LWN Staff and Volunteers
The Living Well Network is supported by a part-time coordinator, independent teachers, and engaged and talented volunteers, as well as students from local universities.
Meet the Program Staff
Meet the Movement Programs Teachers
Meet the Volunteers
Freeman Deutsch, Computer Technology Advocate he/him/his
Freeman Deutsch manages the Living Well Network Computer Lounge Open Lab, offers focused workshops and classes, and conducts Computer Home Visits to assist LWN Members with their home-based computer and technology issues. He enjoys working with people of varying technical backgrounds, and helping them have fun while they learn, no matter what their level of technical understanding is. Freeman loves helping people figure out how to get software and technology to work best for them.
Freeman worked in the Science Education Department at Harvard College Observatory for over ten years creating the first software that allowed students to totally control robotic telescopes over the WEB. When not focused on technology, Freeman likes to cook and travel. Plus, he gets excited about a really good cup of coffee. He lives in Cambridge, MA with his wife, Jessie Saacke, and their cat Willow. Contact Freeman
Jean Lukitsch, Tai Chi Teacher
Jean Lukitsh has studied with tai chi master Bow Sim Mark since 1978, and is an instructor at Mark’s school in Boston’s Chinatown. She has taught tai chi at Brandeis University, Boston Medical Center Pain Clinic, Braintree Rehabilitation Hospital, and MGH, as well as classes for seniors at Amy Lowell House and Youville Hospital. Jean has a Master’s degree in gerontology nursing from the MGH Institute of Health Professions. Her specialty area is healthy aging.
John Mercuri-Dooley, Meditation Teacher
John Mercuri-Dooley is a meditation teacher in Cambridge, MA. He has taught older adults at the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center, the Somerville Council on Aging, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Arlington Community Education, and elsewhere.
Thirty years of experience studying and practicing meditation has given him the opportunity to learn from a wide variety of people, including Buddhist teachers, therapists in a variety of disciplines, and from Dr. Ann Webster, director of the Mind Body Program for Successful Aging at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at MGH.
Christine Palamidessi, Yoga Teacher
Christine Palamidessi has been a dedicated yogini since the early 80s. She is trained in Iyengar, (alignment-inspired) yoga, and studied advanced pranayama (yogic breathing) in India. She is a registered 500-hour-certified Yoga Alliance instructor. In 2018 she became a Certified Osteoarthritis Yoga Therapist in the Fishman Method. One Saturday a month of LWN Yoga is dedicated to the Osteoarthritis Poses ( which also improve balance, posture and strength.) Christine is assisted by her husband, Matthew Bagedonow, who began studying Aikido in the 1970’s. His teacher, Kanai Sensei, was a direct student of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. In addition to executive, Matthew teaches Aikido at the MIT dojo.
Janell Sims
Janell Sims directs the content strategy for the main Harvard Law School website, and provides training and guidance on accessibility, user experience, and online best practices for the community of online authors at HLS. She also works as a consultant providing communications and social media strategy to individuals and small businesses. Janell volunteers in the LWN Drop-In Computer Lounge and teaches technology classes to the LWN community through the Computer Services program.
Amy Benson
Amy Benson is a Librarian/Archivist at the Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute at Harvard University. Amy volunteers in the LWN Drop-In Computer Lounge and teaches technology classes to the LWN community through the Computer Services program.
Stephen Diamond, Volunteer
Stephen Diamond has been volunteering with the Living Well Network Computer Lounge since 2012. He’s has been using Apple computers before the Macintosh model appeared. He uses the MacBook Pro, iPad and iPhone. He also appreciates the Apple graphic interface and helps participants of the Lounge to become comfortable with computers without having to read manuals. Stephen is a registered architect, holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Antioch College, and has a master’s in Architecture from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
