Meaning Isn't Tied to Money!

"The second journey of life is the time when we no longer have to focus on survival but on the search for meaning," says Dick Goldberg. Goldberg who is the Director of the National Office of Coming of Age was the keynote speaker for the Newark Senior Center's Life Options Conference. Now in its seventh year, the annual conference kicked off on September 17th with a forum on brain health with Dr. Ina Li of Christiana Care Health System as the speaker. On the following day, there was Goldberg's keynote address, workshops and vendors all focusing on the theme of "Living on a Shoestring," an acknowledgement of the current economic hard times.

Here is more of what Dick Goldberg has to say about people 50+, our search for meaning and the challenge of ageism:

• People 50+ represent the largest demographic wave to hit America in the last century.
• As Mary Oliver puts it, aging asks the question "what will you do with your one, wild and precious life?"
• Ageism is one of the most entrenched and tolerated forms of prejudice in our culture today.
• Combating ageism should be moved to the top of the 50+ agenda.
• Where do we define anything in terms of deficiency only?
• To the extent that people 50+ deny their aging they promote ageism.
• You've heard that 60 is the new 40? I say 70 is the new 69!

"Explore Your Future" Comes to Delaware

When you finish high school or college you go to a guidance counselor to talk about your future. But where do you go when you leave your primary career or the last child goes off to college? Where can 50+ adults turn for help figuring out the next chapter of their lives?

In Delaware you can now turn to Coming of Age: Delaware's "Explore Your Future" workshops. Explore Your Future is a free, non-financial planning workshop for those who want to explore the next steps after full-time work. The program is presented in four, two-hour segments:

• Session 1- What Have Been the Major Influences on Your Life?
• Session 2- Who Are You Now?
• Session 3- Visioning and Exploring Your Ideal Life
• Session 4-Creating the Life You Want

Developed by National Coming of Age with help from Meg Newhouse, one of America's foremost authorities on 50+ life planning, Explore Your Future features self-assessments, peer sharing and other hands-on learning to help you vision and plan for what's next.

Explore Your Future will be first offered at the Newark Senior Center in November and then at community locations throughout the state. All future presentations will be announced in this newsletter.  

A Coming of Age Member Speaks Out

We at Coming of Age: Delaware think that we have a great message to share and we take every opportunity to do just that. Recently Kathy Hyde, a founding member of the group wrote a letter to the editor of the News Journal. The newspaper not only published the letter but featured it as a speaking-out piece. Read Kathy's thoughts on how people 50+ are the solution to the challenge that they pose.

Contributed by Kathy Hyde.

Connecting Generations: A Coming of Age Community Partner

Joy of a Healthy Brain: A Labor of Love

Caring Corps Member

Want to make a difference in our community? Join the Caring Corps, a partnership with AmeriCorps and The Ministry of Caring Inc. As a Caring Corps member, you will work to improve the lives of those less fortunate in a non-profit setting, in a job that fits your interests and abilities. In return, you will gain valuable job skills; a living allowance of over $10,000; health insurance coverage; day care assistance, if needed; and an education award of nearly $5,000 upon successful completion of a term of service (about 11 months in duration). Best of all, you’ll make new friends, broaden your world, and have the satisfaction of knowing that you have done something that really matters!    

For more information contact Marie Keefer at 302-428-3652 or mkeefer@ministryofcaring.org. You can obtain a Caring Corps application online at http://www.ministryofcaring.org/ (click on the AmeriCorps Caring Corps Program icon).

Program Instructor, Easter Seals

Seeking an energetic, creative & goal oriented person experienced in supporting people with disabilities. Responsibilities include developing, planning & implementing both center-based & community activities for small groups. BA degree preferred, valid drivers license\ good driving record. FT / excellent benefits. Send Resume / Application to: Easter Seals, ATTN: John Edmonds, 22317 DuPont Blvd., Georgetown, DE 19947, EEOE Or email to: jedmonds@esdel.org.

Teach Inmates Decision-Making Skills

Going to prison is not the most popular volunteer endeavor. Yet, this is exactly what a special group of people do in the Thresholds Decision Making program. For an eight week period volunteers go into correctional institutions in the state to teach inmates how to make better decisions in their lives. Volunteers must take one day of training, fill out security clearance forms, attend a security meeting and recieve a volunteer badge before they can enter the prison classroom.

 

Each student inmate is assigned their own teacher. The inmate and teacher sit at a table across from each other in a prison classroom, each with a Thresholds workbook and together discuss and complete the exercises. The format of the program is one of the reasons it is so successful. Because it is not conducted in a traditional classroom style, it eliminates the usual tension, and peer pressure to not look dumb, stupid, or even too smart. It takes into consideration the reading levels of inmates, many of whom have dropped out of school in the 9th grader or earlier. Individual attention is the key to the success of this program. Since 1999 Thresholds has graduated 345 inmate students in 43 eight-week cycles.

 

To learn more about volunteering with Thresholds contact RSVP.

 

Contributed by Lynn Kroesen.

Animal Caretaker, SPCA

The Delaware SPCA-Newark is currently seeking to hire animal caretakers. Responsibilities include daily cleaning and care of animals within the animal shelter. Only persons with previous animal shelter, animal boarding or veterinary hospital experience will be considered. Must be able to work in a fast paced environment and be able to lift up to 60 pounds. Drug testing and criminal history screenings will be performed. Part-time/$8 per hour. Applications may be completed at the shelter located at 455 Stanton Christiana Road, Newark, DE 19713.