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Becky and her husband are located in the Houston area and have been trying to get their vaccine shots since January. Finally, about a week ago they were able to get through and schedule an appointment.

“My husband had tried and signed up for 5 places. I got on 4 lists. In the end, my doctor called and left a message last Monday night. He said ‘call the hospital right now they have some open appointments.’ We were able to get those and are so excited as we feel much safer.”

Like many people, Becky has mostly stayed at home since March of 2020. She knows how tough that has been on many people including herself. Thus, she wanted to share her experience with other Texans in the GetsetUp  Texas: Where and How to find Vaccine related information.

“The session was nice they are informing people about the processes. There was another lady from Houston there who was ready for her second shot. I’d seen her in other GetSetUp classes. We got to share our experiences with the people in the group, which I think helped some of them who were a bit afraid of the vaccine.”

Since GetSetUp focuses on education and life-long learning for older adults it seemed only natural to help educate them on one of the biggest worries of the moment - how to get a COVID-19 vaccine. This process varies state-to-state and often county-to-county, so it has left many people fairly confused.

“The thing that is really good is these sessions show that GetSetuUp is interested in the health of the seniors in the US. I think these sessions are important because the guidelines are different in every state. Plus things are changing a lot. Since last week 6 or 7 different places opened near me including health departments, grocery stores, and stations.”

GetSetUp wants to assure that older adults have access to education, tools, and all the resources they need to live healthier and happier lives.

GetSetUp has been adding fun new learning experiences to Becky's routine since August

Becky first heard about GetSetUp via Facebook back in August.

“The blue emblem caught my attention. I like to learn about different things. I had been here all summer long and hadn’t really done anything except watch a lot of TV and work in my yard. So when I saw these classes I thought it seemed like fun.”

The first class she took was Tips and Tricks for Taking Great Photos on your iPhone. She and her husband had a trip planned to the Grand Canyon, and she wanted to learn how to take some nice photos.

“Wade showed me how to take panoramic pictures with my phone. I never would have known what that was without my GetSetUp class. It made my pictures of the trip amazing! I love that my first class showed me how to do something.”

Even though Becky is officially a retired counselor, she has been going to school almost every year since she was 5. After she retired she was still invited back as an itinerant counselor to help train the older counselors. She feels honored that she is so valued by her school that they seek her support still when she’s 72. She’s been helping to facilitate contact even while the school was online. By helping with contact between teachers and students to assure the best possible outcome in a difficult time.

Her GetSetUp classes on Zoom, Gmail, and Google calendar have really helped her to master the skills needed to support her school’s digital work. However, she really enjoys the social hours and learning new things like Frank Lloyd Wright’s Architecture.

“It’s lovely when I get to enjoy GetSetUp classes. I can see friend’s faces, because you don’t have to wear your mask. You can see people smile.”

She tries to get a taste of all the different classes from financial fitness to gardening and cooking classes.

“That’s the wonderful thing about these classes I always learn something new. I have cooked all my life but I never cooked anything with gnocchi. I happened to have some and took Deb’s cooking class on it. I had all the ingredients and cooked it right that night. It was really good, a whole different dish from what I normally make!”

Exploring all aspects of the GetSetUp community

Becky enjoys exploring the community. She is an active GetSetUp Ambassador who attends the regular meetings and shares GetSetUp with friends. After months of classes, she sat down to take the New Member Orientation for the first time.

“I want to help with some of those meetings. Marv runs them now and he was so cool he makes everyone laugh!”

She thinks each Guide does a great job of offering something a little different in each class. Plus she likes that all classes have a social aspect since she has missed socialization because of the pandemic. Her retired teacher’s association with 60-80 people used to meet regularly, but now that has been moved to Zoom and only about half the people show up. Zoom has become Becky's main outlet for socialization.

“I didn’t know what Zoom was before the pandemic but now I use it to connect socially with my home friends. We are all in the same retired state group. Plus I can keep in touch with other close friends, church friends, and GetSetUp friends.”

Becky finds the GetSetUp community very personable, from the guides to the staff. She loves that people answer her right back and she feels like she’s talking to a friend. Plus she enjoys seeing the new classes that have been added since she started. While there were about 16 classes that interested her initially now there are many to choose from (over 150 to be exact).

Why not see which of these over 150 classes interest you? Perhaps you’ll find share some of Becky’s similar interests too!