Inspiring Opportunities is an e-mail 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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When you find yourself fumbling for a name at a party, don't despair. Odds are that this so-called "senior moment" is not a sign of declining brainpower, but the activity of your mature brain as it sifts through accumulated knowledge, assimilates data, and puts it all in its proper place. Your brain is making connections that don't focus on specifics like phone numbers, but are key to problem-solving... and considered the essence of wisdom. To learn how truly wise you are, check out this article in The New York Times.


If you're looking for or thinking about switching to part-time work, don't immediately conclude that you have to give up benefits in exchange for more flexibility. More and more companies are offering benefits to part-time employees in an attempt to attract and retain harder-working, more-qualified staff. Some positions include perks like free products, discounts to movies and theme parks, recreation center memberships, or a matching gifts program. If retail work is not for you, look for other part-time openings at banks, universities, and hospitals. Read More.


Being online, you are in the perfect spot to check out a few new websites targeted at the 50+ crowd. Myera (think "my era") provides advice, resources and ongoing support to help you identify personal, career, and financial goals and develop an action plan. Eldr "celebrates aging" with cartoons, blogs, health news, book and movie reviews, and lots more. Generations on Line is dedicated to enhancing communication among generations by promoting Internet access and literacy to people 65+. Second50years is aimed at those marketing to Boomers. While it offers a how-to for the marketers among us, it provides an interesting look at what products and services entrepreneurs think have cache with the 50+ crowd. Let us know your thoughts about these websites.


What could be more gratifying than being greeted by a group of second-graders chanting your name and cheering as you enter their classroom? Eleanor Mammino can't hide her delight at being able to work with children, on a one-to-one basis, as a volunteer for Coming of Age partner Senior Adults for Greater Education, known as S.A.G.E., located in Bucks County, PA. The kids want more Mrs. (or Mr.) Mamminos! No experience needed. The Buck County Courier Times has captured the excitement of this wonderful way to connect and contribute. Read More.




 
West Park Cultural and Opportunity Center, a nonprofit that uses art to build community, and the High School of the Future are preparing for the First Annual West Park Arts Festival on May 31st... and need volunteers! The festival will be held inside and on the grounds of the School of the Future, with support from the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Please Touch Museum, and Microsoft. Volunteers will help distribute materials and guide attendees through the festival that will feature live performances, computer demonstrations, and arts and crafts vendors. If you are interested, please contact Tracey Parker or call (215) 473-7810.





  If you know of a volunteer opportunity in the Greater Philadelphia area that you would like featured here, e-mail details to havewegot@comingofage.org. You can find more opportunities at:




It's shocking, but more than one out of every three children in our nation's capital lives in deep poverty! You can help change that by becoming a VISTA at A Wider Circle, a grassroots nonprofit organization that has developed effective solutions for helping children and adults break the cycles of poverty and achieve greater stability and independence in a variety of settings throughout the Washington, DC area. As the Marketing and Fund-raising Coordinator, you will work with others to identify and pursue new sources of sustainable funding to support programs and operations. Read More.


Coming of Age partner Mid County Senior Services has a part-time, one-year, grant-funded position available for someone familiar with construction, home repair, house painting, and weatherization. You are needed to supervise and coordinate groups and individual volunteers in these tasks through Mid County's Chore Connection program. If you have flexibility in your schedule, the ability to travel for meetings and events, and excellent problem-solving skills, please contact L. Lynn Shelton at (610) 353-6641 or by e-mail.


BuildaBridge is a nonprofit arts education organization that works with vulnerable children and families. It partners with homeless shelters and transitional homes to provide art education and art therapy to children and youth residing there. What's needed are Classroom Assistants to help the lead teacher run the class and build healthy relationships with the children. Classes start in September. To apply (by May 30, 2008!), contact Sarah Heady or call (215) 842-0428 x15 with any questions.


The Woods School is recruiting volunteers to teach women residents at its Langhorne, PA campus how to knit...and to "knit together" this multi-aged group through spending time together, talking, laughing, and learning a new skill. The women, who have mental and/or physical disabilities, are eager to meet new people and get involved in projects. To volunteer, please e-mail Jennifer Hand.




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

And don't forget to check out our website Community Calendar too!


9:00 am at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens, 1022-1024 South Street, Philadelphia
Join ubiquitous mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar for an intensive 2-day (2nd day on Sunday at 9 am) mosaic-making workshop. Meet Saturday morning at Philadelphia's Magic Gardens and spend the weekend creating a full-scale outdoor mosaic in Bella Vista. You'll learn how to break tile safely, cut and glue mirror pieces, and mix the multi-colored cement that makes these mosaics so memorable. $250. Call (215) 733-0390 to register.


9:30 am at National Constitution Center, 525 Arch Street, Philadelphia
Memorial Day weekend is a great time to visit the National Constitution Center. Visitors will learn about the history of the holiday and how poppies came to be the symbol of the day. On view will also be Memorials:The Way America Remembers, a special program about the history of our nation’s most interesting memorials. Special programs FREE with Center admission.


10:00 am at Philadelphia Museum of Art, Perelman Building, Fairmount and Pennsylvania Aves., Philadelphia
Do clothes make the person?... or do they define the culture? Maybe both. Satisfy your curiosity about kimonos, a beautiful and quintessentially Japanese clothing creation that has influenced fashion designers around the globe. This exhibition features approximately 90 kimonos created in the early to mid-twentieth century. Some reflect historical continuity; others illustrate a dramatic break with tradition, when Western designs began to predominate.


10:00 am at Schuylkill Banks, Market Street, Philadelphia
Get a first-hand look at the boats being used by our Navy's elite teams at Schuylkill Banks. You will have an up-close and personal view of an Mk V Special Operations Craft and demonstrations by Navy Seals and Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewmen (SWCCs). There will be tours of these state-of-the-art boats, a chance to meet the Navy SEALs and SWCCs, and the opportunity to learn more about our fleet.


6:30 pm at Northeast Community Center for Mental Health/Mental Retardation, 4641 Roosevelt Boulevard, Philadelphia
Those with mentally ill loved ones are invited to these weekly meetings for sharing and support. It can be a real comfort to spend time with others who truly understand what you are experiencing. FREE. To learn more, call (215) 831-2800.


7:30 pm at L'Etage, 624 S. 6th Street (above Beau Monde), Philadelphia
After an unbroken string of sold-out shows last year, First Person Arts’ Story Slams are back. Philadelphia’s one and only competitive story-telling series invites audience members to tell a true-to-life 5-minute story, focused on the night’s chosen theme. The theme for the evening is "Secrets." A winner is crowned at the end of the night, and he or she gets a chance to face the other winners at the First Person Festival Grand Slam in November. Think yours is the story to beat? Bring it on! First Person Arts is a Coming of Age partner. $5 admission.


9:00 am at Cherry Hill Public Library, 1100 Kings Highway, North Cherry Hill, NJ
Those with disabilities, their loved ones, and disability professionals will want to attend this lecture series sponsored by Bancroft NeuroHealth on helping people with disabilities become more active members of society. The day-long seminar, including two panel discussions, will feature Rachel Simon, author of the best-selling memoir, "Riding the Bus with My Sister." The book chronicles her growing understanding of her sister's challenges. To learn more, contact Kathy Ross at (856) 429-5637, ext. 336, or e-mail. Continental breakfast and lunch included. $25.



12:00 pm at Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia
Don't miss Richard Clarke's talk about his new book, "Your Government Failed You: Breaking the Cycle of National Security Threats." Clarke, a best-selling author, has worked for seven presidents and devoted three decades of his professional life to combating security threats to the United States. He will discuss why security failures keep occurring and how the U.S. can prevail against the looming terrorist threat. FREE. For more information, call (215) 686-5322.


5:30 pm at University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, 3620 South St., Philadelphia
The Penn Science Cafe visits Surviving:The Body of Evidence, at the University's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Janet Monge, co-curator of the exhibition, hosts a tour of it that will explore the most personal link we have to the impact of evolution--our own bodies. The Penn Science Café lecture series takes science out of the lab and treats it to a night on the town. The Café is your chance to ask a leading expert questions about science. FREE. Please RSVP to Jordan Reese.



7:00 pm at Northeast Regional Library, 2228 Cottman Avenue, Philadelphia
Weather and history buffs: mark this date on your calendars! Historian Mark McLaughlin will give a slide presentation and lead a discussion on the storm-trapped pioneers who faced starvation and death in 1846 as they tried to reach California. McLaughlin's book, "The Donner Party: Weathering the Storm," will be available for signing and sale. FREE. Call (215) 685-0522 for information.


7:00 pm at Independence Visitor Center, 1 N. Independence Mall West, Philadelphia, PA
This one-of-a-kind tour, sponsored by the Friends of Independence National Historical Park, will include a candlelit tour of Independence Hall and the Independence Historic area. Expert guides will share stories highlighting the Philadelphia chapter in the lives of Jefferson, Washington, and Franklin. Travel along the same cobblestone streets, paths, and alleyways taken by these great men over 200 years ago. $25. To register, call 1 (800)-537-7676.


7:00 am at Radisson Valley Forge, 1160 First Avenue, King of Prussia, PA
Children are our future... and this Business Leaders Summit will make the economic case for why we all need to be advocates for quality early childhood education. Investments in early childhood education create the foundation for a stable and talented workforce, low unemployment, and engaged, active citizens. United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, a Coming of Age founding partner, is among the organizers of this event. Open to all. To register, contact Denise Gordon.





For You and Those You Care For


Back in the day, people generally got both Social Security retirement benefits and Medicare coverage starting at age 65. The eligibility age to get Medicare has not changed. However, the age to get full Social Security retirement benefits (called your “Full Retirement Age”) has changed for some people. It now depends on the year you were born, and some people don’t get full retirement benefits until age 67. To find out when you will reach your full retirement age and how that affects your Social Security retirement benefits, visit www.socialsecurity.gov on the web. You can also call Social Security at 1- (800) 772-1213. Read 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. Living allowances and other benefits are provided. More About VISTA

See this week's featured VISTA opportunity under "Have We Got an Opportunity For You."