Effective Monday, February 7, 2022, the Brookline Senior Center will resume in-person gatherings, including programs. Please note some programing may continue via Zoom. Program leaders will be making the decision based on the comfort level of each group. If you have any questions about a particular group please contact Jamie Jensen 617-730-2753 or .

Please see below for Program Highlights for next week:

Monday, February 7th at 1pm: She Said/He Said: The Poetry of Lea Goldberg and Yehuda Amichai

Wednesday, February 9th at 1pm: Black History Month Celebration: “Picture of Diversity” Talk

Starting Friday, February 11th at 12:30pm for 10 weeks: Karate for Seniors

There are other interesting events happening throughout the rest of the month as well. Please go to our February News & Events for details.

Brookline continues to be under a face-covering mandate. If you are in need of a mask while at the Senior Center, please come to the Council on Aging offices on the 2nd floor. Your cooperation in respecting the mandate is appreciated and necessary to combat the pandemic.

For any other questions or for further clarifications of the above matters, please call us at 617-730-2770. Our phone line will also provide up-to-date information regarding weather cancellations.

Effective today, Thursday, January 20, 2022, due to the continuing rising COVID case numbers and the highly contagious nature of the current variants, all in-person programming at the Senior Center will continue to be suspended through Friday, February 4, 2022.

The Senior Center building will remain open during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5 pm) throughout this time; however, we will provide essential services, including Springwell Grab & Go lunch, scheduling AARP tax appointments and podiatry appointments, and transportation services. *Please note that the Chinese New Year celebration on Thursday, January 27, 2022 will pivot to a “Grab & Go” Chinese takeout meal. The programmatic part of this event has been canceled. Reservations are required before Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Meals must be picked up between 1-2pm. Please call 617-730-2770 for reservations.

Given that this is a rapidly evolving situation, we will plan to reassess our programming plans on Thursday, February 3, 2022 with the hope of resuming on Monday, February 7, 2022. Our staff will continue to monitor the phones and respond to incoming calls.

Due to the current guidelines requiring individuals exposed, symptomatic and/or diagnosed with COVID to isolate or quarantine, we may experience staff shortages that will result in delay and/or disruption of services.

For the most current information, please call 617-730-2770. We thank you for your cooperation and patience during this challenging time. Please stay healthy and well and let us know if we can be of assistance to you.

CAN I STILL COME INTO THE SENIOR CENTER?

Yes, as long as you are properly wearing your face covering, you will be allowed to come into the Senior Center. At this time, the Senior Center building remains open to the public during regular business hours, Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm. However, all programming has been suspended through Friday, February 4, 2022. The Senior Center will continue to provide essential services, including Springwell Grab & Go lunch, scheduling AARP tax appointments and podiatry appointments, and transportation services.

ARE TRANSPORTATIONS SERVICES STILL AVAILABLE?

Yes, transportation services are still available, weather permitting, but there may be a delay or disruption in service due to staff availability.

Please call Maria Foster with any questions or concerns (617-730-2644).

CAN I STILL EAT MY LUNCH AT THE SENIOR CENTER?

No, we will be suspending the “dine in” option for the “Grab and Go” lunch program through Friday, Feburary 4, 2022. However, you will still be able to reserve and pick up your Springwell “Grab and Go” lunch during this time to enjoy at home. Please note that lunch program participants will NOT be allowed to eat lunch anywhere in the Senior Center building through Friday, February 4, 2022.

If you would like to make a lunch reservation for a “Grab and Go” meal to take home with you, please call Kristine Farley at 617-730-2747.

Please note: The special “take home lunch” restaurant program through the Brookline Chamber of Commerce is scheduled to begin again the week of January 31 so stay tuned for more details on that.

CAN I BRING IN MY OWN FOOD/DRINK FROM HOME DURING THIS TWO WEEK PERIOD?

There will be no eating allowed at the Senior Center through Friday, February 4, 2022.  If you require food or drink for health reasons, please let one of our staff know so they can direct you to a private space where you can safely eat/drink.

DO I HAVE TO WEAR A MASK AT THE SENIOR CENTER?

We are still operating under the Town’s face covering mandate that was implemented in August 2021. All individuals over the age of 2 are required to wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth. This mandate covers all town buildings.  

Individuals with medical conditions prohibiting the use of a face covering must wear a face shield.  

I VOLUNTEER AT THE I&R/FRONT DESK. CAN I STILL COME IN TO COVER MY SHIFT?

Volunteers are welcome to come in to staff the desk(s) during this time if they feel comfortable doing so. However, if you are not feeling well and/or are experiencing any COVID symptoms, please stay home and contact your primary care physician.

Individuals who are immunocompromised or whose health conditions warrant extra caution, should exercise judgment around coming into the Senior Center during this time.

If you will not be in to cover your I&R/Reception Desk shift, please leave a message on our main line (617-730-2777). If you would like extra shifts, you can also leave us a message at 617-730-2777.

IS VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE IF IN-PERSON PROGRAMS ARE CANCELED?

Some of our programs have continued to be virtual so please check the newsletter for details about our current virtual programming.

Some ongoing programs that had initially returned to in-person are now being offered again on Zoom. We are also actively trying to reschedule any canceled programs during this time. For more information specific programs, please contact Jamie Jensen at 617-730-2753.

*Please note that the Chinese New Year celebration on Thursday, January 27, 2022 will pivot to a “Grab & Go” Chinese takeout meal. The programmatic part of this event has been canceled. Reservations are required before Tuesday, January 25, 2022. Meals must be picked up between 1-2pm. Please call 617-730-2770 for reservations.

CAN I STILL PICK UP MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FROM THE ELF PROGRAM?

Yes, please contact the ELF Program at 617-730-2752 if you need medical equipment.

WILL THE FITNESS CENTER BE OPEN DURING THIS PERIOD?

All in-person fitness classes continue to be canceled through Friday, February 4, 2022. Sharon Devine will continue to offer fitness classes via Zoom during this time so please contact Sharon at 617-730-2106 for more information.

Use of the Fitness Center equipment will be limited to one person/household at a time during this period.

CAN I STILL PICK UP A COVID TESTING KIT FROM THE SENIOR CENTER?

We have distributed our kits and we are awaiting more information from the Health Department about additional test kits.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I DO NOT FEEL WELL OR I AM EXPERIENCING COVID SYMPTOMS?

If you are not feeling well and/or experiencing COVID symptoms, please stay home and contact your primary care physician. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911. 

HOW DO I FIND AN APPOINMENT FOR A VACCINE/BOOSTER?

Please visit: https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/

HOW DO I FIND AN APPOINTMENT FOR A COVID TEST?

Please visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test

FOR ALL NON-MEDICAL COVID RELATED QUESTIONS: Please contact the Town’s COVID Call Center at 617-879-5636. The Call Center is staffed Monday-Friday from 10 am-4 pm.

FOR ANY SENIOR CENTER WEATHER RELATED UPDATES: Please call our main number at 617-730-2770.

Effective Monday, January 10, 2022, due to the rising COVID case numbers and the highly contagious nature of the current variants, the Senior Center will be suspending all in-person programming from Monday, January 10-Friday, January 21, 2022.

The Senior Center building will remain open during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5 pm) throughout this time; however, we will only be providing essential services, including Springwell lunch, podiatry and our monthly food commodity program.

Given that this is a rapidly evolving situation, we will plan to reassess our programming plans at the end of this two week period (Monday, January 24, 2022). Our staff will continue to monitor the phones and respond to incoming calls.

Due to the current guidelines requiring individuals exposed, symptomatic and/or diagnosed with COVID to isolate or quarantine, we may experience staff shortages that will result in delay and/or disruption of services.

For the most current information, please call 617-730-2770. We thank you for your cooperation and patience during this challenging time. Please stay healthy and well and let us know if we can be of assistance to you.

Ruthann Dobek, LICSW
Director
Brookline Council on Aging/Brookline Senior Center
Tel. 617-730-2756

CAN I STILL COME INTO THE SENIOR CENTER? Yes, as long as you are properly wearing your face covering, you will be allowed to come into the Senior Center. At this time, the Senior Center building remains open to the public during regular business hours, Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm. However, all programming has been suspended from Monday, January 10-Friday, January 21, 2022. The Senior Center will continue to provide essential services including the Springwell Grab and Go Lunch program, podiatry, and the food commodity program.

ARE TRANSPORTATIONS SERVICES STILL AVAILABLE? Yes, transportation services are still available, weather permitting, but there may be a delay or disruption in service due to staff availability. Please call Maria Foster with any questions or concerns (617-730-2644).

CAN I STILL EAT MY LUNCH AT THE SENIOR CENTER? No, we will be suspending the “dine in” option for the Grab and Go lunch program from Monday, January 10-Friday, January 21, 2022. However, you will still be able to reserve and pick up your Springwell Grab and Go lunch during this time to enjoy at home. Please note that lunch program participants will NOT be allowed to eat lunch anywhere in the Senior Center building between Monday, January 10 and Friday, January 21, 2022.

Please note: The special “take home lunch” restaurant program through the Brookline Chamber of Commerce is scheduled to begin again the week of January 24 so stay tuned for more details on that.

CAN I BRING IN MY OWN FOOD/DRINK FROM HOME DURING THIS TWO WEEK PERIOD? There will be no eating allowed at the Senior Center from Monday, January 10-Friday, January 21, 2022. If you require food or drink for health reasons, please let one of our staff know so they can direct you to a private space where you can safely eat/drink.

DO I HAVE TO WEAR A MASK AT THE SENIOR CENTER? We are still operating under the Town’s face covering mandate that was implemented in August 2021. All individuals over the age of 2 are required to wear a face covering that covers their nose and mouth. This mandate covers all town buildings.

Individuals with medical conditions prohibiting the use of a face covering must wear a face shield.

I VOLUNTEER AT THE I&R/FRONT DESK. CAN I STILL COME IN TO COVER MY SHIFT? Volunteers are welcome to come in to staff the desk(s) during these two weeks if they feel comfortable doing so. However, if you are not feeling well and/or are experiencing any COVID symptoms, please stay home and contact your primary care physician. Individuals who are immunocompromised or whose health conditions warrant extra caution, should exercise judgment around coming into the Senior Center during this time.

If you will not be in to cover your I&R/Reception Desk shift, please leave a message on our main line (617-730-2777). If you would like extra shifts, you also leave us a message at 617-730-2777.

IS VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING AVAILABLE IF IN-PERSON PROGRAMS ARE CANCELED? Some of our programs have continued to be virtual so please check the newsletter for details about our current virtual programming. Some of our canceled in-person programs may be able to pivot to Zoom during this two week period. For more information, please contact Jamie Jensen at 617-730-2753. Other in-person programs will be rescheduled as appropriate.

CAN I STILL PICK UP MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FROM THE ELF PROGRAM? Yes, please contact the ELF Program at 617-730-2752 if you need medical equipment.

WILL THE FITNESS CENTER BE OPEN DURING THIS TWO WEEK TIME PERIOD? All in-person fitness classes will be canceled from Monday, January 10-Friday, January 21, 2022. Sharon Devine will continue to offer fitness classes via Zoom during this time so please contact Sharon at 617-730-2106 for more information.

Use of the Fitness Center equipment will be limited to one person/household at a time during this two week timeframe.

CAN I STILL PICK UP A COVID TESTING KIT FROM THE SENIOR CENTER? We have distributed our kits and we are awaiting more information from the Health Department about additional test kits.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I DO NOT FEEL WELL OR I AM EXPERIENCING COVID SYMPTOMS? If you are not feeling well and/or experiencing COVID symptoms, please stay home and contact your primary care physician. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call 911.

HOW DO I FIND AN APPOINMENT FOR A VACCINE/BOOSTER? Please visit: https://vaxfinder.mass.gov/

HOW DO I FIND AN APPOINTMENT FOR A COVID TEST? Please visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/find-a-covid-19-test

FOR ALL NON-MEDICAL COVID RELATED QUESTIONS: Please contact the Town’s COVID Call Center at 617-879-5636. The Call Center is staffed Monday-Friday from 10 am-4 pm. FOR ANY SENIOR CENTER WEATHER RELATED UPDATES: Please call our main number at 617-730-2770. For any other questions or for further clarifications of the above matters, please call us at 617-730-2770.

Elvis will be back in the building on Thursday, August 12 at 1:00 PM! Seating is limited, so please call 617-730-2770 to register. As always, there is an abundance of information in our monthly News & Events. You can find the August edition as well as any past or future editions of the newsletter here.

In June, the Senior Center was pleased to formally welcome everyone back with a concert from Center favorite Tommy Bahama! The mood was a festive one that we hope will continue as we ramp up ongoing, new, and in-person programming in the coming months. Please be aware that there is a variety of both in-person and virtual programming at this time. Please be mindful of the location of each program listed before you register and/or come in person to the Senior Center. If you have any questions about the location of a program, please contact Jamie Jensen at or 617-730-2753.

We along with the whole country are monitoring the next development of COVID-19 along with the variants. Please remember that the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions back in June does not signal the end of the pandemic and that the best protection continues to be vaccination. If you are still in need of a vaccination, please contact the Health Department at 617-879-5636. On July 27th, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed its masking recommendations as it grows more concerned over the Delta variant of COVID-19, urging vaccinated people in certain areas of the country to resume wearing masks indoors in public areas.

As we transition to this “new normal”, we want to assure you that the Town will continue to remain vigilant with the intent to keep our staff and members of the Brookline public safe. We will comply fully with CDC guidelines and we will continue to provide updates as they become available. We thank you for your patience as we navigate this next step together.

Be Well,

Ruthann Dobek, Director
Brookline Council on Aging/ Senior Center

P.S. The Brookline Senior Center is seeking volunteers to assist with the Springwell Community Dining Program. We are in need of volunteers to assist with checking consumers in for lunch at the registration desk. We also need volunteers to assist with setting the lunchroom tables, serving the meals to registered consumers, and assisting with clean up at the end of lunch. Time commitment is 11 am-1 pm on mutually agreed upon weekdays. For more information, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Mark Catalano at 617-730-2743 or .

Wishing everyone a wonderful 4th of July holiday! The town will be celebrating on Monday, July 5th, and the Council on Aging/ Senior Center will be closed.

As always, there is an abundance of information in our monthly News & Events. You can find the July edition as well as any past or future editions of the newsletter here: https://www.brooklinema.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=37

The Senior Center has been open to the public during regular business hours (M-F 8:30AM-5:00PM) since June 1st, and we have enjoyed welcoming back programs and participants.

Please remember that the lifting of these COVID-19 restrictions does not signal the end of the pandemic and that the best protection continues to be vaccination. If you are still in need of a vaccination, please contact the Health Department at 617-879-5636. As we transition to this “new normal”, we want to assure you that the Town will continue to remain vigilant with the intent to keep our staff and members of the Brookline public safe. We intend to comply fully with CDC guidelines and we will continue to provide updates as they become available. We thank you for your patience as we navigate this next step together.

December 2, 2020

As we welcome December, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our ability to gather in large group settings. In fact, at the time of this printing, the COVID-19 numbers are increasing at a potentially alarming rate. With the addition of flu season and increased indoor activity, we are bracing for an increase in COVID-19 cases locally. The Senior Center is currently open on a limited basis, by appointment only, in compliance with the Governor’s “Safer at Home” advisory. We urge you to comply with public health recommendations.

We recognize that the impending arrival of the winter holidays will add additional stress as family and friends attempt to make decisions that will keep everyone both safe and connected. With that, we also know that feelings of anxiety and sadness may occur at this time of the year. Our advice is to be mindful of your feelings, talk honestly and openly with others, and seek professional help when needed.

The Council on Aging social work staff are available during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm), so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything or if you would just like to say hello. You can leave messages for us at 617-730-2777 or 617-730-2770.

We are pleased to offer an abundance of programming online. Thank you to our staff and program leaders for making this transition. As always, be patient with technology glitches. We are aware that there continue to be issues with some of the links that we have included in our December edition. While we have resolved most of the issues, here is a direct link for the Medicare.gov link listed on page 11: https://www.medicare.gov If you experience a problem with any of the other links, please let us know.

You can find the december edition, as well as any past or future editions of the newsletter here:

Are you receiving more than one copy of this email from us? Please let us know by sending an email to Jessica Milley-Gee at .

Be well!

Ruthann Dobek, LICSW
Director
Brookline Council on Aging/
Brookline Senior Center

October 28, 2020

As we welcome November, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our ability to gather in large group settings. In fact, at the time of this printing, the COVID-19 numbers are increasing at a potentially alarming rate. With the addition of flu season and increased indoor activity, we may see an increase in COVID-19 cases. The Senior Center is open on a limited basis, by appointment only, in compliance with the Governor’s “Safer at Home” advisory. We urge you to comply with the public health recommendations.

We recognize that the impending arrival of the Thanksgiving holiday will add additional stress as family and friends attempt to make decisions that will keep everyone both safe and connected. With that, we also know that feelings of anxiety and sadness may occur at this time of the year. Our advice is to be mindful of your feelings, talk honestly and openly with others, and seek professional help when needed.

We encourage you to complete our “Living with COVID-19” survey. The information gathered will assist us in planning future programs and services. An online copy of the survey is available here. If you would like a hard copy of the survey mailed to you, please call us at 617-730-2777.

We are pleased to offer an abundance of programming online. Thank you to our staff and program leaders for making this transition. As always, be patient with technology glitches. We are aware that there continue to be issues with some of the links that we have included in our November edition. We are working to resolve the issue, but we have included some of the direct links below as an alternative way of accessing this content.

We hope that you and your loved ones stay healthy and well in the days ahead and we look forward to celebrating with you all when we are able to safely reopen the Senior Center more fully. The Council on Aging social work staff are available during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm), so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything or if you would just like to say hello. You can leave messages for us at 617-730-2777 or 617-730-2770.

You can find the November edition, as well as any past or future editions of the newsletter here.

Be well!

Ruthann Dobek, LICSW
Director
Brookline Council on Aging/
Brookline Senior Center

June 5, 2020

At the time of this printing, the Senior Center is open on a limited basis, by appointment only, in compliance with the Governor’s “Safer at Home” advisory.  For more information on that advisory, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/news/safer-at-home-advisory

Since it is uncertain as to when we will be able to safely begin hosting any of our special or ongoing programs at the Center, we have been working to develop a list of online programming options with some of our regular group facilitators, as well as with some of your favorite performers and presenters. Please remember that these “virtual” programs are new to everyone so there will be glitches, but we hope that you will continue to give the online programming options a try.

We realize that there are lots of questions regarding our reopening and we appreciate your patience during this uncertain time.  Please feel free to leave your questions on our voicemail or to submit your questions to info@brooklineseniorcenter.org. Many of you may have the same questions so we hope to address some of them in future editions of the newsletter.

We hope that you and your loved ones stay healthy and well in the days ahead and we look forward to celebrating with you all when we are able to safely reopen the Senior Center.

The Council on Aging social work staff are available during regular business hours (Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:00 pm), so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything or if you would just like to say hello. You can leave messages for us at 617-730-2777 or 617-730-2770.

Follow This Link To Read Our June Edition:
https://www.brooklinema.gov/Archive.aspx?AMID=37

March 18, 2020

In order to proactively slow and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community, the Senior Center is Closed To The Public at this time.

The Brookline Senior Center will be monitoring its phone lines during the Covid-19 emergency. Older adults can leave their names and phone numbers on our voicemail at 617-730-2777 or 617-730-2770. Staff will be responding to questions and concerns Monday-Friday from 8:30 am-5 pm. Emergencies should be directed to 911.

In order to address the many questions and concerns that exist in the community, the Town of Brookline would like to share the following information :

For general COVID-19 questions, please call the State 2-1-1 line. For Brookline specific medical or public health inquiries, please contact the Department of Brookline Public Health at 617-730-2300. For non-medical questions specific to Brookline, please call the Brookline COVID Information Call Center at 617-879-5636. These call centers, for the time being, will be operational Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm, these hours will be adjusted as needed. Messages can be left after hours and will be returned the next day. You can also email your non-medical inquiries to:

Stay up to date on COVID-19 updates here: https://brooklinecovid19.com/senior-center/

Please remember the importance of social distancing to reduce the impact of COVID-19, and please stay home as much as possible. Thank you.