The Urban League
Multicultural Senior Service Center
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MulticulturSenior Service Center Staff
Phone Number 503-988-5470. Extensions are shown below:
J. Cupid Alexander, Transportation Coord. - 24545
Melissa Co ml, Informadon&Assistance 24548
Alma Brown, Grandparents Program - 24553
Norma Mullen, Case Manager 24550
Jackie Scott, Tobacco Prevention - 503-280-2642
Tammorm Barnes, Case Manager - 24552
Richard Loudd, HIVIAids - 503-280-2659
When Center is closed, call 24-hour Emergency Assistance,
Senior Helpline 5603-988-3646
Serena Stoudamire, Director - 24559
Arleta Warr4 Activities Coord. - 24545
Holiday
became "Sinterclaus" and finally, "Santa
Claus".
Concerts,
caroling,
light displays and
petting zoo. More
than 100 concerts
performed by regional
schools, churches and
civic choral groups in the
Grotto's 600 seat chapel.
$6 adults, $3 kids 3-12.
More info 503-261-2400.
Kwanzaa was created in 1966 by Dr.
Maulana Karenga, who is also Chair,
The Organization of Us. This holiday is
a relative new arrival in the winter
holiday season. However it's huge gain
Zatifigkie hatival
in popularity promises to be a regular for
Thousands of lights,
a multitude of generations to come. The
The Chrismas Tree originated in
Decorated
many symbols, values, and ceremonies
Germany in the 16th century. It was
zoo train,
make it difficult to specify only a few; but
Costumed
common for the Germanic people to
characters
a charming story is told in how it got it's
decorate fir trees, both inside and out,
and Music.
name --- Kwanzaa with two a's. The
with roses, apples, and colored paper.
Free w/regular
word "Kwanza" comes from the phrase,
It is believed that Martin Luther, the
admission
"matunda ya kwanza" which means "first
Protestant reformer, was the first to light
Now thru December 31st
fruits." Kwanzaa's extra "a" evolved as a
a Christmas tree with candles. While
Phone 503-226-1561
result of a particular history of the
coming home one night near the
Organization Us. It was used as an
holidays, he was struck by the beauty of
WeltilWaltd At PIR
the starlight shining through the branches expression of African values in order to
Now through January 1st.;
inspire the creativity of children. In the
of a small fir tree outside his home. He
The largest drive-through
early days of Us, there were seven
duplicated the starlight by using candles
animated light show in the"
children who wanted to represent a letter Northwest. Senior Center
attached to the branches of his indoor
of Kwanza. Since kwanza has only six
tree.
ill visit on Thursday,
letters, an extra "a" was added to make
December 13th, leaving
seven, thus creating Kwanzaa.
Poinsettias are native to Mexico and
Center at 5:30 pm. ,;:a
were named after America's first
_,
For Trip info
The principal feature of present-day
ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett.
503-988-5470
Hanukkah celebrations is the lighting of
He brought the plants to America in
Ext 24545.
Menorah candles, one the first night, two
1828. The people of Mexico in the 18th
avtiaboae at Flank litanies
century thought the plants were symbolic the second, and so on until eight candles
Senior Center will make a
have been lit. The Temple of Jerusalem
of the Star of Bethlehem and the
trip there on Thursday,
was rededicated in 165BC with an 8-day
poinsettia became associated with the
December 6th.
festival but only a one-day supply of
holiday.
The Portland
nondesecrated oil could be found. That
landmark is
small supply miraculously lasted for 8
The original Santa Claus was St.
extravangantly
days.
The
Jewish
people
commemorate
Nicholas, born in Turkey in the 4th
decorated in a
century. He was especially noted for his this event by lighting the Menorrah
different theme
love and generosity to children, for whom candles for the 8 nights of Hanukkah.
each year.
1he became the patron saint. The Dutch
For Trip info
Informaiion Xrp,m ty1151ar.conimgsit
kept his legend alive and spelled his
1"1"..' 503-988-5470
The UtticiQl Kvy4rozaa vv site
name "Sint Nikolaas", which later
and tncarta n in
Symbots
And Traditions
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HIV/AIDS
Community Outreach
Education And Prevention
Program
Richard Loudd, Coordinator
503-280-2659
HIV/AIDS is affecting the African American
community at a disproportionate rate as
compared to other populations. Current data
indicates that the rate of infection is on the rise,
particularly with African American women. Our
African American community needs to become
more active to stop the spread of this disease.
The Urban League of Portland is committed to
help in anyway possible.
The Urban League of Portland and the American
Red Cross have collaborated and are providing
HIV/AIDS education and prevention classes at
the Urban League's E. Shelton Hill Conference
Room. These classes are held the first Thursday
of each month, December 6, 2001, and begin at
5:30 pm and end at 7 p.m. The classes are free
to the public.
The Portland Street Academy students will be
receiving HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention
classes during the winter quarter. The classes are
structured to give basic information about
HIV /AIDS and the risky behaviors associated
with infection and the transmission of the virus.
In addition, information will be given concerning
myths and facts about HIV/AIDS.
I would ask the parents of our school children to
come and be educated about HIV/AIDS.
Remember the classes are free to the public.
S'eacce On 'Earth
Grandparent&
Support
Program
Alma Brown,
Coordinator
503-988-5470,
Ex. 24553
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puzzle Tree
The Grandparents Support Program is off to an
excellent start and promises to be a regular
feature of the Multicultural Senior Service
Center.
Meetings take place in the Conference Room at
the Center on the last Tuesday of each month,
with the exception of December when the
meeting will be held on the 4th because of the
holidays. Time is 10 am to 1 pm.
Remember that anyone with an interest may
attend and there is no fee for joining or attending
meetings.
Below are instructions for kids to make the
Holiday Puzzle Tree aboveto hang on the big
tree, in the window, or wherever they would
like:
Materials needed for Puzzle Tree: Old jigsaw
puzzle pieces, green paint, ribbon, glue, and
items to decorate such as small buttons,
glitter, beads, rick-rack.
Paint all puzzle pieces green. For variety, you
can use a few different shades of green. Let
the pieces dry completely. When dry, glue
them together to form a triangle shape as
shown in the tree above. Experiment with
overlapping different pieces to get the
special look you want. Cut a six inch length of
ribbon, tie it into a circle and glue the tied
section to the back of the top of your puzzle
tree. Use the glitter, buttons, etc. to
decorate the miniature tree.
Also, you can use your imagination to make
wreaths, reindeer, and other objects out of
the painted puzzle pieces.
From the
Smoking
Prevention
Program
Jackie Scott,
Coordinator, 503.280.2642
What Will I "DO" While I
Quit Smoking?
The most commonly overlooked obstacle to quitting
smoking is the mental addiction to smoking. Half the
struggle is giving up the pleasure provided by the
experience itself.
It is enjoyable to "take a break," smoke with friends.
Many have acquaintances they only see from taking
smoke breaks outside the office. For others, the
cigarette itself is an acquaintance. A smoker who
smokes a pack a day spends about 80 minutes a day
smoking. For a person who has been smoking for
many years this absence in routine may be harder to
deal with than the act of quitting smoking.
Preparing oneself for the changes is one of the keys to
successful completion of a stop smoking program. The
"Three Ds" can help in overcoming the seemingly
insurmountable urges. They are Decatastrophizin6,
Disputing expectancies, and Distracting.
*Decatasrophizing: Avoid extreme adjectives like
"horrible" or "unbearable' they only make you feel
worse. Ask yourself "Just how unbearable is my urge
right now?" What have you endured before which was
worse that your current urge? Did you survive? If so,
does it follow that your urge is less than unbearable and
perhaps only "very uncomfortable?"
*Disputing Expectancies: Urges are positive
expectationswhen we crave something we expect it
will create a pleasurable state, or reduce an unpleasant
one. Ask yourself "How will I feel later it I give in to my
urge to smoke?' "What will the consequences be?"
"Will the negatives outweigh the positives if I give in?"
Another way is to imagine that someone very close to
you has the urge to smoke. How would you convince
them to resist?
Distracting: Some old-fashioned distraction may be
the only way to pull your thoughts away from urge for
another cigarette. Distraction can be "cognitive," in the
form of mental exercises, or "behavioral," in the form of
an alternate activity. Alternate activities are usually the
most effective, since the urges tends to occur in places
similar to those where you smoked in the past the
after-dinner cigarette with a cup of coffee, while sitting
down to talk on the phone, chatting with friends. If the
urge to light up is overwhelming, remove yourself from
the situation until it subsides. Get up from the table,
stand to talk on the phone, excuse yourself from the
room for a few minutes.
Cognitive distraction can be powerful and convenient.
Imagining a pleasant place like a beach or a raft on a
lake can take your mind off your urge. However,
relaxing images are not for everyone, especially for
those who associate smoking with relaxation. If this is
true for you, you might find some mental task that will
be difficult to finish but is interesting and consuming.
Examples: Mentally writing a novel, planning a perfect
vacation, creating the ideal money-making business.
Information from How-Do-l-Quit-Smoking. com Website
And Selfhelp Magazine Website
From the Breast and
Cervical Cancer Program
New Study
Indicates
Mammograms
Do More Good
Than Previously
Thought
Women who get regular mammograms may reduce
their risk of dying from breast cancer by more than 60
percentabout twice the amount seen in large formal
studies of the past, according to an analyses by the
American Cancer Society conducted earlier this year.
Seven landmark studies in the 1970s and 1980s may
have underestimated the true benefit of mammograms.
The reason is that some of the women in those studies
who were offered screening refused to get
mammograms, while others in the unscreened
comparison groups sought out mammograms on their
own. This reduced the difference between those who
got mammograms and those who did not.
The latest analysis sought to see what happened to
those who actually get mammograms. It found that
those who comply with screening recommendations
reduce their risk of dying from breast cancer by 63
percent when compared to the early 1970s when
mammograms were not routinely done.
While there has never been much argument over
whether or not mammograms are worthwhile, especially
for women after menopause, the study suggest they
may do substantially more good than most experts had
assumed up to now.
According to a spokesman at the American Cancer
Society, "Women should be told that if they get regular
screening, they would reduce their risk of dying from
breast cancer by about two-thirds.
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litgeldtit ACTIVITIES
AN Sett-EMUS
For more information, call
Arleta War() 503-988-54-70, Ext. 24545
txercise class is nod on Mondays except for tne first
Monday. The time is 10:30 to 11:36 am
The Grandparent's Program December meeting will
Tuesdays:
be held on Tuesday, the 4th. The reason for the early
date is to avoid conflict with holiday events around the Pool and Board Games are available from 9 am until 3 pm
end of the month. If you would like more information
On the second Tuesday of the month, an Oil Painting Class
on this program, call Alma Brown, 503-988-5470, ext. is held. The fee for this class is $5.
24553.
Every Tuesday is Movie Day and from 10 am until 12 Noon
a film will be shown.
Tuesday, December 4th, The Community Energy
On the third Tuesday of each month, Diabetes Awareness
Project will hold a Free Water Conservation Workshop Class is scheduled at 10:30 am
at the Center from 10:45 to 11:45 am
At 1 pm on Tuesday afternoons we go shopping with the
Red Cross.
Thursday, December 6th, we will take a trip to the
Pittock Mansion for their annual holiday decoration
display. We will leave at 11:30 am. Admission is $4.50
for seniors. Also bring along lunch money and we will
stop at a restaurant along the way.
On the second, third, and fourth Tuesday afternoons, an
attorney is available, for Senior Law. Appointments are
required. The time is 1 pm to 3:30pm Please call Melissa
Corral at 503-988-5470, Ext. 24553.
Wednesdays:
Pool and Board Games are available from 9 am until 3 pm
Thursday, December 13th, we will take a trip to the
PIR to see the beautiful display of lights. We will
leave the Center at 5:30 p.m.
We visit the Thrift Store on the third Wednesday of each
month, leaving the Center at 9:30 am and returning at 12
Noon.
Exercise Class is held on Wednesdays from 10:30 toll :30
am
Friday, December 21st we will have
our annual Holiday Party at the Center.
Time is 10:30 am to 12 Noon.
Be on hand for singing of carols,
refreshments, and more Holiday fun.
Diabetes Expo 2002 will be presented at the Oregon
Convention Center on February 9th, 2002. See the latest
products, meters, services, medications, diet instruction,
speakers, free screenings, and access to health care
providers. Tickets are $5 per adult and seniors are half
price, with children under 12 admitted free.
Regularly Scheduled Activities:
Mondays:
From 11 am until 12 Noon, the game of Pokeno is played.
A Potluck is held on the 2nd Wednesday of each month
at 12 noon.
Thursdays:
Pool and Board Games are available from 9 am until 3 pm
The Blood Pressure Clinic is held on the third Thursday of
the month from 10 am until noon.
At 10:30 am on Thursdays, the Bible Study group holds
their weekly meeting.
Bridge is played at 10 am on Thursdays, with Bridge
classes on Thursday evenings at 6:30'. Also, there are
Saturday bridge games on tfle first and third Saturday of the
month at 10 am
For more information, call Dora McCrae, 503-287-6420.
Fridays:
Pool and Board Games are available from 9 am -3 pm
11:30 am
Pool and Board Games are available from 9 am until 3 pm
Exercise Class is held on Fridays from 10:30
The Sewing and Quitting Group meets from 9:30 until
10:30 am
At 11 am on Fridays, we have a game of Bingo.
On the first Monday of each month we have the Foot Care
Clinic from 8:30 am until 12 Noon, Appointments are
required and the fee for foot care is $"12.
Mondays through Fridays except for announced closures,
Lunch is served by Loaves and Fishes at 12 Noon.