Thank you to all who donated, sponsored, and attended our Winter Gala
Please visit our Facebook page (here) for event photos
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Your Resource to Age Well
Please visit our Facebook page (here) for event photos
Updated October 28, 2022
This week there has been an uptick in positive Covid cases in our Thompson and Woodstock community. We ask anyone who attends to diligently self-monitor for any cold or flu-like symptoms. If you have symptoms or have been exposed to a positive case in the past 5 days, please wait to return to the Thompson. Masks are recommended for group activities.
It is our goal to remain open to serve our community while doing our best to prevent illness and limit exposures. We need everyone’s help and cooperation to realize this goal. Symptoms of can be as mild as a runny nose, a headache, or fatigue. If you have any potential COVID-19 symptoms, please stay home and test negative before returning to The Thompson.
At The Thompson:
Exposure or symptoms:
Testing
The Vermont Health Department maintains information on testing and local sites on their website. We can help you find test sites. If you are concerned about a recent Covid exposure, or are feeling sick, we may have home testing rapid kits available for participants, staff, and volunteers. Local Pharmacies also have test kits and can bill Medicare or Medicaid to provide them to you for free.
Vaccination
Vaccines are the best tool to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Vaccines help your body fight off the virus. When you are vaccinated you are much less likely to get sick and less likely to transmit the virus to others. Anyone who is not vaccinated is still vulnerable to experiencing the worst of COVID-19. The more people who get vaccinated, the fewer chances for transmission and mutations, and the faster we can end the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about COVID-19 vaccines >>
Questions
If you have any questions or concerns, please give us a call. Below are some helpful links related to the ongoing pandemic from our local health departments. We recommend using these resources to verify other information you may encounter online or through other media outlets.
5/14/21 Update
We are very excited to be able to host in-person small group gatherings at the Thompson beginning June 1st. With adherence to the Vermont Forward Guidelines from the Department of Health (below) and following guidance for Senior Centers, we will begin having programs outside under our tent and serving meals by reservation only and in small groups in the dining room.
We do require that anyone entering our building must sanitize hands and wear a mask inside when not eating or exercising. Here are our plans:
July will bring more opportunities to be together — please review Step 3 (June) of the Vermont Forward plan and help us all stay safe.
Thompson Re-opening Update 4/8/21
We’re very happy to be getting closer to being together in person again. While the Governor has recently announced that Senior Centers may re-open for group activities, there are still guidelines in place at this time that recommend only 1 person per 100 square feet, mask-wearing, 6 foot distancing, and other safety procedures. For the month of May, The Thompson plans to continue as we have been with our Meals on Wheels, Curbside pick-up, one-on-one services, and virtual programs. Senior Center staff were not prioritized for vaccination so our younger staff has only just become eligible to get their vaccinations. With this in mind, we are tentatively planning that the first week of June could be the right timing for our tent and group activities to resume. We will also be monitoring the current, active cases in Vermont and our area. We hope the update in our next newsletter will bring more concrete plans. Please let Deanna know if you have any questions or concerns. 802-457-3277 or djones@thompsonseniorcenter.org
Update on Thompson Services:
With the new state guidelines, all group activities are on hold. Curbside meals and home-delivered meals will continue. One-to-one services like foot clinic and Medicare counseling are able to continue with the established precautions. Please call with any questions.
6/19/20 Community Update
The Governor has just announced that Senior Centers could begin the process of re-opening. While we’re so excited to hear this news, there are many safety measures that must be implemented before we can actually re-open. Although we had already begun planning for this day, we only received the official state guidance for this process on the day of the Governor’s announcement. Senior Centers must individually assess their readiness, develop their re-opening plan based on the guidance received from the state, and safely implement this plan before they can re-open. We are at step one of that process and are currently assessing our readiness and continuing to develop our plan. We plan to thoughtfully move forward and intend to re-open for limited phase 1 programming on Monday, July 13th.
To read about the starting point to safely and slowly re-open The Thompson building in compliance with the state guidelines, click here.
5/21/20 Community Update
“WHEN will The Thompson be able to re-open?” is the question on all of our minds. As of this printing, the official word from the State is that senior-focused community services are not authorized to re-open for anything beyond essential services and cannot host any programs (even outside). The Governor’s order continues to recommend that older adults age 65 and older “shelter in place.” We are working on our re-opening plan that includes required staff training, new safety procedures, and social distancing rules for when we are able to open. We have also purchased a tent that will be used for outdoor space, and we’ll be ready to greet you all as soon as we’re able to. We can’t wait!
If you are interested in receiving our weekly e-Newsletter for updates and resources, click here
Eleanor Roosevelt Virtual Program, Understanding Dementia Webinar, Drive-In Ice Cream Social and more … eNews 8/14/20
Drive-In Ice Cream Social, VT on the Silver Screen, Exploring a Northern Elephant Seal Rookery and more… eNews 8/7/20
Chuck Gundersen book reading under the tent, August virtual programs, new foot care available at home and more … eNews7/31/20
NEW! Your Virtual Senior Center, Make Tie-Dye Masks in our New Tent, Sign-up for Legal Aid Clinic … eNews7/24/20
Administrative Staff Spotlight, New Foot Care at Home, Sign-up for your individual, in Person Benefit Assistance … eNews7/17/20
Virtual Biking Class, Online ArtisTree Painting Class, VHC First Wednesday Talks… eNews 7/10/20
Play Virtual Jeopardy, Take an Online Biking Class, Updates and More…eNews 7/3/20
Staff Spotlight, Updates on Taxes, Transportation, and More…eNews 6/26/20
Senior centers to re-open, DHMC Aging Resource Center virtual programs, get free legal advice… eNews6/19/20
Stay connected during COVID-19, online driver safety course available, free legal advice clinic by phone, and more…eNews 6/12/20
Sign-up for virtual legal advice on COVID-19, play online games, paint tulips with ArtisTree via Zoom… eNews 6/5/20
Read interviews from our kitchen staff , view scenes of isolation amid the pandemic, see our new June menu and more… eNews 5/29/20
Learn about fun things to do from home, local food assistance programs, updates and more…. eNews 5/22/20
Participate in the 2020 Census, learn about DHMC telehealth appts, Zoom art & cooking classes and more!… eNews 5/15/20
Updates from AARP Fraud Watch Networks on recent scams, learn about backyard composting, BINGO from home and more… eNews 5/8/20
May is Older Americans Month, AARP Smart Driver Safety Course online, zoom exercise classes continue and more… eNews 5/1/20
Read update on AARP tax preparation, check out our May menu, learn about local supplemental food programs and more…. eNews 4/24/20
Learn about the Woodstock Area Relief Fund, VT Legal Aid Town Halls, free online health and wellness programs and more…. eNews 4/17/20
Looking for suggestions on a good book, options for local grocery shopping/assistance, a way to enjoy the offerings of the Hop at home, plus more… read eNews 4/10/20
For current information on stimulus payments for people on Social Security, stimulus check scams, and other relevant topics, read our weekly eNews 4/3/20
For more information and to apply, click here.
3/19/2020, What’s happening at The Thompson:
3/13/2020, Community Update letter
Call us at 457-3277
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
The Coronavirus COVID-19 situation is changing daily. The Thompson Board and staff have decided that it is in the best interest of our community to discontinue dining room meal service and programs inside our Center.
Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, for a two-week period, The Thompson will not be open for lunch, programs, meetings, rentals, or transportation.
We feel this is the best decision at this time and must be done to protect our ability to deliver critical Meals on Wheels to homebound and/or isolated older community members.
The Thompson staff will continue to serve our patrons at home by:
Throughout this process, The Thompson staff will be at the Center to arrange for any support our patrons may need. Nothing changes for our existing Meals on Wheels participants, but if you would like to arrange for pick-up or delivery of meals, or have any other questions or concerns, please call us at (802) 457-3277.
With care and concern for our community, Sincerely,
Deanna Jones, Executive Director
Liza Deignan, President, Board of Directors
Vermont Department of Health Daily Updates Centers for Disease Control State Information & Resources Dial 2-1-1 |
Should a member of the community find themselves in a self-quarantine or mandated quarantine situation, there are resources and plans in place to assist them or their families during their time of need. In the event of needing more support (Food/Water/Medicine), please see the emergency phone numbers below for the surrounding towns:
Woodstock Emergency Management hotline (June 12th Update):
Woodstock has closed the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) that was opened due to COVID-19. Emergency response and assistance is still available as is the hotline number 802-457-7516. If the need arises anytime moving forward, the EOC will reopen.
Bridgewater Emergency Mgmt Coordinator, Josh Maxham: 802-299-8428
Barnard Emergency Management Coordinator, Mike Manning: 802-234-5263
Pomfret Emergency Management Director, Kevin Rice: 802-356-7643
For state information & resources dial 2-1-1
For online information visit cdc.gov
Update from Carla Kamel and the Community Health Team
Community Care Coordinator, Carla Kamel, is available for support in navigating resources and services and discussing community-based services. Carla wants our readers to know that she is available at the Ottauquechee Health Center (OHC) for a health and social wellness phone visit at 457-5414 or at carla.kamel@mahhc.org.
Anne and Carla continue to reach out to Caregiver Support group members. OHC is grateful to all patrons who donated cloth masks (PPE). They remain in need of PPE-masks which can be dropped off at the main entrance to OHC. Thank you for helping us keep our patients healthy and safe in our community!
Update from Ottauquechee Health Foundation (OHF)
OHF will continue to offer financial assistance for health and wellness needs through grants to those living in any of their nine service towns which include Woodstock, Barnard, Bridgewater, and Pomfret. If you or someone you know is experiencing financial stress in light of COVID-19 or other health reasons, please contact OHF. They will continue to serve the community by being available via email at info@ohfvt.org or by calling 457-4188, Monday-Thursday, 9am-4pm. Applications for financial assistance can be found on their website at www.ohfvt.org or by calling The Thompson Center.
by Jen Bloch
John Adams National Historic Park
Tuesday, October 8, 2:00 pm
It has been 250 years since John Adams departed his home in Massachusetts for the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. In June 1774, Adams was elected to go to Philadelphia as a delegate to the First Continental Congress. Here, representatives from the American colonies met to discuss their opposition to England’s colonial government. John was an active participant at this meeting and the subsequent Second Continental Congress. During the course of his attendance at these sessions, Adams proposed George Washington as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army, and argued forcefully for and helped his friend Thomas Jefferson draft the Declaration of Independence. Join us as we take a step back into history celebrating this important anniversary.
Tuesday, October 15, 2:00 pm
We have enjoyed several wonderful programs with Mystic but this time we will go “ down under” into the vault! We will learn about the vast collections of artifacts, documents, photography, rare books, boats, ship’s plans and film and video at the Museum! This program will take you on an adventure behind locked doors into the “vault” that stores the Museum collections. Within the collection are many unusual and surprising artifacts. Virtual visitors will have a chance to see everything from unusual animal parts and strange furniture, to a curious secret ingredient used in some perfumes! Join us for this special program with one of our favorite providers!
Tuesday, October 22, 2:00 pm
“Down in the polls and under fire within his own party, Truman alone remained confident of his victory. On the morning after the election, Americans rose to news of the most surprising comeback in presidential election history. In Missouri, Truman learned of his victory at 4:00am, when a Secret Service agent woke him. Later that day 40,000 people jammed the town square in Independence to salute their native son. How did he do it? The election was a cliffhanger; the President won without getting a majority of the popular vote, pulling together just enough of the old New Deal coalition to squeak through. “ – Truman Library
Join us with the new Education Director of the Truman Presidential Library as she takes us through this important moment in history as we are in the midst of our own history making election season!
What Cemeteries Can Teach Us About our Past
Tuesday, October 29, 2:00 pm
Ghosts, specters, and haunts, oh my! While cemeteries are usually places that we associate with scary and creepy things, there’s a lot more we can find when we take a moment to look at the how and why we memorialize those who are no longer with us. Come learn what makes a cemetery “historic”, how burial practices have changed over time, why cemeteries are important places in our community to preserve, and the clues they give us about our history and ancestors.