Ms. Escobar’s new pilot project—Mind-Body Healing for Latino Seniors—is helping empower Vida abuelitos who have chronic diseases by providing them with hands-on tools designed to increase the quality of their lives.

Beginning this month and continuing through February, the project is equipping abuelitos with breathing and meditation techniques to cope with anxiety and manage pain, with basic qi gong (mindfulness exercises) to promote relaxation, and with the use of guided imagery and language to stimulate positive thoughts and moods.

The program is sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank’s DC Solidarity Program.

For more information about Viva Wellness Solutions, click here.

Mayor Vincent Gray, keynote speaker at the ceremony, opened with praise for Vida’s milestone, and commended the 42 year old organization and its leadership for the trailblazing work it continues to carry out for the District’s elderly.

Other speakers and guests of honor included Councilmember Muriel  Bowser, DC Housing Authority’s Executive Director Adrienne Todman, Ambassador of El Salvador Francisco Alstchul, Councilmember Jim Graham, and City First Bank President Brian Argrett.

Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Father Moises Villalta lead the group in a blessing of the building, as it is custom for many Latino nations and other communities in the U.S.

We are thankful to special guests BB Otero, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services, and John E. Hall, Director of the Department of Housing and Community Development, who shared their morning and afternoon with us.

To see photos of the event, click here. To watch Univision coverage, click here.

For the Washington Post article, click here.  For the Washington Hispanic article, click here.

On Thursday, January 5, 2012, the eve of Three Kings’ Day, Vida will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of its first residential facility. The ceremony will begin at 11:00 a.m. at Vida Senior Residences at Brightwood, 1330 Missouri Avenue, NW (between 13^th and 14^th Streets, NW). 

The Honorable Mayor Vincent C. Gray will be the key speaker. Other speakers and guests include Honorable Councilmember Muriel Bowser (Ward 4), Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia Kwame Brown (pending confirmation), the Ambassador of El Salvador Francisco Alstchul, and the Chairman of Vida’s Board of Directors Roberto Solórzano.

We count on your presence and good cheer to help us celebrate this important milestone while we welcome in the New Year.

Low income, inadequate housing, isolation and language barriers have detrimental effects on the ability of Latino seniors to maintain a healthy lifestyle, access healthcare, and self-manage their chronic conditions. These challenges exacerbate health disparities among Latinos in a city where Hispanics continue to be the fastest growing minority elderly subgroup—and where 86 percent of the District’s Latino seniors registered at Vida live at or below the poverty line.

This past fiscal year, Vida provided programs, services, and interventions to approximately 700 seniors in an environment of social support that promotes their emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, while putting an end to the isolation they face at home and in their communities.

Provided free of charge, these programs, services and interventions help Latino seniors and other elders stay in control of their health and independence and away from full care institutions, saving families and the municipality approximately $ 75,000 a year per elder.

Please remember us with a donation this holiday season. Your tax-deductible gift, at whatever level is most comfortable for you, helps the Vida family stay strong and sustainable this winter.

We wish you a happy holiday season. ¡Felices Fiestas!

Dr. Aida L. Maisonet Giachello, Founder of the Midwest Latino Health Research Center and professor of Medical Sociology at Northwestern University, was honored for her groundbreaking work and research on the disparities in access to health and quality care for Latinos in the United States.

Volunteers of America was honored for its innovative, pioneering work in providing seniors with services that prolong life and enhance health, enabling them to maintain their independence and dignity.

Finally, Vida’s own Board member Augusto Tono, of Tono, Inc., was honored for outstanding professionalism in the architectural field as well as extraordinary community service and commitment to the care of Latino seniors and other seniors in the District of Columbia.

This year’s gala was made possible by our steadfast sponsors: Verizon, Clark Construction, CareFirst, and AARP, and by numerous
cash and in-kind contributions from people like you.

If you were not able to join us and want to help further Vida’s work, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We look forward to seeing you at next year’s gala.

 Fall back into an evening of fabulous food, music and dancing, great company, and a tantalizing silent auction at Vida’s annual gala this Tuesday, November 8 at the historical McLean Gardens.

We celebrate 42 years of our great labor of love: enriching the lives of our multicultural aging community. Your contribution, ticket purchases, and bids help us continue to provide free care to over 700 of the District’s elders. Click here for ticket details:  Gala 2011.

In this year’s silent auction we bring you the opportunity to bid on:

• Original pieces of art
• Pilates and yoga workshops
• Tango and samba lessons
• A three-night stay at the Wintergreen Mountain Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains (pictured in this post)
• A three-night stay in a beachfront condo in Puerto Rico
• A two-night stay at the fabulous Saint Simons’ Ocean Lodge in Georgia
• A one-week stay in an upscale beach condo in Destin, Florida—with emerald views of the Gulf of Mexico
• A suckling pig roast for eight
• An Italian dinner for six
• Gifts from Betsy Fisher, Potomac River Running, and much, much more.

Come help us spring forward into our 43^rd year!