Weekly Newsblast
February 28th - March 4th

You can sign-up for free programs by (1) emailing us here; (2) by calling us at (781) 235-3961; or (3) by stopping by in person. For paid programming, you can register by calling us at (781) 235-3961 or by stopping by.

Please note, all Zoom links will be sent out the business day before the program, by 4:00 PM. If you want to sign-up for a program happening the same day, the best way to register is to call us at 781-235-3961. All programs listed in this section have spaces available.

This section will highlight programs that have plenty of room for more participants or that are currently low in attendance. All programs are listed with a start time and will go for an hour, unless listed otherwise. The highlights section is not a comprehensive listing of all of our programs, for full programming selections and more details, please check out our newsletter here. For lunch and movie information and details, please see further down. For specifics on fitness classes and drop-in options, please see sections below.

Monday, February 28th

Free Programming - In Person
Barre for Every Body - (10:30 AM)
Tour of Wellesley Free Library Main Brach - (11:30 AM)

Tuesday, March 1st

The Tolles Parsons Center is a Voting Site today. No lunch. Building is open for drop-in activities.

Free Programming - In Person
Tour of Wellesley Free Library Main Brach - (10:00 AM)
Short Story with Deb - "The Haunted Boy by Carson McCullers and "A Moving Vortex" - The Great September Gale of 1815 by Randi Minetor." (10:45 AM)
Topic Tuesdays with Kate - "Social Connections (11:00 AM)

Wednesday, March 2nd

Free Programming - In Person
Keep Well Clinic - (10:00 AM)
Chair One Fitness - (10:30 AM)
Tour of Wellesley Free Library Main Brach - (1:30 PM)

Paid Programming - In Person
Cardio Sculpt Class A - (9:15 AM)

Thursday, March 3rd

Free Programming - Online or In Person
Regis Student Led Program - (1:00 PM)

Friday, March 4th

Free Programming - Online or In Person
Regis MSOT Student Led Program - (1:00 PM)

Free Programming - In Person
Movie "Sylvie's Love" - (1:15 PM)

March Calendar

Drop-In Options

Programming on Public Access Cable

Catch our weekly programming on Comcast 9 and Verizon 39 for a special program only available on your TV. Local cable TV channels are courtesy of Wellesley Media. All programs can be watched online here on demand.

Lunch at the COA

We are happy to announce that non-residents are welcome to onsite lunches at the COA! We have also increased our maximum number to 20 participants on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Lunch at the COA is offered four times a week thanks to the financial support of the Friends of the Wellesley Council on Aging (FWCOA). Lunches will be served in-person by volunteers in the multipurpose room on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 12:00 p.m. On Wednesdays, you are welcome to eat your lunch onsite at 12:00 p.m. in our café, but if you are homebound you can opt for a home delivery on Wednesdays! Please note that unless you are homebound, you are agreeing to have a social onsite lunch when you order your meal.

Please remember that all lunches must be ordered and paid for at least two business days in advance of the meal. Lunches on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays will be served by COA Volunteers, lunch on Wednesdays if delivered to the café will be provided but will not be staffed by volunteers.

For Wellesley residents, when you call to order your meal, you will be asked if you would like to have your cost subsidized by the FWCOA, making the cost $5, or if you would like to pay the full cost at $10. For non-residents, the cost of lunch is $11. If you have any financial concerns or questions about your eligibility for delivery, please contact Kate Burnham for assistance. All financial information and the amount paid by individuals is kept confidential.

Movies are now open to non-residents and are shown once a week on Fridays at 1:15 PM. Max of 30 people per movie.

Registration is on-going and the most common programs patrons sign up for on registration day are fitness classes and groups. Interested in attending? To participate, there are a few ways to sign-up: You can email us here for any free program(s) or you can call us at (781) 235-3961. For paid programs, please call us at (781) 235-3961 or stop in. My Active Center is deactivated the week after registration begins and you will not be able to register on that platform at this time.

Zoom links are sent to registered participants the business day before the program. Please remember that most of our programs, unless listed in the newsletter as a drop-in program, require advance registration. We have recently been shifting the responsibility of sending out zoom links from one staff person to another. To help with finding our materials in your email, we will routinely use "Wellesley COA Zoom Link - (name of class)" as our subject line. If you regularly search for our links, please search for that line and you should find our materials. If you have looked and it is less than an hour before the class, please give us a call at 781-235-3961.

We have a myriad of services available at the COA. These services are currently offered by phone/zoom or live in some instances. Call today to schedule your appointment.

AARP Tax Program

Tax appointments are now available. These in person appointments will be offered starting February 14th and are booked on Mondays through April 11th only, with the exception of federal holidays. Please call us at 781-235-3961 to schedule an appointment.

IT Help - In-Person Appointments

Lois will be in-house at the TPC for your one-on-one appointments on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Each appointment will be 45 minutes long at: 12:30 PM, 1:15 PM, 2:00 PM, and 2:45 PM on Tuesdays and 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 10:45 AM, 11:30 AM on Thursdays. Call us today at (781) 235-3961 to schedule an appointment.

Metro West Legal Services – Free Legal Consult Call

Attorney Gregory Deaugustine will be available for 30-minute legal consultation calls on senior resident questions the first Thursday of every month, from 1 PM - 3 PM. MetroWest Legal Services provides free legal aid to seniors on: housing, public benefits and social security matters; durable power of attorney, health care proxy, and simple probate matters; Medicaid, nursing home issues, and limited domestic relations; as well as consumer and bankruptcy. Call us today at (781) 235-3961 to schedule an appointment.

SHINE Appointments: Online Friday

SHINE counselors are available to assist patrons with Medicare enrollment and counseling. Did you know that in 2021 more people qualify for help to pay for Medicare B and more through the Medicare Savings Program? If your individual income is under $1,755/ month and assets are under $15,940, you may qualify. You can talk to a SHINE counselor for more information on programs that can save you money on health care costs. Call us today at (781) 235-3961 to schedule an appointment.

Lending Library at the COA

Did you know that the COA has a lending library next to the café? You can borrow books, puzzles, audiobook CDs, and movie or TV DVDs. Special thanks to everyone who donated items to the library.

Boston College
CANLab

The CANLab at Boston College is conducting a study examining how we process emotional information (things we find pleasant or unpleasant). All methods are noninvasive and no drugs are administered. You will be asked to complete pen-and-paper tasks and to perform tasks on a computer. You will be paid $12/hr for your participation in behavioral tasks and $25/hr for participation in the MRI study. If you are a healthy adult, ages 18-95, please contact us for more information or to schedule an appointment, click here.

Please Note: The following programs/opportunities are being promoted to inform patrons of additional programming opportunities outside of the COA. Please see the specific opportunity for the correct contact information. We are unable to register patrons for these programs through the COA.

American Cancer Society
Relay For Life of Charles River

May 21st

The American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life of Charles River will be held on May 21 in Needham. The Relay covers surrounding towns, including Wellesley. An important part of the Relay is celebrating cancer survivors. This is done with a free dinner at the Relay. If you are a cancer survivor or a caregiver for a cancer patient, we hope you will register for the Relay. You may register at relayforlife.org and search for Relay for Life of Charles River. If you need help or more information, please email Margaret here.

Bridgewater Senior College
Winter Courses

Bridgewater State College is offering their Senior College Program again. For more information and to check out programming options, click here.

Emerson Parkinson's Program
Free Online Wellness Programs
March - April (various dates)

The Emerson Parkinson’s Program is pleased to offer our fourth session of the below free online wellness programs for patients and caregivers. These programs are supported by a community grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation. Each program will be 8 weeks in length and held virtually. Space is limited for each program; however, we will be offering each program one more time. Participants may only take a specific free program once. *Due to licensing requirements, you must be physically located in Massachusetts when you take this class*

Click here for more info or call 978-287-8229.

Wellesley Citizen's Police Academy
Starting March 16th

The Wellesley Police Department is excited to announce we will once again be offering a 9-week Citizen Police Academy for adults beginning on March 16, 2022.

The Academy is designed to give participants an overview of the Police Department’s functions and operating procedures. Classes feature a combination of lectures, tours, demonstrations, and hands-on practice. Participants also have a chance to ride along in a police cruiser with an officer after all classes have been completed.

Classes are held on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m. in the Kingsbury Room at the Wellesley Police Department. The Academy runs for nine weeks, beginning on Wednesday, March 16, 2022 and ending on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. There is no class on Wednesday, April 20, 2022 due to spring vacation break for schools.

Don’t miss your chance to meet several of our officers and learn the ins and outs of what a job in law enforcement is all about. Space is limited to 20 people. Please contact Officer Michael Pino here for more info. (mpino@wellesleyma.gov) or Lt. Marie Cleary (mcleary@wellesleyma.gov) for more information.

Wellesley Service League
Men's Speaker Series
Tuesday, March 8th @ 2PM

Wellesley Friendly Aid (Living Room) 219 Washington St. Comfort Food Tasting-Bring your appetite! Beat the winter blues with a fun afternoon of food tastings! We are tapping into the wide variety of talented Wellesley Service League members to bring you a sampling of delicious soups, stews and desserts. Join us and enjoy some delicious recipes from our Wellesley Service League members (including professional caterers) and vote for your favorites! Senior Men from Wellesley and surrounding communities are invited for refreshments and conversation. Guests welcome. Rides available. Please email Gina Francis here for more information.

Wellesley Weston Lifetime Learning
Spring Courses

Wellesley Weston Lifetime Learning courses are back. To learn more, or to sign-up for programs, please check the website here.

Medicare and OTC COVID-19 Tests

Earlier this year it was announced that, starting in early Spring, Medicare beneficiaries will be able to access up to 8 over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month for free. Tests will be available through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities. All Medicare beneficiaries with Part B are eligible for this new benefit, whether enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan or not. More details will be available when this initiative launches in the early Spring. For more information, check Medicare.gov or speak to a SHINE counselor.

In the meantime, anyone can order up to 4 free home tests per household through covidtests.gov. Beneficiaries who are in a Medicare Advantage plan can check if their plan offers any coverage for home tests (separately from the initiative launching in early Spring).

Trained SHINE volunteers offer free, confidential counseling on all aspects of Medicare and related health insurance programs. To schedule a SHINE appointment, call your local Senior Center. For other SHINE related matters, call 1-800-243-4636. Once you get the SHINE answering machine, leave your name, number and town. A volunteer will call you back, as soon as possible.

Please do not reply to this e-mail. For additional information please call the COA at 781-235-3961 or visit our website at www.wellesleycoa.org

Weekly NewsblastFebruary 28th - March 4th