After many months of meeting online and downscaling its offerings, the Arlington Neighborhood Village (ANV) program’s participants will gather once again for their annual Thanksgiving dinner on Friday, Nov. 19 from 4 to 7 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Arlington.
“After nearly two years apart, the time is finally right to see each other in real life,” said Arlington Neighborhood Village executive director Wendy Zenker. “The pandemic has been especially stressful and isolating for older adults, but our members are resilient, and as a village we found ways to adapt and cope. Now, we are ready to get back to a version of normal, and feeling safe enough to gather together is a major step in that direction.”
Arlington Neighborhood Village is composed of area seniors (currently ages 58 to 98) and the volunteers who provide one-on-one assistance to help them age in place safely. In addition to providing direct services, the organization prides itself on offering a full slate of opportunities for meaningful social connection to help reduce loneliness and isolation.
Last year, Thanksgiving was a delivery event, with the organization partnering with Healthy Fresh Meals to provide dinners to 120 members.
“While workarounds like delivering meals and meeting ‘virtually’ were beneficial, they cannot fully replace being together in the same room, around a table, speaking face to face,” the organization noted.
Those attending the event must be fully vaccinated. For information, see the Website at www.arlnvil.org.