Gail Bober loves her twice-a-month visits to KleinLife, where she leads a Healthy Lives Community Group of people 60-plus.
“It gives people a sense of connection, community and shared experiences,” she said.
Bober represents Connectedly, a Manayunk-based nonprofit that seeks to reduce social isolation and improve the well-being of older adults. The nonprofit was founded 40 years ago as the Supportive Older Women’s Network, and became known last year as Connectedly.
The group at KleinLife, 10100 Jamison Ave., is open to the public, both women and men. Anyone not yet a member of KleinLife can register and stay for lunch afterward.
While women make up most of the group, Herb Lamb is a regular attendee.
“I broke the mold,” he joked.
In addition to the group that meets every other week in the KleinLife library, Bober volunteers to host a weekly phone-based group for older women. To sign up for the phone group, which meets Thursdays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., contact Carly Handley at 215-487-3000, Ext. 24 or [email protected]
The April 24 meeting featured Bober interacting with Lamb and 10 women. Marypat Tracy, executive director of Connectedly, sat in on the meeting.
The group generally gathers from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. every other Thursday. The next meeting is on May 8.
Bober welcomes anyone to speak, or invites them to just listen.
At the most recent meeting, Bober introduced various topics:
• What would you like to learn or re-learn?
One woman, Ann Kaufman, who called herself an “adventurist,” recently learned to ride a tractor trailer and would like to drive a race car. Other answers included CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, the piano, dancing, driving, computers, cooking new dishes, riding a bike, using a pogo stick, being mechanical, ice skating and roller skating.
• Who impacted your life in an unexpected way or is there someone who has passed whom you are grateful for knowing?
Answers included family members, friends and even Frank Sinatra, whose music one woman said is on Channel 70 on SiriusXM. Lenore Volin mentioned KleinLife. “KleinLife takes care of 2-year-olds to 102-year-olds.”
• Share a message for the world on a billboard.
Answers included Make America Kind Again, Don’t Litter and Think Before Talking.
The conversation somehow turned to a discussion of Luke and Laura’s 1981 wedding on General Hospital. That led to the part of the wedding ceremony where guests are asked to, “Speak now or forever hold your peace.” One woman joked that she wished her dad had spoken up at her wedding.
• Guilty pleasures.
Bober started off by saying she watched the Golden Bachelor and the Golden Bachelorette.
One woman said she’s watched Days of Our Lives since she was a student at Penn State in the 1960s and still watches it on Peacock streaming. Other answers included eating Passover candy, along with a woman who said she likes to take a hot bath while drinking wine, listening to music and not answering her phone.
Rhonda Hoffman is one of the regulars and enjoys the give and take.
“I feel the freedom to express myself and not be judged,” she said. “It’s comfortable here. The leader is good. Everyone gets a chance.”
Bober, who plans to introduce a hoarders vs. cleaners topic at a future meeting, has hosted the gatherings for the last 18 months.
“We have regulars and people who come periodically,” she said.
Bober, at 73, feels a kinship to the participants.
“I’m one of them,” she said. “I just really enjoy it. I enjoy the conversation and discussion. Some of these women are friendly outside of here and in other classes.” ••
