Inspiring Opportunities is a weekly email from Coming of Age for people 50+ who are making a difference in the world, in their communities and in their lives.

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This Week

 
Dump the Decaf!
A major US health study has found drinking caffeinated beverages may lower the risk of heart disease.

Are You 55+ and a Delaware County Resident?
If so, please take this survey to help the Delaware County Community Foundation improve civic engagement opportunities for older adults in the county.

Barak O Boomer?
Barak Obama, born in 1961, is technically a baby boomer, but according to this article in the Boston Globe, he's of a different breed: "His cultural guideposts are markedly different from the two older baby boomers who have occupied the office."

Cosby Talks Tough at Save Our Children Forum
Last Wednesday, at Community College of Philadelphia, native Philadelphian Bill Cosby spoke at a Save Our Children Forum. "He asked audience members who had lost loved ones to violence to stand up. More than 75 percent of those in the room stood."

Well, At Least We're Not Houston
The Illadelph, a local blog, spotlights Philadelphia's horrible recycling rate. Philly recycles only five percent of its trash, which is the second lowest rate for big cities in the US. Only Houston recycles less. The top city? Los Angeles, which recycles an impressive 45 percent of its garbage. (Maybe that explains all the recycled TV shows.)


 
If you know of a volunteer opportunity that you would like featured here, email details to havewegot@comingofage.org. You can also find one-time volunteer opportunities below under “This Week.”

You'd Be Lost Without Them
Greater Philadelphia Search and Rescue is looking for people to volunteer time, skill, and effort to help lost and endangered people in need. Contact Mark G. Hopkins, Chief of Field Operations at (877) 598-5618 or chief@gpsar.org.

Teach Decision-Making Skills to Inmates in Chester County
Help prisoners avoid future mistakes by volunteering with Thresholds of Chester County. Attend a two-day training and visit inmates for an hour a week for eight weeks. The next training sessions are in March, so sign up today! Contact Richard Bergesen at (610) 436-6469 or rbergesen@verizon.net.

Ensure the Safe and Humane Treatment of Animals
The PSPCA will train you to become Animal Care Attendant, Adoption Counselor, or Special Event Organizer. Time commitments are flexible. Contact Ray Little at (215) 426-6304 ext. 240.

Mentor Students in West Philadelphia Schools
The West Philadelphia Alliance for Children needs volunteers to dedicate 90 minutes of their time once a week to mentor elementary school students, help them with homework and self-esteem development or teach chess or a group activity such as dance. Call Sue Gibbons, Volunteer Coordinator at (215) 452-0333.


 

Meet Jay Furman, Volunteer, Age 94
“It makes you feel so good. To challenge yourself and be that useful to someone else – it’s a wonderful feeling,” says Jay Furman, the Franklin Institute's oldest volunteer.


A "Retired" Couple Sold their Home Nine Years Ago. They've Been Traveling and Volunteering Ever Since

"Our first stop was Zimbabwe . . . . We became totally immersed in our work. . . . Having originally been skeptical about what I could do as a volunteer, I was surprised to find how much I was able to help by using many of the skills from my working life."

This story comes to us from Coming of Age partner AARP. Read more about Stan and Marcia, Globetrotters for Good. (Don't miss the video interview and interactive map.)


 
NORCs
A NORC is a "Naturally Occurring Retirement Community." The term refers to a neighborhood with a high concentration of older adults, one that naturally evolves into a "retirement community" where neighbors can age in place. This article in last week's Inquirer is about the Rhawnurst NORC; it tells the story of volunteers and outreach workers helping older residents shovel out from under the snow:

These outreach workers realize the difference a small gesture can make. McHale told of one man who had lived in his house for a half-century, always taking care of it himself. But he could no longer reach the light bulb leading to the basement, so he hadn't changed it in years. As a result, he hadn't gone into the basement.

McHale changed the bulb.

"When he flicked on the switch," McHale recalled, "and he saw the light, he sat there and cried."

Learn more about whether our communities are ready for an aging society in this article from Coming of Age "Learning" Guide Rennie Cohen. Read more about the Rhawnhurst NORC here.

 
We list events and opportunities here we think will be of interest to people 50+ who want to make a difference. If you know of any such events, please send us details. If you attended an event you learned about here, please send us a review.



The Poetry of Law?
It's Law and Society Week at the Community College of Philadelphia and you will find interesting public events with impressive speakers every day. Topics include gun violence, immigration, hate crimes, organized crime and -- yes -- the poetry of law. The events culminate in a mayoral candidate forum on Friday.



Developing a Quality Mentoring Program
2:00pm - 5:00pm in Center City
Coming of Age partner United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania offers a class on how to start a quality mentoring program or improve the effectiveness of an existing one.



Forum on the Health Crises Sweeping the Developing World
6:00pm on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania
"Years from now, historians will ask how it was possible that the world allowed AIDS to throttle and eviscerate a continent, and… watched the tragedy unfold, in real time, while we toyed with the game of reform," said Stephen Lewis, former UN Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. Lewis will speak about the political, diplomatic and human rights dimensions of the health crises in the developing world in this Penn Global Forum.

South Philadelphia Environmental Forum
6:00pm in South Philadelphia
Clean Air Council asks you to attend this community forum to discuss environmental issues in South Philadelphia such as asthma, empty lots and water quality.

State of the City
5:30pm - 7:30pm in Center City
"Some of Philadelphia’s great minds will take a look back at the accomplishments of the past year, offer a sneak peek at the developments they are working on, and their dreams for the City’s future" at the 5th annual State of the City(pdf) ($30).

Rethinking Philadelphia
7:30am - 9:30am in Center City
Join business leaders, community leaders and concerned citizens for Rethinking Philadelphia, a forum exploring the positive social and economic impact of investing in the region's youth, especially high school students. ($35)

HIV/AIDS Advocacy in China
10:00am at Temple University
Temple's Beasley School of Law will sponsor a forum at which leading human rights advocates speak about their work and the state of non-governmental organization legal advocacy in China.

Philadelphia Talks: The Future of Print Journalism
7:00pm in Center City
Howell Raines, Zachary Stalberg and Larry Platt lead a discussion at the National Constitution Center about the changing roles of area newspapers. ($5 for non-members)

Race to Execution
7pm in Center City
Coming of Age partner WHYY, along with ITVS Community Cinema, present a free screening of Race to Execution, a new documentary that traces the fates of two death row inmates and exposes the factors that influence who lives and who dies at the hands of the state. There will be a post-film panel discussion.

Help Organize a Peace Parade
7pm in Northwest Philly
Activists are organizing a parade on Germantown Avenue about universal health care and city-wide recycling at the Northwest Greens' monthly meeting. Weavers' Way Meeting Room, 610 Carpenter Lane, Mt. Airy, 215-843-4256.

Help Survivors of Torture
7pm in West Philly
A night of music, art and information about work being done in Central America and in the USA to combat torture.



Work to End Homelessness
5pm - 7pm in Center City
Every Sunday, Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness volunteers and staff walk the streets and alleys of Center City to engage and help homeless people. Learn More.

 

Sponsor:


VISTA is looking for experienced, energetic individuals who want to make a full-time, year long commitment to fight poverty. If you’re retiring soon, already there, or want to take a year off for a year of service, VISTA may be for you. More About VISTA

This Week's VISTA Opportunity
Alleviate poverty by building systems that will enable growth and increase the number of homes built. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity. More About this Opportunity



Announcements:



Creativity and Aging
Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Dr. Gene Cohen, one of the world’s leading experts on how creativity can enrich and expand our lives as we age. A MetLife Forum, presented by the Arts and Business Council of Greater Philadelphia with additional support from Coming of Age, Wednesday, March 14 at 5 pm at the College of Physicians. Learn More


Boomervision!^®
Our spring ’07 series, with lectures again held at WHYY, begins March 27. Our theme: WELCOME TO THE REVOLUTION.

The first session will be on The New Sexual Revolution — Love and Sex in the Time of the Boomers. Learn More.