Newsletter of the Vital Aging Network--
celebrating 20 years of service and education!
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In this edition
- Donate to VAN today!
- Aging with Gusto news
- Oakdale Wellness 50+ instrumental in Age-Friendly Communities designation
- In the news
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GIVE MN Day is November 18
Support VAN--
On Give MN (Give to the Max) day, November 18
Give MN or Give to the Max is a statewide outpouring of support for nonprofits and schools across Minnesota! Give MN day is Thursday, November 18, but you don’t have to wait to support VAN. You can donate now, so search GiveMN.org for the Vital Aging Network and donate today.
Remember, you can donate to VAN any day of the year by visiting the "Donate" page on the VAN website:
Why support VAN with your donation?
For more than 20 years, VAN has been empowering Minnesotans to be vital, live fully, and contribute to community.
Founded in 2001, the Vital Aging Network (VAN) works to promote self-determination, civic engagement, and personal growth for people as they age. (VAN is based in the Minnesota Twin Cities.)
VAN provides avenues for you to: learn, engage, and lead.
What have we done lately? Here's a review of 2020-2021
Like many nonprofits, VAN has faced challenges during the past months. COVID required us to redesign our popular Aging with Gusto program as a virtual, Zoom program. (Normally AWG is an in-person series of facilitated discussions focused on helping participants define what "living with gusto" means to them.)
By focusing on outdoor activities, our Wellness 50+ program was able to remain vital and active providing opportunities for participants to meet in person and enjoy fun, fellowship, and great exercise. In addition, Wellness 50+ supported the community by helping sponsor blood drives and flu shot clinics. And the Oakdale Wellness 50+ group has been instrumental in assisting that community and achieving Age-Friendly Community status through AARP.
We need your help: donate today.
These initiatives require a great deal of volunteer time, and they cost money. Please donate today to support VAN as it continues to grow through the coming year. Go to GiveMN.org Search for the Vital Aging Network and donate today.
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From VAN Director Mark Skeie
'Tis the season for giving. The Vital Aging Network (VAN) is looking for your donations to assist us during the coming year.
With the pandemic still raging, many foundations have focused their giving on basic needs. As it has for two decades, VAN continues to focus its energy on programs such as Aging with Gusto and Wellness 50+. During the past 12 months, VAN has touched over 1,200 individuals with programming, from snowshoeing last February to weekly hikes. Other opportunities included kayaking, bike rides, and our popular book clubs.
During the past 20 years, we have touched communities across the state of Minnesota. With your support we will continue to grow. VAN is an all-volunteer organization, so all contributions will go towards our programs.
We are part of Give to the Max effort. See donation details above.
Thank you for support!
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A poem for our times
VAN member Barb Rose offered us this poem by Margaret Wheatley.
Margaret (Meg) Wheatley is an American writer, teacher, speaker, and management consultant who works to create organizations and communities worthy of human habitation.
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Turning to One Another—by Margaret Wheatley
There is no power greater than a community
Discovering what it cares about.
Ask “What’s possible?” not “What’s wrong?”
Keep asking.
Notice what you care about.
Assume that many others share your dreams.
Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.
Talk to people you know.
Talk to people you don’t know.
Talk to people you never talk to.
Be intrigued by the differences you hear.
Expect to be surprised.
Treasure curiosity more than certainty.
Invite everyone who cares to work on what’s possible.
Acknowledge that everyone is an expert about something.
Know that creative solutions come from new connections.
Remember, you don’t fear people whose story you know.
Real listening always brings people closer together.
Trust that meaningful conversations can change the work.
Rely on human goodness.
Stay together.
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Notes from Aging with Gusto (AWG) |
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Aging with Gusto--a three-part workshop to ignite positive views of aging
Aging with Gusto is one of the programs of the Vital Aging Network. Aging with Gusto works to ignite a more positive view of aging.
Aging with Gusto offers a three-session discussion series, currently only online. The discussions are led by trained facilitators and offer plenty of time for participants to engage and learn from one another.
The purpose of these sessions is to:
- Encourage more positive views of aging.
- Increase awareness of ageism and its impact on attitudes, behaviors, and experience with aging.
- Explore how to maintain our well-being and manage challenges as we age.
- Develop ideas for how to age with gusto.
"I’ve appreciated the chance to connect with people. We’re all feeling in many ways the same. It helps to feel I’m not alone in this. Thanks so much for this awesome program!"
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Questions about any Aging with Gusto sessions? Contact Coordinator Donna Comer at donnajmcomer@gmail.com or 763-226-4729.
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AWG offers Ageism Workshops, too!
Aging with Gusto also offers workshops on ageism designed for organizations and individuals interested in addressing the negative impacts of ageism in their work with older people and their business environments. This workshop aligns with many organizations' Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
We all have a role to play in igniting more positive views of aging. If we aren't aware, we can be complicit in spreading negative ideas about aging. If we are intentional with our thoughts and actions, we can promote dignity and well-being as we age.
The Ageism Workshops provide a forum for people to raise their awareness about ageism and its impacts on older adults. This interactive workshop helps participants identify ways to address ageism in their work and personal lives.
Format: Normally a 90-minute to two-hour session, the workshop can also be delivered in greater depth and application for work environments in a three-to-four hour format.
"It opened my eyes to ageism. I’ve done some work on racism and sexism and yet it was not a small leap to get to [recognizing] ageism. Now that I’m aware of it, I see it more often and I’ve learned to check myself on what I say. It’s changing my thinking."
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Cottage Grove - Forest Lake - Oakdale - Stillwater - Woodbury
Phillips Neighborhood
What is Wellness 50+?
Wellness 50+ has active teams in Washington County (Cottage Grove, Forest Lake, Oakdale, Stillwater and Woodbury). It also has a team in the Minneapolis Phillips neighborhood. Its purpose is to promote health and wellness in those communities. Wellness 50+ teams plan and facilitate activities that include walking groups, healthy cooking classes, book clubs, recipe sharing and more.
Click here to learn more about Wellness 50+ goals and strategies.
Currently Wellness 50+ is creating its calendar of events for 2022. Watch for information about a comprehensive list of both indoor and outdoor activities on the horizon for the new year.
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Oakdale named as an Age-Friendly Community _
Oakdale Wellness 50+ plays a significant role!
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Oakdale has just been designated as the state's newest Age-Friendly Community, joining 575 communities across the US and a dozen communities in Minnesota to improve the lives of seniors.
Oakdale Wellness has been working toward expanding its reach in the community, and the Age-Friendly designation will help achieve that goal.
Age-Friendly Communities join a program designed by AARP that takes five years to fully achieve. Next steps include a community survey and an action plan. This effort is led by Colleen Herrmann of the Oakdale Wellness team and supported by the Oakdale City Council and mayor.
Five of the Oakdale Wellness 50+ team members have joined the Age-Friendly task force, composed of community members from a variety of Oakdale businesses and institutions.
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Oakdale Wellness 50+ blood drive filmed by Suburban Community Channels
The city of Oakdale and Oakdale Wellness 50+ sponsored a blood drive on Friday, October 22, at the Oakdale Discovery Center. Suburban Community Channels was there to film the event and to interview Wellness 50+ representative Polly Carlson.
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You can get a free A1C test in November |
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The Cottage Grove Wellness 50+ team has been meeting with Jena DeMoss, the local Hy-Vee dietitian for the Cottage Grove and Oakdale Hy-Vee stores.
She would like you to know that during the month of November, Hy-Vee dietitians will be conducting 1,000 FREE A1C screenings at over 50 locations. Hemoglobin A1c is a blood test that those living with diabetes use to manage their blood glucose levels and provides information about the average levels of blood glucose over a 2-3 month period. You can register here for a screening at Hy-Vee .
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For more information about VAN's Wellness 50+ program
or e-mail: wellness50mn@gmail.com
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Thoughts about caregivers, the COVID crisis, Minnesota's response, possible solutions and more
It's not news to anyone that during the COVID pandemic, our caregivers have faced a crisis. However, the website Face Aging MN recently compiled several articles that provide an overview of the sitiuation that's worth reviewing.
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Want to know more about the Senior LinkAge Line?
If you've wondered if the services offered by the Senior LinkAge Line might be a resource for you, this story first published by Trellis in October will be of interest. Read the story here.
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Would you like to receive the Vital Aging Network e-Bulletin? Subscribe now.
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