During the COVID pandemic, the Pasadena Senior Center, 85 E. Holly St., offers many free online activities via Zoom for adults 50 and older as well as some onsite activities.
Registration for Zoom activities and most onsite events is required by visiting www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and clicking on Activities & Events or Lectures & Classes or Resources. Everyone who registers for Zoom events receives an email link for joining each activity online. Most free events via Zoom are recorded and televised on the Pasadena Senior Center YouTube channel. COVID protocols are observed for all onsite events at the center. All instructors and presenters are required to meet minimum COVID protocols.
Some activities via Zoom are recorded and are available on the Pasadena Senior Center’s YouTube channel. Neither Pasadena Senior Center membership nor residency in Pasadena are required for these events.
Scenic Walks Club – Wednesdays, March 2 to 30, at 9 a.m. Join the Scenic Walks Club for leisurely strolls to picturesque local sites, enjoy the great outdoors and get some exercise with other friendly walkers. For more information, including where to meet up each week, contact Scenic Walks Club Captain Alan Colville at alancolville@charter.net.
Music on the Patio: Cory Brendel – Thursday, March 3, at 2 p.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Back by popular demand, Cory Brendel will perform popular songs with his ukulele, from Tin Pan Alley to The Beatles with an emphasis on standards from the 1930s and 1940s. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Events & Activities, then Special Events or call 626-795-4331.
Monthly Food Distribution Program — Friday, March 4, from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the parking lot at Pasadena Senior Center. Low-income adults 60 and older receive one free box of food and couples receive two. Each box includes foods that meet specific nutritional needs, such as cheese, canned fruits and vegetables, dry milk and related dairy products, cereals and other grain products, and more. Proof of income and California ID are required for first-time recipients. Boxes are heavy, so bring a pull-behind personal cart to the parking lot between the Pasadena Senior Center and the Metro Gold Line station. Opening boxes on the premises is prohibited. Masks and social distancing are required. For more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Resources, then Food Distribution Programs or call 626-685-6732.
Movie Matinees – Fridays, March 4, 11, 18 and 25, at 1 p.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Each member may bring one nonmember guest. March 4: “Hidden Figures” (2016, PG) starring Taraji P. Henson and Kevin Costner. Three brilliant African American women – two NASA mathematicians and one NASA aerospace engineer – calculate the flight trajectories for the Mercury-Atlas 6 Mission that enable John Glenn to be the first American astronaut to orbit the Earth in 1962. The film is based on true events. March 11: “Once Upon a Time in America” (1984, R) starring Robert De Niro and James Woods. A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster who rose to Mafia prominence in New York City’s world of organized crime returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan 35 years later and confronts memories of five up-and-coming gangster friends, himself included, who transitioned from merciless criminals and matured in the business as they developed now-lost bonds of loyalty. March 18: “The Luck of the Irish”: (2001, TV-G) starring Ryan Merriman and Henry Gibson. When a teenager’s gold good luck charm is stolen by a charismatic thief, he finds himself in a race against time to elude the family tradition of turning into a leprechaun. March 25: “Finian’s Rainbow” (1968, G) starring Fred Astaire and Petula Clark. An Irish immigrant and his daughter move into a town near Fort Knox and bury a stolen pot of gold in hope that the riches will multiply. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.net and click on Activities & Events, then Friday Movie Matinee or call 626-795-4331.
Estate Planning, Trust Administration and Estate Administration – Thursday, March 10, at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Attorney Joe Engle, whose specialty is leading people through the estate planning process with ease and knowledge, will discuss estate planning, trust administration and estate administration, plus how to avoid probate and why estate planning is important. To register, visit www.pasadenseniorcenter.net and click on Lectures & Classes, then Informational Lectures or call 626-795-4331.
Cultural Thursday – Pre-Code Hollywood: Sex, Sin and Censorship in the 1930s – Thursday, March 10, at 2 p.m. via Zoom. From films with topics that ranged from prostitution and drug use to glorified gangsters, brutal monsters and unpunished villains, Hollywood filmmakers defiantly ignored the strict Production Code guidelines of talking pictures, published in 1930, that were intended to keep movies morally clean. The results were some of the most controversial, outrageous and wildly entertaining films of the 1930s. Join film historian and author Steven C. Smith for a look at this raucous Hollywood era. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Events & Activities, the Special Events, or call 626-795-4331.
My Gift to You: The Importance of Planning Ahead – Thursday, March 17, at 10 a.m. via Zoom. Life is a cycle with a beginning and an end. What to do when a loved one passes away is a difficult topic to discuss, and most families spend very little time talking about it. This can cause them to be completely unprepared and overwhelmed by all the details that must be handled when the time comes. A representative from Forest Lawn will explain the responsibilities of survivors and how you and your loved ones can plan ahead to maneuver through this emotional and financial experience. To register or for more information visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Lectures & Classes, then Informational Lectures, or call 626-795-4331.
Guided Tour of Pasadena Senior Center – Thursday, March 17, at 10 a.m. onsite at PSC. Take a guided tour with a Pasadena Senior Center ambassador and learn how PSC can enhance your life. Visit various areas of the center, peek in on activities and learn everything else about this first-ever accredited senior center in California. To schedule a tour or for more information, call 626-795-4331.
Music on the Patio: Bob and Don – Thursday, March 17, at 2 p.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Join singer Don Snyder and pianist Bob Lipson for an afternoon of music featuring some fun Irish songs for St. Patrick’s Day plus favorite American show tunes and standards. Sing along, kick up your heels or simply tap your toes to the rhythm of the music. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Activities & Events, then Special Events or call 626-795-4331.
Produce Distribution – Friday, March 18 from 9 to 11 a.m. onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. Bags of nutritious fresh vegetables will be distributed courtesy of the Order of Malta Mobile Ministries. One bag per person will be available. Masks, social distancing and proof of COVID vaccination are required. For more information call 626-795-4331.
Cultural Thursday: Mermaids at Brighton: A History of Bathing – Thursday, March 24, at 2 p.m. via Zoom. Ever wonder about the cultural history of bathing? Dr. Janet Fahey, a civil and sanitation engineer, environmental consultant and lifetime member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, will lead a fun and intriguing exploration of essential sanitary engineering practices employed during Jane Austen’s life and through the ages. Her presentation will begin with hygiene in ancient Greek and Roman times and highlight fascinating bathing – and nonbathing – ideas, practices and places to the present. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Lectures and Classes, then Informational Lectures or call 626-795-4331.
Cultural Thursday: A Culinary Tour of India – Thursday, March 31, at 2 p.m. via Zoom and onsite at Pasadena Senior Center. PSC member and volunteer Suresh Khilnani will take participants on a tour through the food landscape of India. He will show photos, recount related history and tell stories about the intriguing and complex flavors of Indian cuisine. An avid cook, he will share some of his favorite Indian recipes to try at home. To register or for more information, visit www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org and click on Activities and Events, then special events or call 626-795-4331.
In addition to online classes, onsite events and other activities, members and nonmembers of the Pasadena Senior Center are encouraged to visit the website regularly for a monthly magazine, free food delivery for older adults in need, COVID updates specifically for older adults and more.
The center, at 85 E. Holly St., is an independent, donor-supported nonprofit organization that has served older adults for more than 60 years. During the pandemic, doors are open Mondays through Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for social services and other critical services for older adults in need as well as the library, Sy Graff Fitness Center, computer lab and limited occupancy for events. Masks and social distancing are required. Rooms are sanitized after each use.
In accordance with Los Angeles County Public Health Department guidelines, proof of COVID vaccination is required for everyone who uses the fitness center or attends onsite activities indoors. https://www.pasadenaseniorcenter.org/
