HEART HEALTH:

FOCUS ON ATRIAL FIBRILLATION

WHEN & WHERE:
Saturday, June 28, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
via Zoom

Advanced age is a risk factor for atrial fibrillation (AFib), a cardiac condition that causes rapid and chaotic heartbeats. In some cases, this can lead to blood clots that put patients at greater risk of stroke, but when detected early enough, AFib can be managed with treatment. 

After twenty years as Chief of Cardiology at UCSF, Dr. William Grossman is now Professor Emeritus, with an active practice at UCSF’s Center for Prevention of Heart and Vascular Disease. Dr. Grossman will address the causes, symptoms and treatments for AFib. The meeting will conclude with a Q & A period.

ZOOM INFO TO FOLLOW
For more information: (415) 712-1695; info@owlsf.org

The May 24, 2025 OWL-SF Meeting was recorded, audio only. 

The OWL Book Group will be meeting at 10:00 am on Tuesday, May 13 to discuss The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin.

Click HERE to read The Story of An Hour by Kate Chopin.

Contact Louise DiMattio at ladimat@aol.com for Zoom info.

OWL-SF is very proud of our collaboration with Community Living Campaign (CLC). Please mark your calendars for this years CLC event, NEVER BETTER ELDERS on May 15, an opportunity to meet, mingle and learn from our elder peers. Please drop by the OWL-SF table and say hello!

Hope to see you there!

SF OWLS GATHER TO SPEAK OUT AT TESLA

Where: Meet at Mel’s Kitchen 1050 Van Ness at Geary
When: Noon, Saturday, April 19th and Saturday, May 3rd
What: We will walk the short distance to the Tesla showroom 999 Van Ness at O’Farrell together, with OWL signs encouraging others to join our organization and our cause.

Protest against the shredding of our democracy as the President defies the courts and makes a mockery of Congress.

TRUMP PROMISES HANDS OFF SOCIAL SECURITY,
BUT WILL HE KEEP HIS WORD?

WHEN:  Saturday, April 26, 2025, 11 AM to 12:30 PM *
WHERE: IN PERSON, Rhoda Goldman Plaza Community Room
2180 Post Street at Scott (directions below)
* please RSVP by Thursday, April 24

Trinh Phan, Director of State Income Security for Justice in Aging, works to ensure low-income older adults have sufficient finances to meet their basic needs. Ms. Phan graduated from Columbia University and UC Law in San Francisco (formerly UC Hastings).

She will Speak to OWL about:

• What is the current status of Social Security?
• How would staff cuts, office closures, more rigorous registration process and other changes affect older people?
• What would privatization mean for Social Security?
• How can we ensure Social Security if there for us and others?

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Refreshments will be served. Please RSVP by Thursday, April 24 to:
info@owlsf.org or (415) 712-1695.

DIRECTIONS:

• Post Street is one block north of Geary Boulevard; Scott is one block east of Divisadero.
• Accessible within two blocks by Muni Lines 2, 22, 24 and 38
• Street parking within two blocks is reasonably easy. 

OWL-SF urges OWLs to join INDIVISIBLE SF and 50501 at their HANDS OFF! rally to protest the current U.S. Presidential Administration’s egregious takeover and takedown of government agencies crucial to the American public, for the financial gain of people who are already obscenely wealthy.
 

OWL-SF is proud to spread the word about this week’s Fabulous Friday Forum by the California Alliance for Retired Americans, (CARA), via Zoom, March 28 at noon.

How a Bill Becomes a Law and People Power Lobbying
Join the CARA Legislative team to learn about the process of creating legislative change. Angie Wei, one of the California Labor Federation’s top lobbyists, will answer questions about being an effective lobbyist with our representatives while being challenged by larger corporate interests. 

Click HERE to register.

Scroll below the video for the transcript of the chat from the meeting, and further for links to the websites of organizations mentioned. 

Click the link below for the written chat from the meeting.

CHAT from OWL meeting on March 22 2025

Click the next link for slides included in the presentation.

SLIDES from OWL Meeting on March 22, 2025

Legal Assistance for Seniors Oakland: https://www.lashicap.org/

Legal Assistance to the Elderly San Francisco: https://laesf.org/

Self Help for the Elderly: https://www.selfhelpelderly.org/

State Health Insurance Assistance Program: https://www.shiphelp.org/

NAVIGATING THE HIRING AND
EMPLOYMENT OF CAREGIVERS

WHEN & WHERE:
Saturday, March 22, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
via Zoom

Jennifer Pardini, Community Education Manager of Legal Assistance for Seniors, will educate us about identifying, hiring and managing people whose roles can make a vital difference in quality of life for elders in need of in-home assistance, including:

• Definitions of skilled care and personal care, and available payment sources
• Tips for success and how to identify care needs to safely remain in the home
• Differences between hiring through an agency or other methods
• Resources for how to hire and maintain employment of caregivers

ZOOM INFO TO FOLLOW

For more info:

info@owlsf.org, (415) 712-1695 

A light lunch will be provided. If you wish to partake of lunch, please RSVP to info@owlsf.org or (415) 712-1695 by Thursday, February 20.

DIRECTIONS:

• Post Street is one block north of Geary Boulevard; Scott is one block east of Divisadero.
• Accessible by Muni Lines 2, 22, 24 and 38.
• Rhoda Goldman Plaza has free, wheelchair accessible onsite parking, entrance on Sutter between Scott and Pierce.

The Legacy Film Festival on Aging (LFFOA), based in San Francisco, is extremely proud to present its 12th Annual/3rd Virtual Film Festival beginning February 14-23, 2025.

Get your TICKETS or ALL-FEST PASS now for this highly anticipated Festival, which represents the evolution that all of us have been experiencing since birth: AGING!

Tickets can be purchased at:
$12 for an individual program, consisting of 2-4 films,
averaging 1.5 to 2 hours total time, or $65 for an ALL-FEST PASS.

Provocative and Celebratory films from around the globe will be featured, both fiction and documentary, all aimed at supporting the LFFOA mission: To educate, inspire, and entertain intergenerational audiences on the issues of aging. Our goal in presenting these festival films is for all of us–no matter our age–to conceive of later life as an adventure, with its lighter and darker moments. In addition, we hope to promote new and fresh ideas for older adults to live a more productive, healthy, and meaningful older life, both physically, mentally, and spiritually.

OWL-SF is proud to spread the word: The California Association of Retired Americans (CARA) will be hosting two very important Zoom events in January, focusing on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

Presents:

Forum on OHCA: Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025 at 7 pm Pacific

What is the Office of Health Care Affordability?
Who Wins, Who Loses?

Join the Movement to End Privatization of Medicare for an Educational Forum on the Office of Health Care Affordability (OHCA). Learn what it is, and how it could impact your health and the health of your community. OHCA promises to control costs through cost caps and value-based payment.

Will cost caps control health care costs? Will workers see health premiums shrink? Will the health of the people of California improve? Could value-based payment promote the proliferation of profit?

Moderator: James G. Kahn, M.D., M.P.H., emeritus professor in the Phillip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies at U.C.S.F.
Presenter: Ana Malinow, M.D, retired professor of pediatrics, UCSF.

Panelists:
Catherine Frugoni, M.D., Deligate, California Medical Association;
Stephen Vernon, F.M.T., Board, Healthy California Now, representing Therapists for Single Payer, which he co-founded;
Michael Lyon, San Francisco Grey Panthers, Senior and Disability Action;
Peter Shapiro, Board, Healthy California Now. 

Click HERE to register for the forum on OHCA January 23. 

___________________________________________________________________

CARA FRIDAY FORUM!

Federal Outlook on Social Security and Medicare

On Friday, Jan 24th at noon Pacific

Featuring: The Alliance for Retired Americans, California Labor Federation, and Caring Across Generations

Hear from the President of the California Labor Federation, Legislative Representative from the National Alliance for Retired Americans, and the Director of Public Policy at LTSS advocacy group Caring Across Generations. We will be discussing what the next four years will mean for federal social programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.
 

LEARN WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON
AND WHAT YOU CAN DO TO FIGHT BACK.

Click HERE to register for the CARA FRIDAY FORUM January 24. 

The OWL Book Group will be meeting at 10:00 am on Tuesday, January 14th on Zoom. We will be discussing Everything That Rises Must Converge by Flannery O’Connor.  Click HERE to read the short story. 

2025 OWL PLANNING MEETING

Let’s make 2025 Exceptional for OWL members!
Join in to plan OWL’s Agenda for 2025

WHEN & WHERE: Saturday, January 25, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
VIA ZOOM

We want your ideas for the following:

• Thought-provoking membership meetings!
• Informative newsletters and updates!
• Political Advocacy on issues important to Older Women!
• Social gatherings and holiday events to make new friends and connect with old friends!

PLUS: ELECTION OF NEW BOARD MEMBERS!

Bring your ideas, creativity and inspiration!

Zoom Link to follow

PLEASE JOIN OWL-SF FOR A DELICIOUS

CELEBRATION OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON

When: Saturday, December 14 11:30 AM to 2 PM
(R.S.V.P. by December 6, (415) 712-1695, info@owlsf.org)

Where: SF County Fair Building, Rec Room
(*see below for location and transportation details) 

Since OWLs enjoyed the incredibly delicious food in Savor Café at last year’s holiday party, this year Savor will be catering our gathering. Mouthwatering, vegan Mediterranean dishes will be served buffet style. 

Lunch is complimentary for OWL Members plus one guest—please consider bringing someone who might want to join OWL-SF.

In addition to your appetite, if you are able, please also bring a book or two for for the book swap (bring a book that needs a new home, and give a new home to a book that needs one).

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOU!

*SF County Fair Building, 9th Avenue and Lincoln: 7 Haight and 44 O’Shaughnessy MUNI lines, one block from N-Judah, two blocks from 43 Masonic and 6 Haight-Parnassus. Limited handicapped parking: let us know if you need one of the spots.

LET’S TALK ABOUT FOOD:
EATING WELL & EATING HEALTHY FOR THE HOLIDAYS

When: Saturday, Nov 23rd, 11 AM to 1 PM
Location: San Francisco Public Library, Richmond Branch* 
(*see below for location specifics)

Professional Chef and Herbalist Lorraine Gruber will instruct us in the use of herbs and spices for holiday dishes, reducing the salt, sugar and fat we once cooked with, especially during the holidays! 

Chef Lorraine will bring samples of her delicious and nutritious creations!

LOCATION SPECIFICS

The Richmond branch of San Francisco Public Library, 351 9th Avenue, is half a block north of Geary Boulevard. The Local 38 MUNI line will take you to 9th and Geary, the Rapid does not stop at 9th, but will take you to either 6th Avenue or Park Presidio–sixth being the closest. The 44 line also stops at 6th and Geary. Street parking is reasonably easy within a two block radius.

All branches of SFPL are wheelchair accessible.

The community meeting room is on the ground floor. If you enter through the 9th Avenue doors, the room is downstairs. If you enter through the 10th Avenue doors, as you do so, the room is to your right.

SEE YOU THERE!

ALZHEIMER’S DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTS WOMEN.

GATHER WITH OWL-SF OCTOBER 19
TO SUPPORT EFFORTS TO END ALZHEIMER’S

For the October Member Meeting, OWL-SF will be making a donation to this year’s WALK TO END ALZHEIMER’S, and has created a walking team. Our team is called OWL-SF Walks. 

WHEN: Saturday, October 19, 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: Pier 27, Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

LOOK FOR THE OWL BANNER: We will gather at Pier 27, Fisherman’s Wharf, the Embarcadero, for refreshments, entertainment, information and support. The walk is one mile, but those choosing not to walk can stay at the gathering and cheer others on! 

• Gather outdoors and socialize with OWL Members
• Support Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
• Get the word out that OWL is still going strong
• Get Some Exercise (Optional)

RSVP to OWL-SF by phone or email: (415) 712-1695, info@owlsf.org, no later than October 17. Wear your OWL shirt if you’ve got one, or something purple if you have it. Donation optional. Accessible by MUNI F Line. Parking can be both challenging and expensive. 

GATHER WITH OWL-SF WALKS
TO SUPPORT THE FIGHT
AGAINST ALZHEIMER’S!

Here is the League of Women Voters’ Pros and Cons page about local San Francisco initiatives.

Here is their Pros and Cons page for statewide measures.

Here are their recommendations.