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Ashby Village Holiday Party 2019

Story by Karin Evans, Photos by Nancy Rubin and Richard Bermack


Despite rainy weather, 129 people showed up for the annual Ashby Village holiday celebration on December 7. They shook off their umbrellas and gathered at Ashby Village to eat, drink, and enjoy each other. The party was filled with members, some long term, some new, plus numerous volunteers.  AV staff was there, Executive Director Andy Gaines circulating and greeting everyone, Operations & Volunteer Manager Pat Carvalho supervising the photo portraits, Program & Member Support Manager Erik Whitaker showing off the AV Tenth Anniversary mugs. Board members circulated from table to table, greeting newcomers and old friends. 


In brief opening remarks, Andy emphasized the importance of this year’s gathering as part of Ashby Village’s Tenth Anniversary celebration. A number of other events commemorating that milestone have taken place already, he told the crowd, including a talk by Park Ranger and local legend Betty Reid Soskin, a fundraiser and food event featuring Narsai David, a hike across the Golden Gate Bridge, and the first Ashby Village Thanksgiving dinner. 


Andy, a festive string of colored lights around his neck, mentioned more events to come, including the May 8 gala at the Claremont Hotel. And there’s much more in the works, he told everyone, including the Annual Appeal going on right now (It’s not too late to donate!).

“We continue to grow and to rely on the spirit of our community,” he told the crowd. “We have really built an amazing village!” Andy said the plan at this year’s party was to keep formalities to a minimum, so that members and volunteers could do what many had said they most wanted to do—talk and visit with each other.


And so they did, selecting dishes from the sumptuous pot-luck buffet, and sitting down to chat with new friends and old, while Angel the Harpist played softly in the background.  At one table, a number of newcomers were getting to know each other. Pat Trumbull, a retired nurse from El Cerrito, said she had learned about AV from a newspaper article and was drawn to join. “My husband died six years ago and I am alone,” she said, “I wanted to get something in place.”   


Bruce Pachter from Emeryville had also joined recently and was enjoying his new connections. “I like the fact that people are supporting each other, taking action, whether social or political. It’s all very impressive. I’ve been to six or seven groups.” Murray and Jude Levine, new members from Richmond, said they’d had a visit from the new Richmond Ashby Village group. Murray had already joined the Tai Chi group and had plans to volunteer. “I think Ashby Village is a fine idea,” he said. “We lived communally in the Sixties, so I am into the idea.”

Numerous volunteers were on hand to help with the event, organized by Sigrid Duesberg. Volunteers handled the registration table, the coat rack, the food and drink tables, and the photo area, where portraits were taken of attendees sporting sequined antlers or holding a sign commemorating the Tenth Anniversary. Even the compost and recycling area was staffed, by volunteers Andrea Mok and  Raines Cohen, wearing a top hat and cheerfully directing people to the correct bins. A film crew was also on hand, working on a Tenth Anniversary film.


Probably the youngest volunteer there was Mara Hernandez, smiling at the photo prop table. A genetic counselor by day, Mara began volunteering a few years back, while she was in graduate school, drawn by the flexibility that Ashby Village offers. “I do a lot of driving for members,” she said, “and I’ve been a Medpal, and I always meet such interesting people. I’m just standing here now basking in the holiday spirit!”

Ninety-nine-year-old member Floramay Moser was sitting with her friend and volunteer driver Claudia Berger, who’d given her a ride to the party. “It’s a wonderful organization,” Floramay said. “Everyone should belong. They just don’t realize how much they need it.” 

Marty Ramey was also sitting with Claudia, who had introduced her to the village by taking her to a Living Room Chat. “I had read about Ashby Village and supported the mission, and I thought I might need it some day,” said Marty, a retired teacher. “My kids live in other states and my husband died years ago. When my mother was almost 95 I saw how she and her friends got stuck when they couldn’t drive.” Today Marty serves on the Member Engagement Team, making sure that new members are plugged into the village and getting what they need. “In a way I am helping my mom and her friends by proxy,” she said.


Volunteers Mick and Tricia Sullivan were mingling with the party-goers and helping out with various logistics. “We came in about five or six years ago and said we’d like to volunteer, and the village gobbled us up,” said Mick. He and Tricia have been at work ever since, doing a variety of things, including office work and helping with set-ups for parties like this one.

Longtime volunteer Luciano Corazza was chatting with Program Leadership Team member Joan Cole. “He’s the best,” said Joan. “I wait for things in my house to break, just so I can have him come fix them!” No wonder. Luciano, who worked in international development and programs for gifted students, among many other things, during his long and distinguished professional life, brings multiple talents to his fix-it calls. “As a boy I used to make all my own toys,” he said. “I just like to fix things.”  As a Village volunteer, he does whatever members need—within limits. “I used to be better crawling under sinks,” he said with a grin.

As the room buzzed with conversation, village co-founder Patricia Sussman looked around in awe. “It just blows me away,” she said. “What this community has done is wonderful. Just listen to the conversations. No one is talking about the aches and pains of aging. Whenever anyone gets a good idea, they take it and run with it.”























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