FF -
www.female-focus.com
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Female Focus Franciscan Shelter for Men at Palma de Gandia.
“Centro de Acogida San Francisco de Asis, Pla Vernissa, 46724 Palma de Gandia, Valencia.” CIF nº is G-96811971. Thank you to all of you who have helped the Shelter last year. Over the last two months there has been a great response from the Spanish and ex-pat communities with food donations and presents generously donated to
the Shelter. Just after Kings, Amigos de Benitachell donated 1000€. Money is always needed for utilities so this was spilt into 500€ towards the electric bill, always around the 1000€ mark a month, and 500€ for laundry products. Special laundry products are needed to keep 60 plus men’s clothes, bedding and towels clean and healthy. The refectory photo gives you an idea of the size of the shelter, where over 60 people sit down for three meals each day.
Heating is expensive and the cold is especially hard on the more immobile, wheelchair and bed ridden residents in winter so we need single bed sheets and pillow cases in brushed cotton or flannelette to keep the men warm – the Cortados Cafe in Jávea is currently raising and collecting money to buy new sheets. If anyone has these warmer style single sheets to give away, would like to know more or can help in another way please contact me, Helen,
helen.king.s@
gmail.com or 608 751 933. Amigos de Benitachell is an independent charity which always welcome any new volunteers. The shop is open Monday to Friday - 10am to 1pm and Saturday 10am to 12.30pm. Contact 634 388 436 for further details.
U3A Vall del Pop: Dementia Risk Reduction Lecture
The Vall del Pop U3A members were given a very professionally presented and interesting lecture on Dementia Risk Reduction by Prof. Lawrence Whalley at their
first general meeting of the year held in the Polivalent, Murla, last month. Professor Whalley has studied Dementia for many years at the University of Aberdeen, before his retirement, and presented this most complex subject with clear explanations of the on-going research and interesting graphical data summaries. We were advised that there is currently no cure for dementia, which is part of the ageing process, and that early identification of the pathways to dementia is extremely difficult. The earliest signs are usually first observed by partners and friends noticing increased memory loss or by an inability to undertake tasks that had previously presented no problem. The research is focusing on delaying the onset of dementia as much as it is on seeking a cure. Dementia occurs principally due to genetic factors [40-60%] with environmental factors making up the balance. We have no opportunity of influencing the genetic factors but we can try to tackle the environmental factors, such as diet [the Mediterranean diet being a major positive], living in a warm/sunny climate and taking exercise, which aid in improving cardio vascular health. It is important also to keep the brain active and interested as one gets older [U3A groups and meetings can help to stimulate such interests]. It was interesting to see evidence that levels of dementia per population are decreasing in several western countries, and not increasing as quickly as the population is ageing in others. Professor Whalley cited some tribes in the remote, less developed areas of the world, where there is no dementia evident and of vegetarian tribes where the levels are extremely low. However, the correlation of stress with dementia is less easily quantified. In conclusion, I noted that, keeping fit, with a well balanced diet and intellectual stimulation, is the best way we can delay the onset of dementia. The taking of B12 supplements has been shown to offer some improvements, but there was no such similar evidence in relation to the taking of nicotine. I was pleased to hear that moderate wine consumption is an acceptable part of a balanced diet. U3A Vall del Pop holds its General Meetings usually on the first Thursday of the month at the Polivalent, Murla. See our website
http://u3avalldelpop.com for further details or come along to our meeting, visitors are always very welcome. Peter, U3A Vall del Pop Publicity Officer.
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