NEIGHBORS

Popular Indiafest celebrates 25th anniversary

BY MIKE GAFFEY

Indiafest turns 25 this year, and the annual celebration of Indian culture, history and traditions has special events planned to mark its silver anniversary.

Presented by Suntree-based Manav Mandir Hindu Temple, the popular family festival returns Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6 at Wickham Park at 2500 Parkway Drive in Melbourne. The hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. March 5 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 6.

“To celebrate the silver jubilee, we have added more exciting things in what is already an exciting and rewarding festival,” said Nina Gadodia, the Indiafest founder and chairperson.

Started in 1996, the unique festival has become one of Brevard County’s most anticipated annual events. Visitors can enjoy traditional Indian cuisine and an Indian cooking demonstration, cultural shows, dance performances, music, food trucks, vendors, children’s activities, Henna tattoo booths, arts and crafts, bonfires, games, a Yoga presentation and raffle prizes.

What sets Indiafest apart from other India festivals is its different annual themes that showcase unique aspects of India, Gadodia said. This year’s theme is “Around India.”

To mark the festival’s 25th year, the nonprofit, cultural organization plans several new features, including an experience that recreates a remote desert village in India. The special event will be presented during extended hours from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

“Even when you go to India as a tourist — it’s such a beautiful country and there’s so much to see - that you don’t end up going to the rural areas,” Gadodia said. “So, it will be a treat for all the people here to see the interior of India.”

The festival’s team is committed to giving back to the community. Since its beginning, Indiafest has raised $1.14 million for local charities and national and international disaster relief.

This year, the Indiafest team hopes to start a $100,000 endowment scholarship with Eastern Florida State College to help deserving students with tuition.

“In 2013, we did a $100,000 endowment at Florida Tech,” Gadodia said. “At that time, we thought of helping Eastern Florida when we could comfortably do so. So we promised them that we’d do that for our 25th anniversary.”

Tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children under 12. Children under 5 get in free.

For more information, go to indiafestbrevard.org. SL

SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Indiafest

Celebrate Indiafest’s 25th year, which will have several new features, including an experience that recreates a remote desert village in India.

New Life celebrates village to help more homeless women and children

BY BETTY PORTER

New Life Mission, formerly Brevard Rescue Mission, has for years been dedicated to changing the lives of single mothers and their children experiencing homelessness in Brevard County.

Now NLM is expanding with the purchase of 25 acres in the heart of Melbourne which will become New Life Village slated to open in May.

On Feb. 12, an appreciation event took place on the property at 386 Croton Road for donors who made possible the purchase of the property from The Children’s Home Society. Donors had dinner from food trucks while enjoying the music by the Elemental Groove band. They were invited to leave your impact by painting a butterfly on one of the buildings and signing their names. The butterfly is the logo for New Life Mission, representing the transformation made by the women and children in the program.

Stacia Glavas, the founder and CEO of New Life Mission, told the crowd seated at tables outside: “You have all been advisors, consultants and friends and have made this

SENIOR LIFE photo

Artists of all ages painted butterflies on a building, which featured a giant, colorful mural of a symbolic butterfly.

Sudoku Solution on page 24 a reality. Homeless mothers and their children will be housed and nourished physically, emotionally and spiritually here at New Life Village for decades to come through your generosity.” The mission is funded through private donations from individuals, community foundations, churches and area businesses and has already raised $2 million.

Ron and Rose Marie Capasso have been making monthly donations for the past two years.

“It’s a great organization. The whole mission will make a difference in women’s and kids’ lives,” Ron Capasso said.

Rose Marie Capasso also donates her paintings to the mission for them to sell to raise money.

“I like what they do, how they help women, they really get them ready for a new life in so many ways, even teaching them how to cook nutritionally.”

The New Life Village vision is to provide an education center, a kids club and academy, Bible study classrooms, family counseling, financial coaching, life skills facilities, a vegetable garden and Transformed Shop warehouse and production center where donated denim and other fabric materials are turned into products such as ball caps and aprons by the women.

“This much acreage allows so much room for us to grow. We have the land to add multipurpose space for classes, chapel and dorms. There’s lots of green space for the kids to enjoy,” Glavis said. “The best thing is that his Village will be one physical location providing all of the services plus the spiritual and emotional support needed to carry families from homelessness to selfsufficiency. We are breaking the cycle of homelessness through life skills, education, accountability, love and Christ.”

“We are in awe of what God has done to allow us to purchase this property to make an expansion of our

SENIOR LIFE Courtesy of Cornerstone Homes

Agrihoods such as 55+ development Chickahominy Falls in Virginia are built around working farms or vineyards. The double barns in this community serve as a focal point for dinners and special events. Continued from page 4 twice on the door.

Seniors want such bells and whistles in their homes, but they also want communities that connect them with each other and the outside world. Agrihoods, planned communities that integrate agriculture into residential neighborhoods, resonate with older buyers.

Roger Glover, principal with Cornerstone Homes, discussed his Chickahominy Falls, the 55+ community he developed as an agrihood in Virginia.

“It’s tied to a 10-acre working farm,” said Glover.

Owners can, if they choose, work side-by-side with professional farmers to harvest fresh produce, available to all residents through a CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture program.

In these neighborhoods, neighbors meet for farm-to-table dinners, “sip-and-savor” events and cooking demonstrations. Some of these communities also offer “garden patches” and themed plantings such as butterfly gardens. Miles of walking trails abound.

“It is rewarding to see how much homeowners appreciate wellness features,” Glover said.

Clubhouses in senior communities also focus on wellness of the mind and body with yoga studios, wine rooms and dog wash areas with separate entrances. Seniors may even opt to incorporate the latter as a dedicated space in their home.

“It’s a way to recognize that pets are part of the family,” Morrison said.

When it comes to seniors, today’s housing market offers an embarrassment of riches. SL

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SENIOR LIFE Jill Blue

The Poms cheerleading squad is a fixture at the Greater Palm Bay Senior Center.

Movie ‘Poms’ inspires senior cheerleaders

BY BRENDA EGGERT BRADER

With an idea based on the movie “Poms,” about members of a retirement community forming a cheerleading squad, a new group has surfaced in Brevard County.

Not found in the local schools — this cheerleading squad was formed at the Greater Palm Bay Senior Center.

“We had movies every Thursday night at the center, and we all watched the movie, ‘Poms,’ ” said Sylvia Fels, who is first vice president of the senior center. “I thought, wouldn’t it be great to have cheerleaders at the center. That would be fun. So, 12 women and one gentleman signed up and decided to do it as an activity.”

They meet at 4 p.m. Tuesday at the center and so far have only met three times. Nine women and one man meet regularly and have begun getting in shape for cheers and dancing.

“We are rocking to the oldies with Richard Simmons so we could limber up our old bodies and eventually perform at some of our functions and general membership meetings,” Fels said. “And if we get good enough by the end of the year, maybe perform at some nursing homes.”

The members wear black pants and red shirts as their costume and have been enjoying themselves, even making pom-poms.

“I joined because I wanted to enjoy myself, it would be fun and thought it was good exercise,” said Barbara Godwin-Hazel, a former high school cheerleader. “We are having a blast making our own shirts and pompoms. It is really enjoyable doing the exercises to the oldies and having a good time.”

Only thinking about organizing the group and getting in shape, Fels said with a chuckle that there will be nothing performed on the floor because “we can’t get up.”

“Right now, we are all getting coordinated so we look the same and hope to write some cheers or a song like the high schools do. We are all getting together to write something as our song and our cheer,” Fels said.

“I am sure that if we write something our music teacher could put some music to it,” Fels added.

Members are getting in shape to perhaps cheer for teams in the “Name That Tune” event planned at the center in April, and maybe do an event in March.

“It will all come about as we get better at similar events,” Fels said. SL