Are you interested in learning more about Asian American heritage? Or would you like to brush up on your Italian, French, or German?

If so, Brooksby Village, an Erickson Senior Living community in Peabody, Mass., might be the community for you! With hundreds of activities and groups to choose from, residents can easily explore an array of cultures and languages.

“Cultural activities are vital for our residents, who enjoy the chance to socialize and engage with each other,” says Resident Services Manager Melissa Luke. “Ultimately, these opportunities enhance their overall well-being.”

Group dinners

Dora Chu launched an Asian American monthly group dinner not long after she and her husband made the move to Brooksby in December 2021.

Now, about 12 to 14 residents regularly attend the monthly dinners to share a meal and camaraderie.

“We give each other support and share our different cultural backgrounds. Most of the group are Chinese, but from different parts of the country,” she says. “So, even though we are Chinese, we are quite diverse in terms of customs and dialects.”

She adds, “Plus, we’ve welcomed one Korean, one Japanese, and one Indian resident,” allowing the group to learn about traditions from all over Asia.

For special occasions, the group will occasionally travel off campus to a local restaurant.

“Like many groups and clubs, we keep things informal and fluid,” Dora says. “We also come together for community events, like Brooksby’s annual Unity in the Community Festival, which showcases our cultures through arts, crafts, food, and demonstrations.”

German club

Dorit Sandorfi, a native Swiss-German linguist, moved to Brooksby in 2007. She started a German club about 12 years ago with resident Cliff Kent, who taught German for 30 years at a nearby high school.

Starting out with roughly 28 members, the group met with a mission of “just keeping the language alive,” Dorit recalls.

“We watched German movies, occasionally had lunch at [the former] Karl’s Sausage Kitchen or other German restaurants, and had guest speakers present on German-speaking countries,” says Dorit. “We also talked about our lives and where we came from, speaking informally in German with no particular program.”

More recently, the group reformed as The German Table, or “Stammtisch,” to meet monthly for lunch and conversation–in German only!

“Not all of us are Germans, though,” Dorit notes. “Some are Americans who worked in Germany, grew up there, or were in the U.S. Armed Forces.”

Cercle Français

The Cercle Français, or French Club, is a group of Francophiles with diverse backgrounds who share their love of the French language, literature, and French-speaking people, says resident facilitator Fred Carlo.

“At the moment, we have 10 members ranging from native speakers from Belgium, Haiti, and Quebec to long-term students of French,” says Fred.

The club’s primary goal is to maintain and improve members’ command of the French language.

“We meet once weekly to discuss our daily lives and current events, both at home and abroad,” he explains. “We read and discuss books and articles from a French publication and occasionally listen to music and watch films. And we laugh a lot!”

Learning Italian

For resident Frank Tino, teaching others how to speak and write Italian comes naturally. After all, Frank, who is from the sunny, mountainous Calabrian peninsula in the “toe” of Italy’s boot, taught elementary school in his home country.

“I came to America at a young age, but I made several trips back and forth–living half my life here, and half my life there,” Frank says. “But then I settled in East Boston.”

He made the move to Brooksby in early 2024 and started the weekly Italian class a few months later with about 30 attendees.

Frank says he’s teaching residents how to “truly speak Italian,” from nouns and verbs to proper sentence structure. A handful of students are doing very well, “And they’re not even Italian!” he says, with a laugh. “There’s a lot to be taught to learn the language, but they’re picking it up.”

Luke notes that these cultural and linguistic clubs continue to grow, as residents are always interested in learning more about their neighbors and broadening their skillsets.

“Our residents have many opportunities to learn, share experiences, and celebrate cultural heritage,” she says. “All of which can help residents meet new people and foster a deep sense of belonging.”

To learn more about affordable, independent senior living at Brooksby, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and so much more.

By Susan Ingram

The post Brooksby Residents Explore Different Cultures Through Clubs appeared first on citybiz.

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