Center

1966, President Lyndon Johnson declared the third Sunday of June as Father’s Day. Following the tradition of honoring fathers, the volunteers of AARP Fredericksburg Chapter 3396 and the Holiday Project volunteers enthusiastically greeted male residents of the Carriage Hill Health and Rehab Center and gave them presents of cushiony socks. Participating left to right are Cynthia Baker, Marti Finck, Stephanie Sloan, Juanita Channel, Marlene Pollard, Lucretia Edreos, Jeannie Holder and Leandra Baker.


Chapter 3396 Visit to Chatham Manor

Chatham 1.jpg

Chatham 4.jpg

Chatham 2.jpg

Chatham 3.jpg

Chatham Manor in Fredericksburg, Virginia provided a beautiful backdrop for a fun-filled and informative afternoon as chapter members picnicked and were treated to a tour of the lovely grounds and home. Chapter member Mike D'Ostilio, who is also a Chatham Manor and Fredericksburg Battlefield volunteer, led the group through the manor's history from 1768-1975 when the estate was turned over to the National Park Service.

Chapter members participating in this outing were Mike and Marietta D'Ostilio, Lucretia Edreos, Carlos Enrique, Don and Kathleen Holler, Bob and Mary Kofron, Linda Long, Loretta Rorvig, Sharon Sampsell, Betty Lee Sprinkle, David and Brenda Weightman, and Jean Wilcox.

Mother's Day at Carriage Hill

Our chapter volunteers are committed to supporting the Fredericksburg community. Each month we volunteer at one or two agencies. The month of May was no exception.

May 11th was the chapter’s second year visiting the Carriage Hill Health and Rehab Center to celebrate Mother’s Day with the residents. We gave potted flowers to all the ladies, and they were delighted to choose from a variety of bright colors.

Chapter volunteers joined forces with volunteers from the Celebrate Del Webb 55+ Community on May 15th at the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank. Everyone moved from one task to another to ensure all stations were covered providing a smooth assembly line to keep the boxes moving or to slow them down when needed. We packed 314 food boxes in one hour. Those participating from the chapter are Betty Lee Sprinkle, Stephanie Sloan, Deborah Johnson, Margaret Watkins, Susan Trunzo, Sally Anderson (Bobby Anderson) and Juanita Channel. Celebrate Del Webb volunteers were Mike and Bonnie DelBalzo, Sharon Kuhlman, Pat Peters, Teena Crenshaw, and Terry Merola; Andrea D’Amour also joined our group.

On April 25th Lee's Hill Golf Club in Fredericksburg was the site of a golf tournament to benefit the Brisben Center. This is an 80-bed, year-round homeless shelter for single men, women, and families.

Our chapter has joined more than 75 organizations who actively participate in Brisben's Meal Program.  We were responsible for planning, purchasing, preparing and serving lunch to the Brisben residents.  On April 3 ^rd Sallie Wray, Brenda Hooper and Lucretia Edreos under the direction of Andy Gaeta and Carlos Enrique served a hearty and nutritious lunch to the residents.  We are grateful that we are able to serve the community in this capacity.

The Chapter Community Service volunteers continue their selfless effort in support of those in need in the Fredericksburg community.

On April 6 ^th, chapter volunteers arrived at the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank at 0830 prepared with the daunting task of packing hundreds of boxes for the Commodities Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) CSFP works to improve the health of low-income elderly persons at least 60 years of age by supplementing their diets with nutritious USDA Foods. Participating from the chapter were: Betty Lee Sprinkle, Stephanie Sloan, Mike and Marietta D’Ostilio, Steve Schiebe, Jeannie Holder, Margaret Pollard, Charlotte Shackelford, Margaret Watkins and Juanita and Kamya Channel.

On March 20th Chapter 3396 supported the Brisben Center in Fredericksburg by preparing and serving lunch to the residents. The Brisben Center serves 94,900 individual meals per year.

.

Chapter 3396 Board of Directors brought members together on February 5th for an In Memoriam to remember chapter members who passed away in 2018. The candlelit ceremony was led by Mary Kofron. Following this, elder members were recognized by Co-President Lucretia Edreos and Vice-President Sally Cooney Anderson with Certificates of Appreciation and pins. Following this ceremony, everyone was treated to a celebratory cake.

AARP Fredericksburg Chapter 3396

The meeting culminated in a Valentine card making event with everyone busy at tables making cards for seniors residing in long term care facilities. Photographed on the left are chapter members making cards are Mary Anne Dent, Marti Finck, Sally Cooney Anderson, and Leon Williams.

These cards were delivered on Valentine's Day as part of the Holiday Project spearheaded by Sally Cooney Anderson.




























Fredericksburg Chapter Soup for Senior’s collection

Fredericksburg chapter members were busy collecting soup and crackers for seniors who are part of the Senior Visitors Program in Fredericksburg. The Senior Visitors matches socially isolated senior citizens with trained volunteers who provide weekly, home-based visits for companionship and socialization, as well as a respite to caregivers. This program helps older adults maintain independence and healthy living in their own home environment while fostering a connection to their community.

Soup and crackers were also collected for Healthy Generations Area Agency on Aging and their area senior cafes.
 



AARP Fredericksburg Chapter#3396 Begins the New Year Helping Its Community

On Monday, January 21st, Community Service Chairman Juanita Channel and committee member Andy Gaeta lead chapter members Kathleen Holler, Lucretia Edreos, and Mike and Marietta D'Ostilio in preparing and serving breakfast to homeless veterans. The group began at 6:30 a.m. cracking 10 dozen eggs, preparing biscuits with gravy, heating breakfast meats, hash browns, and mac and cheese, making coffee and setting up a serving line ready to welcome approximately 70 people.
Partnering with the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) to serve the homeless is our most rewarding project.
Chapter volunteers were joined by DAV volunteers who consistently serve the homeless at the VFW Hall.

AARP Fredericksburg Chapter 3396

AARP Fredericksburg Chapter #3396 partnered with the Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank in helping to collect food for families in need at Giant Food Store on Town and Country Drive on Saturday, January 19th. Carey Sealy, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank Volunteer and Event Coordinator, and Brandon Root, Food Bank Volunteer, led this event. Members pictured are Sally Cooney Anderson, Steve Scheibe, and Mike and Marietta D'Ostilio.

Mike D'Ostilio presented a program on Home Fit to the members of Fredericksburg AARP Chapter #3396 on January 2, 2019 at Chancellor's Village. He spoke about how they can modify their homes to meet their specific needs as they age. As a result of the presentation, members commented on their own experiences and how the information provided was helpful.