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.



What's New
Coming Soon
Have We Got an Opportunity for You!
Make-A-Difference Calendar
Past Issues


 
With a month to go before the election, it’s time to take a closer look at the Presidential candidates' proposals to reduce the burden of healthcare costs and expand coverage for the millions of uninsured among us. Below you’ll find links to both candidates’ proposals: Click on each name: * John McCain * Barack Obama


In this Newsweek article, the author, Mark Miller, tells about a visit with his 80-year-old mother who is struggling with Alzheimer's disease. In his attempt to connect with her, he began talking about their cat, B.C., remembered from his youth. His mother immediately brightened as she recounted the many variations on the cat's name. In telling the story, they shared a brief moment that brought them together, captured the meaning of pets as "family" for both Boomers and their parents, and showed how a link to the past can open a door to the present.


While most people don't think of Baby Boomers as the Internet generation, the numbers show that more and more folks 50 and over are using the Internet for personal and business needs. In fact, eMarketer.com reports that over the next four years, the number of Boomers who use the Internet at least once a month will grow by more than 4 million, totalling 63.7 million in 2011. Boomer sites are increasing -- and PC magazine has compiled a list of 10 sites that it thinks are the best...




 
The City of Philadelphia is undertaking a major effort to recruit at least 300 Spanish-speaking interpreters for the November 4th election. Given the importance of this year's election, the city has teamed up with Campus Philly to find those who are fluent in Spanish to serve as interpreters for Spanish-speaking Philadelphia residents. Volunteers will attend a two-hour training and certification session shortly before the election and work a 6.5 hour shift on election day. To volunteer, respond by Wednesday, October 15th, by e-mailing Campus Philly.


In past elections, Asian Americans have faced a series of discriminatory barriers when they have tried to exercise their right to vote. There have been mis-translated ballots, missing translated signs, and hostile poll workers. In response, the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Pennsylvania (APABA-PA) has monitored elections for compliance with the federal law and other instances of anti-Asian voter discrimination. Volunteers are needed to make sure these abuses don't take place. You don't have to be a lawyer. Read More.




  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:




WHYY, a Coming of Age founding partner, is recruiting reliable, detail-oriented volunteers to assist with its upcoming on-air fundraiser, October 15th to 24th, for 91 FM, its radio station in the Delaware Valley. Volunteers use personal headsets and computers to answer phones, accept pledges of support, and perform simple data entry. Training and food will be provided; volunteer coordinators will help answer all questions. To sign up, contact Nadine Vassallo or call (215) 351-1261.



The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office is seeking adult neighborhood volunteers to serve on Youth Aid Panels. The program gives first-time juvenile offenders an opportunity to stay away from the criminal justice system and move toward more productive life choices. Through a contract with a volunteer, the offender has to fulfill obligations, including community service and restitution, to complete the program. An extensive training program is offered to volunteers. To learn more, call the District Attorney's Office at (215) 686-7634 or (215) 686-7600, or click on this website.


Become a caring pen pal, online, to a third to fifth grade student! Through In2Books, an e-literacy program, you will correspond with an elementary school child via online letters about important issues in five books that you will read together throughout the school year. It only takes a few hours a month from September through June. To ensure the safety of the students, all pen pals will need to pass a standard background check ($6 processing fee applies).To learn more or to become a pen pal, click here.





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 Silver Lake Nature Center, 1306 Bath Road, Bristol, PA
Help Silver Lake Nature Center, a 253-acre "natural treasure"in the heart of the southern portion of Bucks County, maintain their grounds and building at Volunteer Work Days on the first Saturday of each month from 9 am-2 pm. Give them four hours of labor, and they'll give you lunch! Call (215)785-1177 to register.


3:00 pm at Friends Meeting House, 4th and Arch Sts., Philadelphia
Sustainability has become a by-word in so many conversations about the environment, buildings, and how we plan for the future. In a three-hour workshop, architect Jason Kliwinski will explain what sustainability means in the built environment and provide an understanding of the relationship between preservation, adaptive re-use and sustainability for those who are puzzling through the "new"approach to construction and making our homes more environmentally sound. Call (206) 202-2883 or e-mail for information. $20.


11:00 am at Gershman Y, Broad and Pine Sts., Philadelphia
Economic and employment issues loom large over the 2008 elections. Steven Greenhouse, labor and workplace reporter for The New York Times, and author of The Big Squeeze, will discuss the changing environment for workers, the contracting middle class, and how increasing pressure on American employees is affecting politics and economic development in 2008 and beyond. Ticket includes light brunch. $20 - $25. Call (215) 446-3021 or register online.


6:00 pm at White Dog Cafe, 3420 Sansom Street, Philadelphia
Author, Mark Winne, who wrote "Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Tabel in the Land of Plenty,"will tell the story of how we get our food, from low income families at food pantries to the more comfortable classes, who are increasingly seeking out organic and local produce. Winne has dedicated his professional life to finding local, state, and federal solutions to America's food disparities. Join Winne for a three-course dinner at 6 pm; discussion at 7: 30 pm (free if space permits.) $38/person with tax and gratuity. Call (215) 386-9224 for reservations.


10:00 am at Penn Museum, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia
"Fulfilling a Prophecy", organized by Penn Museum and the Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania, features never-before-displayed objects from the private collections of Lenape people in Pennsylvania, in addition to historic and contemporary photographs, and archaeological objects from the collections of Penn Museum. Ancient masks, dolls, jewelry, and other traditional arts, as well as a number of once-secret family heirlooms from the 1800s, await you at this extraordinary exhibit that has just started its year-long run. $8 adults; $5 children. For information, call (215) 898-4000.


6:00 pm at University of Pennsylvania, 3403 Walnut St., Room 329-A, Philadelphia
Since 1987, every U.S. President has proclaimed German-American Day on October 6 to recognize the substantial contributions that German immigrants have made to the United States. In celebration, a lecture "German American Women's Activism: Constructing Gender Roles and Ethnic Identity"will be given by Dr. Anke Ortlepp, Research Fellow, German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C., at the University of Pennsylvania's Max Kade German Center. A reception will follow the discussion. FREE. Call (215) 947-5490 for information.


7:00 pm at Essene Food Market and Cafe, 719 S. 4th Street, Philadelphia
Eric Chung of the Clean Air Council will discuss how transportation has a significant, adverse impact on our regional air quality. While it is sobering news, Chung will offer ways that we can make a positive difference. FREE. For information, call (215) 922-1146.


9:00 am at Congregation Keneseth Israel, 8339 Old York Road, Elkins Park, PA
The Art of Memory is an interactive community-based installation created by internationally-recognized artist, Michele Brody. For more than six months, Brody researched the communities of Elkins Park and East and West Oak Lanes seeking background and learning about the people who enriched the area. She recorded interviews with residents and business owners and explored the North Broad Street site of the former home of Congregation Temple Judea. Check out this glimpse of the past.





For You and Those You Care For


The 2009 Medicare prescription drug and Medicare Advantage plan has been announced and beneficiaries should review and compare their coverage. Approximately 97 percent of beneficiaries enrolled in a stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) will have access to Medicare drug and health plans in 2009 whose premiums would be the same or less than their coverage in 2008. 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."