At the Depot, we’re already in the holiday spirit, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you! On Friday, December 6th, join us at the Depot for a special Holiday Party and First Friday event filled with artists, refreshments, community, music, an appearance by Santa himself, and more!
We are excited to join forces with our Depot neighbors, R.S. Monger and Sons Inc. and Herr & Co. to host a special Holiday Party and First Friday event! Join us to share in the Holiday celebrations as we listen to live music performed by Red Wing Academy, share your wish lists with Santa himself, and enjoy our two featured artists.
The festivities will be held on both the second and first floors of the Depot. Come visit with Santa and take your own photos, listen to the amazing performers from Red Wing Academy, and check out our artist’s creations.
Our TWO talented artists this month are Erika Cash and Justin Poole! Erika’s creations, “Royal Knotz” will be available one night only. Justin Poole will feature “Vistas,” a collection of oil pastel paintings, which will remain up for the month of December.
As always, this event is free and open to everyone, and refreshments will be provided by the Gaines Group Architects, Monger Lumber, and Herr and Company! — Erika’s Bio and Description:
Erika Cash is a wife and mother of 3. She has been crocheting for 26 years. Erika can bring many things to life with just a ball of yarn and a hook and has been commissioned to make many one of a kind items. She loves creating crochet patterns and watching others bring the patterns to life. Erika sees crochet as a way to express herself and relieve stress.
“Royal Knotz” was created by Erika at the beginning of 2024 as a branch off of her crochet business that she has with her mother, Wistful Willows. Royal Knotz focuses on crochet patterns that Erika develops herself. — Justin’s Bio and Description:
Justin Poole is Associate Professor of Theatre and the Theatre Program Director at EMU, where he has also taught classes on art history. He and his wife Amanda lead semester-long performance and visual art-themed study abroad programs to Europe and Morocco. Traveling is the greatest source of inspiration for Justin’s own performance and visual art. Largely self-taught, Justin hones his drawing and painting skills while observing and sketching the works of the masters at some of his favorite European art museums, especially Vienna, Austria’s Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien and the Tate Britain in London. He is also the Artist-In-Residence at Asbury United Methodist Church, where he manages the gallery space and seeks to integrate art and faith.
This show entitled “Vistas,” represents a new phase in his development as an artist. The oil pastels are an attempt to foster a looser approach in his artwork, while the new oil paintings are an attempt to lean further into the fantastical, dreamlike, and sublime. More works of both types are being dreamed up and created as this new show launches, and he looks forward to where these new styles will lead.
Assemble a Falls Prevention Team and Put Your Best Foot Forward
Falling is so common among older adults that many people think it is a normal part of aging and can only be avoided by staying at home. Fortunately, both are myths. With some preparation, we can stay safely on our feet as we age, living active and independent lives in the communities we love.
More than one in four older adults fall each year, but it is not an inevitable part of aging and can be prevented. For older adults beginning to feel vulnerable, that can seem like an overwhelming task. It’s important to remember that it’s not a one-person job. Falls prevention is best approached as a team sport. Doctors can monitor health to ensure safe movement. Occupational therapists can adjust assistive devices for best fit. And pharmacists can explain medication side effects that can impair movement.
Easy Home Modifications
(Above) Grab bars in the bathroom of Keezletown Farmhouse beside the toilet and in the roll-in shower.
Some of the most important aspects of falls prevention, however, can take place right in our homes with the support of friends and family. Here are five easy home modifications to consider making right now:
Secure the bathrooms – Buy a shower seat, install grab bars, and switch to adjustable height, handheld shower heads.
Let there be light – When bulbs burn out, replace them with bright, non-glare bulbs.
Clear the clutter – Don’t put items on stairs. Remove clutter and throw rugs that can slip.
Organize the go-to’s – Place frequently used items between waist and shoulder height.
Put a bell on Buckley – Consider putting a small bell on dog or cat collars if pets are frequently underfoot. They can be a trip hazard so knowing where they are is helpful.
Control the cords – If possible, keep cords out of the way by running them along a wall or behind furniture. If that’s not possible, tape the entire cord to the floor.
Repair any loose brick or pavement on outdoor walkways and steps.
Upcoming Best Foot Forward Falls Prevention Open Houses
In addition to health care providers and family, community experts in aging are trained to help prevent falls. Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS) is offering Best Foot Forward Falls Prevention Open Houses in September for older adults and caregivers.
In Harrisonburg, Best Foot Forward will be held on Wednesday Sept. 25 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at the Simms Center Auditorium. Bring along a friend or family member for personalized falls risk assessments, Tai Chi and assistive technology demonstrations, door prizes, refreshments and more.
In Waynesboro, join the Best Foot Forward Fair on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. at Waynesboro Senior Services. There will be personalized fall risks assessments, gait testing, refreshments, demos, and door prizes. The Augusta Health Mobile Clinic will be on site from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
For more information about falls prevention open houses, visit vpas.info/education, or call 1-800-868-VPAS.
Contributed by: Leigh-Anne Lees, VPAS Community Relations Director
The Shenandoah Valley Partnership brings together local government, education, and business to increase economic development activity. Jay Langston and his team have done a fantastic job figuring out new ways to promote our valley in an ever-increasing competitive economic landscape. The result is amazing success at adding new jobs to our valley, growing existing businesses, and attracting new businesses.
“SVP is an awesome collection of businesses that understand the importance of supporting each other, combined with local government and education partners. This organization understands that a rising tide raises all ships.” Board Chairman Charles Hendricks continues, “it takes innovative leadership in our world to attract new business and to support existing business growth, and we have that at SVP.” From a local cooking show to a podcast series, Jay and his team are reaching a large radius of site locators in an authentic way. The message of collaboration among local business leaders resonates with how business wants to be done and these outreach efforts highlight that approach.
We need your help. If you want to be involved in SVP, reach out to Charles or Jay, learn more about investing in the partnership HERE.
Over the years, we have been grateful to learn more about dementia and dementia-friendly design through our clients, personal experiences, and dementia-friendly business trainings with Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS) – we would highly recommend their Dementia Friends Training! Through this training, we are proud to have received the certification of “Dementia Friendly Business.” We are motivated to create a business that is dementia-friendly, continue learning, and integrate these important design considerations into our projects.
If you or your loved ones are interested in learning more about dementia-friendly design, don’t hesitate to reach out to us and we would love to talk with you.
Below, check out the Dementia Friendly Design Guide that we have developed (resource design by Annie Frazier). Download this guide for free at the button below.
Dementia Friendly Design Guide Download
Further explanation from VPAS’s Dementia Education Page:
“There is a national movement underway to ensure that people living with dementia have the resources and support they need to live independently and well for as long as possible.
VPAS offers many educational opportunities regarding dementia, and those who participate, help their localities achieve the official designation of a Dementia Friendly Community.
We also offer activities for persons with dementia and those that care for them.”
Our Charlottesville office has moved back downtown and we celebrated with a ribbon cutting. This Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce event was a great way to introduce our new space to our clients and celebrate moving back downtown. Our company was founded 35+ years ago in Albemarle County and soon moved to the downtown to better serve our clients. Getting back to the downtown neighborhood was a goal for us as we love being in the heart of the business district.
This space allows us easy access to meet our clients and friends on the downtown mall for lunch and to support other locally owned businesses. The little blue house has a great location at 910 E. High St and our sign along the road is already getting a lot of attention.
Our new space features a first floor accessible conference room.
It also has private office space and an open studio.
Ray brought in a vintage bookcase that fits perfectly in the space and has some beautiful details.
If you missed the ribbon cutting, please stop by to see us. While we will not have food out for every visit you can always check to fridge to see if James packed his lunch – just tell him Charles said it was ok for you to eat it. I am sure he will not mind.
Harrisonburg has seen a surge in public art over the last decade, and it is incredible!
Public art adds visual appeal to a community. It brings energy and vibrance to once-blank walls and incorporates bright vibrant colors and cool creations. Public art can celebrate heritage, diversity, and tradition. This makes the community more welcoming to others and inspires future artists to create.
It also brings in tourism which has a ripple economic impact on small businesses in our community. People will spend more time in a place that has fun things to look at and that has beautiful works of art to enjoy. These works benefit mental health and well-being for the people using these spaces. The spark curiosity and revitalization.
In Harrisonburg we have wall murals that celebrate people, play, and LOVE. We have ducks that tell a story, sculptures that honor liberty and sacrifice, and historic graffiti. There are dinosaurs and dragons, messages about saving the future, and Children reading. Take a minute and let us know which downtown creation is your favorite!
