Donna presenting during the IYF celebration at UN Headquarters in New York

Generations United Riding the Momentum

We're still riding the high from last week's release of our latest signature report, Intergenerational Family Connections: The Relationships that Support a Strong America, with the Alliance for Children and Families at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on May 13. That day, the Huffington Post published Donna and Susan Dreyfus's piece, "Modern Family Relationships Support a Strong America." Two days after the release, Donna presented the report at the United Nations 20th anniversary of the International Year of the Family (IYF) 2014 celebration at UN Headquarters in New York. The IYF event, which was broadcasted around the world, coincided with the release of Family Futures, the commemorative publication (check out the digital version; hardcopies are available for purchase through the UN's Bookshop). To top it off, Amy Goyer, AARP's family expert and a panelist from our Press Club event, highlighted the report in a blog post on family connections for AARP. Read her blog. 

Generations United Shout Out

We thank our friend, Dr. Matthew Kaplan, for featuring Donna's Huffington Post piece, "Mr. Rogers Understood the Importance of Intergenerational Play," in his Ideas for Intergenerational Living Newsletter. Read the blog post that Donna co-authored with Dr. Sally Newman. Contact Dr. Kaplan to subscribe to his e-alerts.  

Jewish American Heritage Month

In recognition of the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture, we highlight the Jewish Council for the Aging (JCA) Heyman Interages Center in Rockville, Maryland, that's been around for over 40 years. Through the JCA's "Connecting The Generations" program, children and older adults collaborate and become friends. Learn more about the JCA's additional programs. 

Join Senior Corps Week

Each year, elected officials and community leaders highlight the impact of Senior Corps volunteers during Senior Corps Week, May 19-23, 2014. Senior Corps is encouraging advocacy with a survey and by featuring Senior Corps volunteers through service projects and recognition events. Learn more

Participate in an Intergenerational Challenge

Cool Program Ideas - Text them, Tweet them or Facebook Post them!

Got something cool your organization tried and was successful in connecting generations, why not tweet them to #cooligideas, post them to our Facebook Group, Intergenerational Connections (if you're a Youth Jumpstart Grantee, share your ideas in that Facebook group) or text us through Facebook's Messenger app (friend me to join our Cool Intergenerational Ideas group discussion)? We want to highlight innovative age-optimized programs and practices through our blog, social media and weekly e-newsletter! Disclaimer: Spotlighting ideas does not imply Generations United's endorsement or recommendation, but rather encourages ideas to inspire other programs. Share the inspiration. 

Friendship

In Friendships With The Heart (illustrated by Michele C. Barnes), Generations United's member Glenna C. Orr's human characters and four-legged creatures accept one another despite their differences. Through friendship, they find a way around life's challenges emboldened by their compassion for, and trust of, one another. Learn more

New Book Calls for Government to Prioritize Children and Families

In his latest book, Dead Men Ruling, the Urban Institute's Gene Steurle urges readers "to move beyond yesteryear's stale debates toward a 21st-century agenda" that prioritizes children and their future, promotes opportunity and mobility, and creates a government that's both effective and lean. Learn more

There's Still Time to Celebrate with Generations United and Seabury

Donna Butts will be awarded the 2014 Leadership in Aging Award at Seabury Resources for Aging's 90th anniversary dinner at the National Press Club on June 1. The award, according to Seabury, is for our organization's "work as a champion of the development and expansion of policies and programs bringing children, youth and older adults together." Donna's among the three honorees for that evening. Register today!

Request for Women out of the Workforce

A reporter with a national beat is seeking women ages 45-54 who have dropped out of the workforce after being laid off during, or in the years following, the most recent recession. If you know of any such person and could pass along their names and contact information to Generations United's Communications Specialist Alan King, so we can share them with the reporter, she would be very grateful. 

Publications for Sale

Under One Roof and Connecting Generations are available for the shipping and handling price. At $3.50, Under One Roof is an invaluable guide on starting and strengthening intergenerational shared site programs, where children/youth and older adults participate in ongoing services and/or programming concurrently at the same site. Connecting Generations, a user-friendly guide to creating meaningful intergenerational programs, is available for $4.50. Order your copies today!

Treat Yourself GRAND!  

As a reader of Generations This Week, you can receive a complimentary subscription to GRAND, the online magazine by grandparents, for grandparents. That's a $19.95 value for 12 issues.

Apply for your subscription and get valuable offers, inspirational stories, and more. Each new, bimonthly issue will be delivered right to your inbox!