Blog archive
August 2024
1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024
1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024
First Anniversary
08/19/2024
Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024
Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024
The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024
Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024
Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024
Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024
Future Housing Options
08/15/2024
Message from the President
08/15/2024
There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024
Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024
A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024
Haikus
08/13/2024
One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024
Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024
Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024
July 2024
Alma Stokes, The Struggle in Pasadena
07/25/2024
A Poetry Gathering: Liberating Experiences Available
07/19/2024
Civil Rights Movement Series
07/19/2024
Happy Hours in Pasadena: A Villager’s Perspective
07/19/2024
Pasadena Village and the National Dialogue on Villages and Healthy Aging Research
07/19/2024
President's Message
07/19/2024
The Kern River Rafting Caper
07/19/2024
The Village Artists Group creates creative camaraderie
07/19/2024
An Example of Inherent Racism
07/14/2024
Current, Upcoming Events
07/04/2024
June 2024
No Real Recourse For Discrimination
06/30/2024
A Personal Statement of Strength and Well-Being
06/25/2024
Juneteenth Reflections
06/24/2024
Reflections on 2023-2025
06/21/2024
Reactions and Reflections Re: Juneteenth
06/19/2024
As Our Organization Grows, Villagers Recall Personal Highlights
06/17/2024
From the Outgoing President
06/17/2024
Letter from the Incoming President: Beginning Our ‘Lagniappe’ Year
06/17/2024
The Editorial Team Looks Back: Creating the Voice of the Village
06/17/2024
This Year's Resource Fair was the Most Successful Ever
06/17/2024
Telling the Whole Story
06/12/2024
Nashville
06/10/2024
May 2024
Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024
Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024
Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024
Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024
Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024
Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024
Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024
Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024
Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024
Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024
Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024
No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024
An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024
Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024
Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024
The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024
Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024
April 2024
Rumor of Humor #2410
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2411
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2412
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2413
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2414
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2415
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2416
04/28/2024
Stimulated by "Caste"
04/22/2024
Tulsa reparations, Religion and Politics
04/09/2024
March 2024
Trumps War with Black Women
03/31/2024
Addressing The Needs of Older Adults Through Pasadena Village
03/25/2024
Coming Soon: More Resources for Older Americans, Online and in Person
03/25/2024
Community Building Locally and Nationally
03/25/2024
Preparing for the Future with Ready or Not
03/25/2024
Volunteering is at The Heart of the Village
03/25/2024
Women's Liberation: Then and Now
03/25/2024
Writing Memoirs Together
03/25/2024
Current Views on Current Events
03/20/2024
Unchained
03/18/2024
Rumr of Humor issue # 2409
03/10/2024
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
03/03/2024
Rumor of Humor #2408
03/03/2024
February 2024
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
02/27/2024
Doug Colliflower Honored
02/27/2024
Great Decisions Connects Us to the Worldwide Community
02/27/2024
Letter from the President
02/27/2024
Pasadena Village's Impact
02/27/2024
The Power of Touch
02/27/2024
Villages as a New Approach to Aging
02/27/2024
Addressing Gang Violence in Pasadena-Altadena
02/21/2024
Rumor of Humor Issue 2407
02/19/2024
Thank You For Caring.
02/12/2024
Rumor of Humor 2405
02/11/2024
Curve Balls
02/10/2024
Sylvan Lane
02/10/2024
Rumor of Humor 2404
02/09/2024
Larry Duplechan, Blacks in Film
02/03/2024
January 2024
Pasadena Village Joins Community Partners in Vaccination Campaign
01/29/2024
Rumor of Humor #2403
01/28/2024
Pasadena Village Joins Two Healthy Aging Resource Projects
01/25/2024
Decluttering: Do It Now
01/24/2024
Village Volunteers Contribute to the Huntington Magic
01/24/2024
Villagers Creating Community
01/24/2024
Villagers Reflect on Black History Month
01/24/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
01/24/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2402
01/21/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2401
01/15/2024
Re- Entry Programs, a Personal Experience
01/08/2024
Meet Our New Development Associate
By Samantha GallaschPosted: 05/28/2024
In my first few weeks at Pasadena Village I have already met so many fantastic people. For those of you who I have not yet met, hello! I am the newest member of the Pasadena Village staff. I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself, share some of my background, and let you all know what I’ll be doing in my role as development associate at Pasadena Village.
To start, I want to say that I love Pasadena and have lived here my entire life. My great-great-grandparents on my mother’s side moved to Pasadena from the Midwest in the early 1900s and my father’s parents moved to Pasadena from Copenhagen, Denmark in the 1960s. I understand the desire to stay in this beautiful community in the foothills for as long as possible. Through my role as development associate, I want to help members of this community stay independently in their homes for as long as they wish.
Now, I’ll share a bit of my personal and professional background: I have a bachelor's degree in journalism from California State University, Northridge. Before transferring to CSUN, I spent my very first semester of college studying art history and humanities in Florence, Italy as part of Pasadena City College’s study abroad program. At that time, I was ready for a little break from this lovely little town. After returning, I majored in art for a short time before discovering my love of writing and storytelling.
Around this time, I began working at a local veterans’ organization as its newsletter editor and, eventually, webmaster. I utilized the outreach of these platforms to assist the organization in fundraising, gaining business partnerships and promoting events that supported the mission of the organization. I also interviewed members and shared their stories through the newsletter.
After graduating from CSUN, I left for Thailand, where I earned my yoga teacher certificate on the small island of Koh Pha-ngan. After completing the rigorous monthlong program, I spent the following month traveling throughout Vietnam with my now-husband, Adam. Upon returning, I used my education in yoga and mindfulness to teach classes at a women's drug rehabilitation and treatment center and initiated classes at the veterans’ organization where I was newsletter editor, among other locations. I used my knowledge of yoga, physical fitness and mindfulness to create an alternative fitness curriculum at a Pasadena elementary school where I was a physical education teacher for four years. There I built community relationships and raised funds for the PE program. I implemented a contract with a local organization so that students could use an indoor gym facility during PE classes. I coordinated a NFL Play60 program where my students met and worked out with players from the LA Rams. I also initiated many DonorsChoose campaigns that resulted in thousands of dollars of donations that were used for new and innovative PE equipment. Following an unfortunate trend, the PE program at this school was the subject of budget cuts during the pandemic and my position was defunded.
Looking to the future, my positive experiences in fundraising initiated my decision to pivot from education and focus on development.
After learning of Pasadena Village last fall, I was taken by the idea of aging-in-place. I love the idea of people deciding on their own terms where and how they would like to spend their retirement years. I watched great-grandparents and grandparents grow old in this community and saw the difference that having an active, engaging social circle could make.
Through the role of development associate at Pasadena Village, I will be submitting grant proposals, tracking gifts and funding, and reporting back to funders. I will be working to maintain existing community and business partnerships as well as strive to seek new relationships and ways to serve our community of older adults.
I see the role of the Pasadena Village staff as facilitators of the interconnectivity of members and the community. We are here to support members, so they can support each other. As the mother of a young son, people often tell me that “it takes a village,” but in my opinion this idea should extend beyond raising children and touch upon every stage of life. We could all use a village, and I am excited to assist Pasadena Village in further actualizing its mission to foster vital independent living in a spirit of mutual support, enrichment and inclusiveness.