Health Workshop

A health workshop titled, “Know Your Numbers” will be presented by Jill Heine of the Chattanooga Health Department on Friday, January 8 at 11 a.m. at the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors Center at 190 Depot Street in Soddy-Daisy. Learn about blood pressure and cholesterol levels, meal serving sizes and proper portions of fruits and vegetables in preparation for a healthy new year.

Gardening Classes

Gardening classes will be offered on Friday, January 15 and Friday, January 22 at 10 a.m. at the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors building at 1000 Newby Street (corner of 10^th and Houston streets.)

Friday, January 15 at 10 a.m., Master Gardener Jeff Jarrett will present, “Soil - A Nice Four Letter Word.” Come learn what makes up good gardening soil. Find out how to test your garden’s soil, interpret the results and adjust your soil to obtain the perfect mix. 

Friday, January 22 at 10 a.m., Master Gardener Bud Hines will present a class titled, “Home Composting.” Learn what and what not to put in your compost bin and how compost can help you grow an organic garden.

Please RSVP by calling (423) 755-6100. Gardening classes are free for Senior Neighbors members and $3 for nonmembers. Senior Neighbors membership is only $25/year.

Flexibility and Balance Classes

Flexibility and Balance classes are offered on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 11 a.m. at the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors building at 1000 Newby Street (corner of 10^th and Houston streets.) This fun and educational class will focus on muscle strengthening exercises for the legs along with coordination exercises that will help participants improve their posture and balance.

Please RSVP by calling (423) 755-6100. Flexibility and Balance classes are free for Senior Neighbors members and $3 for nonmembers. Senior Neighbors membership is only $25/year.

Book Club

The Senior Neighbors Book Club meets the third Monday of each month at 1 p.m. at the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors building at 1000 Newby Street (corner of 10^th and Houston streets.) The book to be discussed on January 18 is “Change of Heart” by Jodi Picoult.

Free Lunch and Learn Workshops

Free Lunch and Learn events for seniors are held on the third Monday and Tuesday of each month at the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors building at 1000 Newby Street (corner of 10^th and Houston streets.)

The Lunch and Learn on Monday, January 18 at 11:30 a.m. will focus on Identity Theft and is presented by Identity Theft Specialist Mark Jones. Please call (423) 755-6100 by January 11 to RSVP.

The Lunch and Learn on Tuesday, January 19 at 12 a.m. will focus on Incontinence Solutions and is presented by Michelle Webb, Doctor of Physical Therapy at the Memorial Continence Center. Please call (423) 755-6100 by January 12 to RSVP.

Men’s Luncheon

The Senior Neighbors Men’s Luncheon is held on the last Tuesday of each month at 12 p.m. at the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors building at 1000 Newby Street (corner of 10^th and Houston streets.) The speaker for January 26 is radio and TV personality and retired CEO of the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Bob Elmore. He will speak on his new book, "A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to the National Cemetery." The cost of the luncheon is $8. Please call (423) 755-6100 by January 19 to RSVP.

Senior Drivers Course

The AARP 55 Alive Safe Drivers Course will be offered Thursday, January 21, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors building at 1000 Newby Street (corner of 10^th and Houston streets.) Attendees are asked to bring a bag lunch. The cost to attend is $12 for AARP members and $14 for nonmembers. To register call (423) 755-6100. 

Pickleball

Learn how to play pickleball at the North River Family YMCA on Thursday, January 21 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Pickleball is a popular mini-tennis game is played by 2 or 4 people on a badminton-sized court using wood paddle racquets and a plastic, perforated ball. Pickleball is one of the new events that will be played in the Chattanooga District Senior Olympics in May 2010.

Ballroom Dance Party

The Senior Neighbors Ballroom Dance Party is held on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Alexian Brothers Senior Neighbors building at 1000 Newby Street (corner of 10^th and Houston streets.) Admission is $5. Participants are asked to bring a plate of finger foods to share.

Need to brush up your ballroom dancing skills? Senior Neighbors offers intermediate ballroom dance classes each Wednesday at 10 a.m. Classes are taught by Dennis Mullis of The Dance Floor dance studio. Class registration and tuition is required. Call (423) 755-6100 for more information.

Free Alzheimer's Workshop and Luncheon

A workshop titled, “Alzheimer's and Other Types of Dementias: Dealing with Difficult Behaviors” will be presented on Thursday, January 28 at 12 p.m. The speaker will be Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse and Director of the Senior's Program at Erlanger North Hospital, Jane Ketchum. She will speak on Alzheimer's and other types of dementias with an emphasis on dealing with the difficult behaviors that often emerge. Please RSVP by calling (423) 755-6100. A complimentary lunch will be provided by Alexian Brothers Senior Ministries.

­­­­­­­­­­­­More information on Alexian Brothers Senior Ministries and Senior Neighbors:

For nearly 800 years, the Alexian Brothers have served and cared for others. The same beliefs that inspired the founders of this ministry sustain its organization today. The Alexian Brothers mission is put into action by the commitment to promote the physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being of all individuals served through their ten local ministries. Through this commitment, Alexian Brothers Senior Ministries has come to be recognized as the area’s leading innovator in the coordination and delivery of comprehensive services to older adults.

Alexian Brothers Senior Ministries is comprised of ten Chattanooga area ministries: Alexian Village of Tennessee, Alexian Grove, Alexian Brothers Live At Home Program, Lone Oak Free Health and Dental Clinic, Alexian Inn, Alexian Brothers Valley Residence, Alexian Brothers Health Care Center, Alexian Brothers Home Care, Alexian Brothers PACE Program and Senior Neighbors, an Alexian Brothers ministry.

Senior Neighbors was founded nearly 50 years ago in Chattanooga by Ginny Power. Designed to help seniors in our area age successfully, Senior Neighbors provides vocational, social, mental, spiritual and physical opportunities for seniors at four community centers. Membership to Senior Neighbors is just $25 a year and includes the following programs and events:     

• 3 Senior Centers in downtown Chattanooga and 1 in Soddy Daisy with activities Monday through Friday of each week
• The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) which places senior volunteers with non-profit agencies in the Chattanooga area
• The Chattanooga District Senior Olympics  
• The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) which places qualifying older adults in paid temporary community service positions with local non-profit agencies and government organizations 
• Scenic City Chorale and Senior Neighbors Orchestra
• Computer, ballroom dance, gardening and Tai Chi classes
• Monthly men’s luncheon featuring a different speaker each month
• Day and overnight bus trips
• Open computer lab
• Health and wellness screenings
• The Prime Timers Career Expo – an annual career fair and workshop expo exclusively for seniors

Although some activities require an extra admission charge, most are available to seniors with only the $25 per year membership fee. For more information on Alexian Brothers Senior Ministries or Senior Neighbors, please call (888) 892-1875 or visit www.AlexianBrothers.net.