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Age4Action to Obama: Older Adults Can Help Stoke the Economy
As we begin 2011, Age4Action is turning up the volume as the voice of positive, productive aging in America. Through their work, service, learning and leadership, tens of millions of seasoned individuals are living active, engaged lives in their sixties, seventies, eighties and beyond.
We are launching the Age4Action blog with an appeal to President Obama to consider some of the ideas we present here for his State of the Union message to be delivered on January 25, 2011.
Add your voice to this important conversation! Share your successes! Post your ideas! Disagree! Most importantly, use the Age4Action blog as a platform to write a new story about aging in America!
An Appeal for People 50+ to Tackle America’s Challenges
Half a century ago this month, President John F. Kennedy took the oath of office in an extremely challenging time in American history—the height of the Cold War. Tens of millions of Americans living today remember watching President Kennedy’s appeal to his fellow Americans: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” This was the rallying cry for his own generation as well as the one that followed—the nearly 80 million Americans born in the two decades following World War II. The generation we call the baby boomers.
This generation of Americans responded. They joined the armed forces and have fought for freedom around the world.
They expanded the economy in ways that previous generations could never imagine. With good public-school educations and unprecedented access to higher education, the baby boomers went on to change the way America and the world lives and works. Pick any industry you like: computer technology, telecommunications, transportation, finance, entertainment. The boomers either invented it or improved it beyond recognition.
They expanded opportunities for themselves and generations that followed. Women have broken through barriers in the workplace and are now are more than half of the work force. African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, gay and lesbian Americans all enjoy more freedom and more opportunity thanks to the hard work of this fair-minded generation.
They have gone out into the world, joining the Peace Corps, faith-based international charities and relief organizations to share the knowledge and prosperity of our nation with others. And they have gone into America’s economically and socially distressed communities to find solutions to poverty and social inequity.
The have set a good example for their children and grandchildren with a strong work ethic, an expanded definition of patriotism, and a reverence for individual freedom.
And, thankfully, this generation is a long way from finishing its contributions our to our communities, our nation and our world.
As the first boomers begin to reach age 65, we are hearing many different stories about the impact of the aging boomers on our nation’s economy and public policy. There is no doubt about it. We are facing a generational challenge of unprecedented magnitude.
That’s one way to look at it. But there’s another way:
We have before us a generational opportunity with unlimited potential.
In many ways, the boomers have reinvented every stage of life while also changing the world around them. Research shows that boomers will choose to do the same as they move into their sixties, seventies, eighties and beyond.
Many boomers want to keep working—at least part-time—so let’s make sure our public policies and private business practices provide incentives for them to stay active in the American economy so we can all capitalize on their talents.
Most boomers want to continue their service to the common good through volunteer work or public-service and nonprofit jobs. There’s no shortage of work to do, so let’s get smarter about how to utilize this treasury of human resources to improve our communities and our nation.
This highly educated generation wants to keep learning, and many seek training as they adapt to changing needs in the work place. Let’s ensure that lifelong learning and training opportunities are abundantly available for older adults to develop their talents, acquire new knowledge and to teach others what they know.
And let’s look to this next generation of older adults to lead. Our nation faces many challenges in education, health care, child welfare, poverty—as well as the finding ways to provide compassionate care to people of all ages who need extra help. I salute the thousands of baby boomers who are stepping up to find solutions and tackle problems in their communities. You can read about some of them at a website called age4action.org.
We cannot look at our nation’s future without squarely facing the economics of our aging population. If all we see is a growing deficit as older adults withdraw from the economy and become more dependent on society for support, we all lose. If we instead see older Americans as a vital resource to help solve the economic and social problems of our nation, then we all win. And to be very specific, we who work to shape public policy can, and in fact must, call on this generation to engage in a forthright, nuts-and-bolts conversation about how we can all work to sustain Social Security and Medicare for future generations.
I believe it as a time to create a new narrative about aging in America—a time when people strive to see their own aging as an opportunity to contribute in new and different ways, and a time when younger generations can build partnerships with their elders to make our communities, our nation and our world a better place for everyone.
President Kennedy heralded the passing of a torch to a new generation of Americans, and that flame still burns bright. Let us use it to illuminate our way forward.
12 Responses to Age4Action to Obama: Older Adults Can Help Stoke the Economy
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President Obama -
The talents of older Americans should not be viewed as a burden but as a huge untapped resource for solving our nation’s problems. I would also encourage you to encourage your cabinet and others to look at how older adult volunteers can help you support your agenda.
For example, I heard Secretary Arnie Duncan talking on Maria Batiroma’s show about the aging of baby boomers and how it’s time to bring in new blood of younger generations to improve our schools – or something like that. I hope I misinterpreted what he said. If I didn’t, He’s totally missing a huge opportunity and I, as a boomer, was very insulted. There are plenty of talented boomers who have a lot to contribute if people would just open their minds and their creativity and quit stereotyping people. WE have too many problems in our country to start shutting people out. Instead, let’s figure out ways that everyone can help, especially older adults!
As RSVP celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, I would like to remind folks that our volunteer network of age 55+ is over half a million strong and seeks to utilize older adult volunteers to respond to the problems and issues that our communities face. RSVP as well as the two other Senior Corps programs, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions are available for anyone who is interested in volunteering in their communities. Contact your local Senior Corps program and take advantage of our nearly half a century of experience working with volunteers and organizations in making a difference and getting things done in our local communities!
I heartily concur with the Age4Action article and plan to submit it in it’s entirety (with full credit) to our PATCH South Brunswick on line outlet for non profit organizations. The Aging in Place PARTNERSHIP (AIPP) has been working towards this very goal since we began in 2008. Our program also includes students and is called the Senior Student Service Corps (SSSCorps).There needs to be a centralized source to review funding for part time senior jobs. Perhaps this article can become the catalyst and serve to generate interest from a wide variety of like and unlike resources. The timing couldn’t be more valid!!
When this baby boomer graduated from college 6 years after the leading edge, there were school closings and a lack of jobs for teachers. I stumbled into the RSVP volunteer office and thus began my life’s work. I have worked with seniors and volunteers ever since and, today, at 58, I too, have joined the RSVP ranks! Just in little ole’ Belleville Illinois area, we have over 1450 registered volunteers, 55 – 102. President Obama just truly has no idea the impact they make each and every day of the year. But our true heros are the Senior Companions, who sit with and befriend and encourage their clients to remain engaged in life, in the pursuit of friendship and camaraderie, and thus prolonging their independent lifestyle and quality of life. By keeping them engaged in life and functioning in their own homes, SCP saves millions and millions each year keeping their clients out of nursing homes. And yet, these poor seniors who do this sitting, this caring, compassionate visiting, receive $2.65 per hour…. where is the equity?
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jane Hardin, Life by Design NW. Life by Design NW said: Go Age4Action! http://www.age4action.org/2011/01/24/age4action-a-new-voice-of-positive-productive-aging-in-america/ #volunteers #seniors [...]
I am a 73 y.0. African American woman, a volunteer who has been helping Senior Citizens and Disabled individuals for a number of years. I enjoy helping others. I started with RSVP explaining what Medicare would pay, how they pay and the Sr.s responsibility in paying a bill, I have worked tirelessly with the Medicare D, Program breaking the information the Sr. receives down so that they can understand, (Mind you, I have a High School Graduate diploma) I find there are still things I need to be trained in. I do comparisons on people, enrollments and the applications for LIS. I help anyone who calls no matter where they live. I have been trying to get others to join me but the response is the work you are doing is too hard, and most Sr.s if they are able to get out of the house have to get a second job to make ends meet. Older people are not the problems for the woes of this nation, it was the older folks who worked the hardest, stayed on one job the longest, and was blessed to still be living to help others who don’t understand. I find that the younger people when they make comments aren’t expecting live get old, but let me tell you if the Lord blesses them they will get there one day, and hopefully they won’t have to read or hear on the news the Entitlement Programs are the cause of the Nation going bankrupt. They fail to remember that the person who is enjoying the entitlement worked and put into the system. We could watch what we write, speak and even think for if we think too long, then we speak or act on the thoughts.
I couldn’t agree more with the comments made so far regarding the variety of Senior isuues/programs. I will share my experience. I am a doctorate educated nurse and worked in a variety of capacities for 55 years. When I retired at age 75 I wanted to volunteer in the senior services community. It was very difficult to find a way to share my skills other than to act as a greeter sitting behind a desk with little or nothing to do. I found those who were “in charge” totally ignorant of aging issues and used cookie cutter solutions to all situations. Even when RSVP came along in our community it was so poorly managed it simply couldn’t get off the ground. My point is that seniors need to be valued and given meaningful responsible challenges. We need purpose and stamping envelops, although a needed service, will not fill the bill for all of us. As we talk about the boomers and the skills they bring to the table, lets remember that those in charge need to be more cognitive of how to utilize this valuable resource otherwise the uproar may lead to unnecessary chaos. I advocate for more education for those who are in charge of programs for seniors.
Thank you so much for recognizing that that Boomers and adults in their 70’s and beyond have something to contribute to the solution of seemingly intractable world problems. Right here at home in New York, a small, innovative nonprofit called ReServe, http://www.reserveinc.org, works to channel the time, energy and skills of continuing professionals 55+ into the nonprofit sector and public institutions. In exchange for a modest stipend, ReServists help first-generation high school seniors apply to college, recruit adult literacy tutors, coax older diabetics into exercise and wellness programs, plan fundraising events, develop marketing campaigns and provide strategic planning advice for hundreds of nonprofits (to name just a handful of the kinds of projects ReServists are hard at work on). Based in New York City, we are expanding in Westchester County and in Miami, Baltimore and other cities. If your readers have skills to contribute to their fellow Americans we encourage them to check out our website, http://www.reserveinc.org.
We, at Boomers Leading Change in Health, also completely agree with and support Age-4-Action’s ideas regarding the potential of Adults 50+ to–as we see it–”change the world again.” We would love to hear President Obama not only endorse the skills, experience, and energy Baby Boomers bring to addressing the challenges of today’s world, we would respectfully ask him to plug the opportunities AmeriCorps offers Adults 55+, as well. For instance, many people are completely unaware that an “older” adult can serve as an AmeriCorps member. Likewise, they have no idea that the education awards AmeriCorps members 55+ receive can be transferred to their children, grandchildren, and foster children. Fifty years after JFK called the citizens of our great nation to serve the greater good, Boomers Leading Change in Health can think of no better tribute to him than to echo that call to service by framing it from the perspective of Adults 50+.
I read this page and others and see the nead to HELP others ….there is a group of seniors that have done so and feel good at the end of the day…..I study and bring back to the senior center all information that I have learn from these pages…..the persons in my OLDSENIOR CENTER are there for thier pay-check…nothing personal or working with those that are there….every senior has a problem but,there is no one to HELPlllllll leesburg florida is behind its time
As a advocate for the elderley for the past 40years I am always happy to participate with any group or organization that reaches out to our elderley population.
Two years ago I took a 70year old retired nurse out of reitement and made her the assessment nurse for the company I work for.
She is intellegent, reliable, and is the best at what she does. She relates so well with our clients because they are her peers.Wisdom and experience can be a big plus to companies who hires the over 55 age group.
Too many people in America stereotype older adults and truly believe that they are frail and a burden to society. The reality does not support that view of aging Americans. It is refreshing to find a site that is examining this issue and discussing the many ways older adults can enhance their communities.
For the past 21 years I have worked with the Foster Grandparent Program and for 11 I have worked with the Senior Companion Program in five northern California counties. My experience with these dedicated volunteers, currently aged 55 to 92, teaches that there are few limits to their ability to tutor and mentor special needs children and to their compassion, kindness and care for homebound frail elders. These volunteers commonly exceed their responsibilities and expectations of service. We are truly fortunate to have them willing to step forward daily to help those in need in their communities. The beauty of service is that there is something for everyone to do. It is our responsibility to find the appropriate placement for each volunteer. That does take experience and quality programming which includes training.
Two of my oldest volunteers were awarded “Older Adults Enrich America” awards for their volunteerism. One was in her late 80′s and one was in his early 90′s. It isn’t just Baby Boomers that can volunteer, although there is definately a role for them as they enter retirement. Our nation needs to look at the role all older adults can play in supporting communities through volunteerism.
Many older adults are not financially secure and volunteering isn’t free, there are costs associated with volunteering. Programs like Senior Corps that defray some costs of volunteering are vital to keeping many older adults actively engaged in service. The costs to communities should we lose these qualified, dedicated, compassionate volulnteers will surpass the cost of supporting their volunteerism should it be eliminated. In many rural communities these volunteer services are the only “safety net” still in tact. We need to be mindful of the many benefits provided by these determined older adult volunteers and also consider the benefit to them by following models of healthy and successful aging. Please remember the older adults can be a part of the solution to our nation’s problems and are not THE problem.