Northwest Neighbors Village - Weekly Bulletin

Weekly Bulletin

Aging Well Takes a Village: Everyone Belongs

Office Phone: (202) 935-6060

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-3pm

August is Make-A-Will Month
by Stephanie Chong

August is Make-A-Will Month, a reminder to create a will or update your current one. Every adult needs a will regardless of age or how many assets you have. Your will is an important and powerful document: it ensures that your belongings end up where you want them to go, while providing the people you care about with peace of mind and instructions during a vulnerable time. A will also offers the opportunity to make a gift to the charitable organizations that you value most.

Without a will, the state may decide where your hard-earned and most cherished assets go. If you don't have a will or have been meaning to update your current will, now's the time to do so. Below are a few tips to help you get started:

· Take inventory of your assets – This includes bank accounts, retirement savings, property, etc., as well as priceless items like family heirlooms. Then consider who you would like these items to go to. Gifts can be made to people and organizations that you care about.

· Plan for those in your care – Whether you are the guardian of a loved one, the primary caregiver for a spouse or partner, or have a beloved pet, make a plan for who will care for them when you can no longer do so. It is important to discuss your wishes with the person(s) you identify to ensure they are both prepared and willing to take on caregiving responsibilities.

· Identify an executor – Consider the person that is most capable of settling your estate. This is not always your oldest child or even a family member. Have a conversation with the person you'd like to appoint as executor to get their agreement.

· Communicate your plans – Make sure that your executor has a copy of your will and attorney's contact information. It's also very helpful to familiarize your executor with your affairs. MemoryBanc is a useful resource to help stay organized.

While you are looking at your will, take a moment to create or update your health care directive and medical proxy, as well as your financial power of attorney. These legal documents are vital to ensuring that your wishes are carried out in the event you are unable to make decisions on your own.

Interested in including NNV in your will? Over the years, NNV has been able to expand our programs and services thanks to over $250,000 in legacy gifts. We invite you to join NNV's Legacy Society and enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that your neighborhood Village will continue to foster a strong and vibrant community that enables older adults to thrive. Please visit our website to learn more about making a legacy gift. If you do include a gift for NNV, we hope you will let us know.

Need help getting started? NNV members can contact the office at [email protected] or 202-935-6060 to request a list of estate attorneys in the area, and stay tuned for more information on advanced planning this fall!

Civil War Tour of Fort Stevens

Join us this Friday, September 5^th at 1pm at Fort Stevens, located at 13^th St. NW & Quackenbos St. NW for an expert-led tour of Fort Stevens – where the only Civil War battle within DC was fought and where President Lincoln was under fire.

Experts in this Civil War Fort (Gary Thompson of the Alliance for the Civil War Defenses of Washington and NPS Ranger-Historian Bryan Cheeseboro) will provide a tour and summary of the dramatic 1864 Battle of Fort Stevens. Time permitting, the tour will conclude at nearby Battleground National Cemetery at Georgia Ave, NW & Van Buren St, NW, where 41 Union dead lay buried.

We welcome members and volunteers of other DC Villages to join us!

Click here to register

Want to get more involved?

Visit our website to learn more:
Membership ♦ Volunteering

Do you enjoy our weekly email?
Forward it to a friend!

From Next Avenue - How Talking to Plants Impacts Their Growth and Our Health.
"People are generally healthier and happier when they have purpose, and plants provide that. Plus, they really are good listeners."
From Next Avenue - Evidence Is Growing: Music Aids Health and Well-Being.
"The latest news on research and projects studying the healing power of music and other arts."

Let us know if you read something related to aging that you think we should share by emailing a link to [email protected].

Next week at NNV

Monday,
September 1st

Tuesday,
September 2nd

Wednesday,
September 3rd

Thursday,
September 4th

Friday,
September 5th

Office Closed
Labor Day

2 pm Yoga with Mayu (Zoom)

10 am Coffee & Conversation (Coffee Nature, 4224 Fessenden St NW)

Coping with Uncertainty is cancelled while Rob is away. It will return on September 24th.

10 am Open House for New Retirees (Tatte Bakery and Cafe
13 Ridge Sq NW)

10 am Neighborhood walk (meet at Albemarle & Connecticut)

1 pm Civil War Tour of Fort Stevens (Fort Stevens, 6001 13th St NW)

Thursday, September 4th

Open House for New Retirees (Open to the community)

Calling All Recent Retirees (AU Park, Barnaby Woods, Chevy Chase DC, Forest Hills, Friendship Heights, Hawthorne, Tenleytown and Van Ness):

You're invited to learn more about Northwest Neighbors Village (NNV) over coffee and snacks at Tatte Bakery & Cafe, 13 Ridge Sq NW on Thursday, September 4th @ 10 am.

If you are newly retired, your local Village has social, educational, and volunteer opportunities for you! We welcome you to share your time, talents and interests with us: Become a Supporting Member, volunteer to help your neighbors, start a club, teach a class, help plan or lead a local outing, or put your expertise to use through one of our Working Groups.

Northwest Neighbors Village was founded in 2009 and is proud to have celebrated our 15th anniversary last year. Our mission is to enable older adults to thrive as they age in our community by offering a robust network of resources, social opportunities, and practical support.

Come join NNV's Executive Director, Stephanie Chong, Volunteer and Member Coordinator, Heather Hill, and representatives from our Board for coffee and learn more about how to get involved with your local Village!

When: 10 am
Where: Tatte Bakery and Cafe, 13 Ridge Sq NW, Washington DC 20016
Details and registration: https://nwnv.helpfulvillage.com/events/4796

Friday, September 5th

Civil War Tour of Fort Stevens (Open to any DC Village members and Volunteers)

Join us on Friday September 5^th at 1pm at Fort Stevens, located at 13^th St. NW & Quackenbos St. NW. Experts in this Civil War Fort (Gary Thompson of the Alliance for the Civil War Defenses of Washington and NPS Ranger-Historian Bryan Cheeseboro) will provide a tour and summary of the dramatic 1864 Battle of Fort Stevens – the only Civil War battle fought within DC and where President Lincoln was under fire. Time permitting, the tour will conclude at nearby Battleground National Cemetery at Georgia Ave, NW & Van Buren St, NW, where 41 Union dead lay buried.

Photo of a man in a National Park Service uniform speaking at a podium

Bryan Cheeseboro is a historian of the American Civil War. His activities include being a reenactor with Company B, 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. He has been featured on American Battlefield Trust’s Zoom Goes the History series and Antietam Live! programs. He has written for the Emerging Civil War blog. His presentations to the Rock Creek, DC Civil War Round Table include the programs Outside of Lincoln's White House: Civil War Men and Women of the DC Metro Area; The Grand Reviews of the Civil War; and The 1st United States Colored Infantry. He was the subject of the article “The Hands-On Historian” in the Spring 2021 issue of Civil War Monitor magazine. In February 2022, he was the guest of John R. Heckman’s (The Tattooed Historian) YouTube channel to discuss his presentation Volunteers, Substitutes, & Drafted Men: Enlisting in the Civil War. He is a Park Ranger with the National Park Service. His site is the Civil War Defenses of Washington.

Photo of a man dressed in a Civil War era Union uniform

Gary Thompson is a co-founder and the current President of the non-profit Alliance to Preserve the Civil War Defenses of Washington. He is an avid student of the defenses, a dynamic speaker on the topic, and also a reenactor of Maj. Gen. Lew Wallace, “Savior of Washington” from the Battle of Monocacy. Gary has lived in Chevy Chase DC for over 30 years, 8 years on the ANC, and when he doesn’t have his nose in a Civil War history book, either practices law or runs in Rock Creek Park. Gary is also Chair of the DC Board of Elections.

When: 1 pm
Where: Fort Stevens, 6001 13th St NW
Details and registration: https://nwnv.helpfulvillage.com/events/4729

-----

Photo of a table full of picnic food: hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, watermelon, tomatoes, onions, & lettuce with the words "NNV's Annual Picnic! Friday, September 12th, 11am-1pm"

Coming Soon to NNV:

Friday, September 12th - NNV's Annual Picnic!

There's no better way to bid summer farewell than time spent with your neighbors and friends. Members, volunteers, family, and friends are invited to join us rain or shine at NNV's annual end-of-summer picnic.

This is a potluck event. NNV provides hot dogs, hamburgers, and the fixin's. You provide the rest. Bring your favorite side dish or refreshing beverage.

When: 11 am
Where: Meadowbrook Park Activities Building, 7901 Meadowbrook Lane, Chevy Chase MD
Details and registration: https://nwnv.helpfulvillage.com/events/4791

The Virtual Speaker Series is taking a break for the summer.
Please join us for more great speakers when we return in September!
Visit our archive of speaker videos here to watch any you might have missed.

While we wait for the Fall VSS season to begin, we invite you to check out some of our archived programs featuring diverse perspectives.

The Chief Rabbi's Funeral: The Untold Story of America's Largest Antisemitic Riot with speaker Scott Seligman
Dishonorable Mention: Why the fight against Native American Mascoting with speaker Kevin Blackistone
The Untold Story of California as a Slave State with speaker Jean Pfaelzer
Establishing the Rosenwald Schools: The Partnership of Julius Rosenwald and Booker T. Washington with speaker Aviva Kempner
U.S. Indian Boarding Schools with speaker Suzan Shown Harjo
Missing History: Slavery in Washington and Our Visual Memory with speaker Kitty Eisele
Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families with speaker Dr. Andrew Billingsley

Capitol Hill Village:
Mondays, 10 am - DC Ctr for Aging LGBTQ+ Monday Coffee and Conversation (Zoom-Free sign up required for the link)
Mondays & Thursdays, 4-5 pm - Chair Yoga (Zoom - Click here to join the class)
First Wednesday of each month, 3:30-4:30 - What We're Hearing (Zoom-Free sign up required)

Cleveland Woodley Park Village:
Mondays, 10-10:30 am - Gentle Yoga Stretch (Zoom - Click here to join the class)
First Monday of each month, 11:30 am - Coffee & Conversation Current Events Discussion Group (Dolan, 3518 Connecticut Ave NW)
Wednesdays, 10-10:30 am - Gentle Yoga Stretch (Zoom - Click here to join the class)
Fridays, 10-10:30 am - Gentle Yoga Stretch (Zoom - Click here to join the class)
Saturdays, 9:30-10:30 am - Village Walkers (Cathedral Commons)

Dupont Circle Village:
Mondays, 3:30 pm - Accessible Mat Yoga (Zoom-Free sign up required for the link)
Tuesdays, 10:30 am - Chair Yoga (Zoom-Free sign up required for the link)
Mondays and Thursdays, 9:00 am - Meditation with Patricia Ullman (Zoom-Free sign up required for the link)

Foggy Bottom West End Village:
Wednesdays, 10:45 am - Strength and Stability Yoga (free trial class, $10/class). (St Paul's Church dining room, 2430 K St NW)
Fridays, 11:45 am - Essentials of Tai Chi and Qigong ($70 for each six class session). (St Paul's Church atrium, 2430 K St NW)

More local village events are listed on the DCVC (DC Villages Collective) calendar
and the WAVE (Washington Area Village Exchange) calendar.
More community events are listed on our events calendar.

Photo of smiling older adult couple with the text "BRAIN HEALTH AS WE AGE: DEMYSTIFYING COGNITIVE HEALTH, PREVENTION & EMERGING TREATMENTS Inspir Embassy Row, in partnership with Sunday Health, invites you to an enlightening discussion on the groundbreaking advances reshaping brain health and dementia care—and what they mean for you today. Discover this important conversation at Inspir Embassy Row, where exceptional Assisted Living and Memory Care meet a vibrant, elevated lifestyle. Advances in science and technology are transforming our understanding of cognitive health. Today, we have clearer prevention strategies, innovative diagnostic tools, and the first disease-modifying treatments for early-stage dementia. Featuring Dr. Amy Sanders, MD, an experienced dementia neurologist from local cognitive care medical practice Sunday Health, in conversation with Sunday Health’s CEO Maria Thomas, this interactive session will explore: • The difference between normal cognitive aging and signs of concern • Lifestyle factors proven to support brain health • New blood-based biomarker tests and what they mean (and don't mean) for diagnosis • The latest FDA-approved treatments and what they offer patients today. We invite you to join us for this program and experience firsthand the elevated lifestyle, personalized care, and vibrant community that define life at Inspir. Click to RSVP HERE or scan the QR code. If you have any questions, email embassyrowinfo@inspirsl.com or call 202.293.2100. 2100 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008 202.293.2100 - InspirSeniorLiving.com"

Photos of people sitting around tables and leading activities with the text: "Washington, DC Falls Prevention Awareness Week 2025. University of the District of Columbia – Sept. 24, 10 am-2 pm. Free Screens & activities: Balance, Strength, Vision, Medication, Blood Pressure, Home Safety, Exercises, Fall Recovery, File of Life. Cool Swag Bags, Fun Raffles. Click for more info. For Assistance, call 202-559-9856. University of the District of Columbia, UDC Student Center, 4200 Connecticut Ave NW."

Thank you to our sponsors:

Any additions to the Weekly Update are required by 10 am Thursday.
Submissions will be included based on editor's discretion and available space.

NNV is a community based non-profit that gives residents the confidence and practical help to grow older at home while staying healthy, engaged, and connected to neighbors and friends.