• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Community Living Campaign

Cultivating connections to help seniors and people with disabilities age and thrive at home.

  • Calendar
  • Vaccination Info
  • COVID-19 Updates
  • News
  • SF Senior Beat
  • Contact Us
  • Donate

Cultivating connections to help seniors and people with disabilities age and thrive at home.

  • Home
  • Community-Building
    • Good Neighbor Summer
    • Community Connectors
    • Food Delivery Networks
  • Classes
    • Activity Calendar
    • Computer Training & Access
  • Jobs
    • Work Matters & the SF ReServe Employment Program
      • SF ReServe Job Postings
      • ReServist Job Inquiry Form
      • ReServe Partner Inquiry Form
    • Job Opportunities at CLC
  • Advocacy
    • Keep Us Connected Campaign 2022 (Pandemic Edition)
    • Dignity Fund Coalition
    • SF Sidewalk Search Party
    • The SF Tech Council
    • Be an Engaged San Franciscan
  • Resources
    • Stand Against Anti-Asian and Pacific Islander Racism
    • Awareness and Action for Justice and Black Lives Matter
    • Computers, Internet & Training
    • Pandemic Information: Stay Connected and Healthy
    • Coronavirus Information: Vaccines & Tests
    • Connections for Healthy Aging
    • Economic Security & Food Resources
    • Elder Abuse Prevention
    • Emergency Preparedness
    • Health Information
    • Long Term Care Resources
    • SF Seniors & People with Disabilities
    • Transportation Options
    • Inclusion & Accessibility Resources
  • Giving
    • Ways to Donate
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • About Us
    • Annual Impact Report
    • How We Started
    • Our Team
    • CLC Code of Conduct
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging – Progress Report
    • Contact Us
    • Sitemap

sunset district

House in the Inner Sunset Builds Community

March 3, 2018 by Jan Robbins

picture of barbecue invite

Sunset residents find out when there’s a party or other event at the “Blue House” when the owners put up a sign.

SENIOR BEAT – Nothing brings a community together more than a neighborhood party where everyone is invited. And none so much as the eclectic and sometimes eccentric gatherings hosted by Inner Sunset residents Barbara and Paul.

No one  was surprised earlier this year to hear that Barbara was throwing another shindig. Barbara and her late husband started hosting backyard happenings in 2007. (Now 60, she prefers for security reasons to keep her last name to herself.) Her invitation to a barbecue was posted on the fence: “Bring finger-sized desserts, drinks and I will supply the meat. Enjoy our friendly guitar-duo.” Anyone who saw the sign was welcome.

The variety of these often impromptu get-togethers tickles the imagination. Everyone remembers the Haunted House, said Martha Etherton, director of the Inner Sunset Park Neighborhood Neighbors association. It “was so scary – someone reached out and grabbed my ankle.”

Magical exterior, mysterious backyard

A passer-by might suspect something or someone special lies behind the big blue house near Sixth and Irving. Signs of this would be the numerous mobiles, chimes and other hanging art, tickling and chiming over lovely flowering plants.

Of all the events she and her husband sponsored, Barbara is most fond of the Book Blast. “We had so many helpers, sorting books every Thursday night for 10 weeks.” She and Paul sought donations on Craigslist, then picked them up in their car. “Sometimes we had so many books in the car, Paul had to walk behind the car on the way home.” That year they collected 10,000 books, which were given away over a weekend’s time.

What makes Barbara’s backyard so great for accommodating events is that it’s really the front yard – with five big doors opening onto the street. So at the last Book Blast in 2016, people could easily pull their car up and offload donations.

All the events are completely free, she said. “Our motto remains ‘Twice a year, your money back if you’re dissatisfied!’ ”

Book blasts and group fix-its

picture ofbbq invite

Sunset neighbors find out when there’s an event at “The Blue House” when the owners put up a sign.

Perhaps their most unique event was the Fix-it Fair. One day, she and Paul were repairing things in their yard with one of the doors open. People looked in, sighed, and wondered – aloud – how they could get what they needed fixed. Barbara took heed.

“I found six women who sew and brought them over with their sewing machines. I rounded up welders, electricians, knife sharpeners, carpenters and others who were willing to fix things for free,” she said.

Other favorite gatherings include the Gazillion Family Flea Market, Dessert and Dancing and Sunday Silent Garden.

Barbara’s skill in pulling off successful events could come from her background in writing and marketing. She wrote copy for major department store catalogs and a financial column for The Examiner when she worked for a tax attorney. Then again, she just seems to be one of those naturally good-natured types who love to bring people together. Happy is a word she uses a lot.

“I had a very happy childhood traveling with my family to many countries when my father was in the State Department,” she said. “I feel very happy to live in the Sunset. I swear there is serotonin in the water. Everyone smiles walking down the street.

Happy is the word

“Hearing laughter makes me so happy.”

Events like the Haunted House that require a lot of construction work are too much for her these days. Her husband died in 2017. But that’s not going to stop the parties. “Spreading joy and happiness while hosting gatherings in the Inner Sunset is in my blood,’’ she said. “I am continuing the tradition.”

There’s lots of demand for another Fix-it Fair,” she added. To find out more or to sign up as a volunteer go to www.BarbarasList.com.

Contact Jan at jrobbins-seniorbeat@sfcommunityliving.org

Filed Under: Building Community, SF Senior Beat Stories, Volunteering & Giving Back Tagged With: book blast, community, fix-it-fair, gazillion family flea market, neighborhood party, san francisco, sunset district, volunteering

Sunset Seniors Put Their Power into Taiko Drumming

November 5, 2017 by Jan Robbins

picture opf taiko drummers

Members of the Kotobuki Taiko drumming group, which was formed by Carol Ayers, perform at the Stonestown YMCA. (Photo by Gene Cohn)

At the Cole Valley Fair in September, 11 members of the Kotobuki Taiko group demonstrated that seniors can drum energetically and with passion. They can also get healthier doing it.

The Kotobuki (longevity) Taiko group was formed nine years ago at The Stonestown Family YMCA Annex, under the leadership of volunteer teacher Carol Ayers, 73, a longtime Taiko drummer.

“I had some surgeries, and couldn’t play up to my best level, but I wanted to continue with Taiko so I went to the Y and offered to start a class,” Ayers said.

Today, Ayers oversees three levels of classes, with 45 students ranging in age from 60 to 85; 40 women and five men. She and another teacher, Fumi Spencer, age 89, teach the seniors and watch them  thrive. “Having an infirmity is no barrier to playing – people can sit and play,” Ayers said.

The performance was a chance for the Kotobuki group to share its art form. Andrea Lai Pujolar, 73, loves to bang on the drum. “I enjoy performing because I can beat as hard as I can. I love the energy that it produces in me!” she said.

Rhythm: a basic human function

“Because the response to rhythm is basic to human functioning,” says neurologist Barry Bittman, “it’s no wonder that drummers and observers alike are uplifted. Drumming has been a sacred act since ancient times.”

It was believed that by imitating the sounds of thunder, the spirits of rain would be forced into action. Drumming was used to thank the gods for bountiful crops, and shamans used drumming as a means of reaching a trance-like state.

Today, Taiko drummers perform in festivals and concerts throughout the world. Taiko is a Japanese word meaning a drumming style, a drum group, drum music and the drum itself. The drums range in size from a snare drum (shime) to the most common size, that of a wine barrel. They are made from strips of wood and covered in cow or horse hide.

According to physician and health writer Christiane Northrup,  drumming releases endorphins and alpha waves, which are associated with feelings of well-being. Northrup says drumming synchronizes the brain’s left and right hemispheres, strengthening feelings of insight and creativity.

Taiko drumming also elicits feelings of camaraderie and community in the Kotobuki group. “Drumming can be a tremendous social experience,” Bittman said.

It sounds good  – and it’s real exercise

“It’s a great physical activity. It keeps me young to keep my body moving,” said Pujolar, who  opened the show blowing into a conch shell. She said her breath was strengthened from many years of martial arts. She has a 4th degree Black Belt in karate.

Pujolar has been studying drumming between six to seven years at the Stonestown Family YMCA Annex. But it’s so popular, getting into the group can be  difficult . Ayers said the wait list, which has 18 people already, is  closed.

In 2014, Ayers’ students nominated her for a Jefferson Award, which is sponsored by the local KPIX television station. The Jefferson Award is given to people in the Bay Area community who make a special contribution. Ayers’ students say they have always viewed her as a “sensei,” which in Japanese is a teacher who is completely dedicated to her students and the art form.

Despite arthritis, Ayers continues to play, teach and oversee classes at the Stonestown YMCA, which offers numerous programs for seniors, most of them for free.

“My journey with Taiko has been a blessing. When you have passion for something, the rewards are great. I want to carry on the tradition of mentoring students and watching them mentor others.”

Filed Under: SF Senior Beat Stories Tagged With: cole valley, rhythm, san francisco, senior health, stonestown ymca, sunset district, taiko drumming

Primary Sidebar

Donate Now

Stay Up to Date!

Sign Up for Our Monthly Email Newsletter to find out about upcoming events and classes, fun things to do, ways to make a difference, resources, and more.
 

Footer

Contact Us

Community Living Campaign
1663 Mission Street, Suite 525
San Francisco, CA 94103

info@sfcommunityliving.org
415.821.1003
Site Map | © 2022 SFCLC

Our Community

Community Networks
Classes & Workshops
Opportunities
Advocacy
Resources
Stories
About Us

Get Involved

Events Calendar
News
SF ReServe
Volunteer
Donate

Follow Us!

Not on Facebook?  Read News

Responsive website development by MIGHTYminnow

Community Living Campaign 2018 Award Celebration

[jetpack_subscription_form]