We took to the airwaves recently, invited by WWDB Boomer Generation Radio talk show host Richard Address-- that's him on the left-- to let his listeners know what Coming of Age is up to in Philly. It’s all been memorialized via a podcast that you can check out here. Also, the current issue of Kiplinger's Retirement Report includes an article featuring Coming of Age. Alas, there’s no online version, but if you have a subscription, we’re on the page one in “Try Something New with an Encore Career.”

AARP recently named long-time Coming of Age champion Bill Johnston-Walsh as AARP Pennsylvania state director. Bill will lead advocacy, community outreach and education efforts throughout the state. He’s been with AARP for seven years; before that he was Deputy Secretary for the Pennsylvania Department of Aging. He’s also currently chair of the Mayor's Commission on Aging in Philadelphia. You know the old PA license plate slogan, “You’ve got a friend in Pennsylvania?”  For older adults, Bill could well be our BFF. 

The Intergenerational Center is looking for a part-time Financial Analyst to assist with a variety of Business Office activities, including conducting daily financial operations and assisting with pre- and post-grant award work such as developing budgets, reconciling expenses, doing budget projections, and maintaining records.  

Guess what?  We 50 plussers make better decisions.  It’s all right here.  We’re also volunteering more—or so it says here.  But maybe not; another report says we’re volunteering less. You decide. One thing we defintely are doing is helping our elders more, a phenomenon that is good for all concerned.  And for those of you who don’t like growing older (We don't understand that; we think it’s a great thing to do!) you might try revving up your “cellular garbage disposal” (Bet you didn't know you had one!) to delay the aging process.  BTW, we’re not kidding.

Coming of Age is All About What People 50+ Can Do. Alas, some of what we’re doing is not so good. For instance, we’re killing ourselves more. Literally. Boomer suicide rates, particularly for men, are up. And if you’re doing something that’s not good for your heart, there’s a good chance it’s probably also not good for your brain.  And lastly, no less than the Huffington Post argues that we’re doing our elders a good bit of disservice.   

Like Salt-n-Pepa sang, let’s talk about sex. First up, an LGBT thing. The LGBT Elder Initiative will host a workshop to address obstacles to health and wellness for LGBT older women on Saturday, May 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the South Philadelphia Older Adult Center. More info and to register? 267-546-3448 or info@lgbtei.org.  And why aren’t most men, gay or straight, getting help with erectile dysfunction?  What’s up with that?  Some good news for postmenopausal women, though: Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) significantly improves muscle function. 

And Philly's got 104 parks for you to choose from-- all participating in this year's LOVE Your Park Week, May 11-18. There are so many great opportunities to volunteer and make a difference in your neighborhood! Visit LoveYourPark.org to view the calendar of events and sign up to volunteer!

Grab the kids and the grandkids (if you got ‘em) and ease on down to Parkway Central Library on May 18 from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. for A Storied Evening: the Second Annual Fun Family Event! Enjoy a digital scavenger hunt (Sounds rad, no?) geared towards children ages 6-10, throughout the library, with hidden clues themed around books by award-winning illustrator David Wiesner; arts and crafts activities led by the Fairmount & Queen Village Art Center for 4-10 year olds; and a casual dinner for the whole crew.

The arts and the environment—what do they have in common? Discuss. Actually, you can do much more than that at the day-long Beyond the Surface: Environmental Art in Action Conference presented by the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education on May 31. The event will bring cutting-edge artists and arts professionals to Philadelphia to explore ways art can create environmental awareness while restoring ecological systems.  Conference details and registration information (there is a fee) are here.

1. Try scoping out some of the Volunteer Opportunities from Coming of Age partner, United Way!  What interests you?  Education?  Financial literacy?  Health?  Community-building?  The United Way’s Action Center is the ticket—the ticket to some great volunteer opportunities.  Click on "Read More" below.
2. You want more volunteer opportunities?  Then check out this great listing from Serve Philadelphia.

Saint James School, a faith-based Philadelphia neighborhood school for traditionally under-served students, educates middle school students in a nurturing environment and with a challenging academic program. And they need a middle school music teacher.  Could that be you?  Here are all the deatils.