Imagine a world where everyone’s abilities and strengths are celebrated, where inclusion fosters creativity and workable solutions, and where we benefit from positive attitudes about age.
In this issue of the Navigator, we are delighted to announce The Village Chicago’s 2022 Trailblazer Awards for an individual, an organization, and an author. These outstanding recipients are helping to transform attitudes, change policy, and improve our health and wellbeing at every age.
Please help us celebrate these remarkable Trailblazers and enjoy an evening filled with fun, friends, and world class entertainment (featuring Porchlight Theatre performers) at our annual benefit on September 16, Can’t Stop the Beat!
Thank you for helping us turn the page on age!
Warm regards,
Darcy Evon, CEO
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Trailblazer Award for an Author |
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Dr. Becca Levy has helped transform our understanding of the aging process through her ground-breaking book, Breaking the Age Code: How Your Beliefs About Aging Determine How Long and Well You Live (William Morrow, 2022). Levy does a brilliant job debunking stereotypes and myths about aging that will shock and delight you.
Through more than two decades of research as Professor of Epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health and Professor of Psychology at Yale University, Dr. Levy and her team have demonstrated that health problems attributed solely to the aging process such as hearing loss, memory loss, and cardiovascular events are in fact influenced by the negative age stereotypes and self-perceptions so dominant in our culture. The central message of these trailblazing studies is one of optimism: damaging ideas about age are malleable and can change with the potential to add an average of 7 1/2 years to the lifespan.
Her path-breaking research has received awards from the American Psychological Association, the Gerontological Society of America, and the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, and also played a key role in the World Health Organization Campaign to Combat Ageism.
Why This Matters to Everyone
We now have it in our power to forestall and even undo damage to our hearts, minds, and bodies caused by distorted or mistaken beliefs about age and aging. For example...
1. Our health destinies are not controlled by our genes. Only 25% of health is due to heredity, with 75% determined by environmental factors, many of which we can control. And through the work of Dr. Levy and others, we now know that positive age beliefs can have a powerful and beneficial impact on both our longevity and wellbeing.
2. The beneficial impact of positive age beliefs operates throughout life. Since 1958, participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging have been tested and questioned every two years on multiple aspects of aging. Now in their sixties, the young adults in the study who held positive age beliefs scored 30% better on memory tests than their peers; furthermore, the beneficial impact was greater than other influences on memory such as age, physical health, and years of education.
3. Aging is the process of living and it begins at birth. As Tracey Gendron movingly writes in her book, Ageism Unmasked, “Aging is the universal, lifelong biological, psychological, social, and spiritual process of developing over time. It is a slow and steady process of change that ultimately leads to our becoming our unique, individual selves.”
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Trailblazer Award for an Organization |
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Just as pioneering social worker Jane Addams (1860-1935) influenced social movements across the U.S, so does the work of the Jane Addams Senior Caucus (JASC). Founded by Ruth Shriman in 1976 to ensure that the voices of older adults would be heard, this multi-racial grassroots organization has made important contributions on issues that affect society at large—affordable housing, retirement security, voter registration, and more.
The recent “Senior Safety Ordinance” in Chicago is one example of JASC’s work. The legislation was written by JASC members in collaboration with others, including Alderwoman Maria Hadden of the 49th Ward. Another example is the Tenant Organizing Center. JASC staff and older adult leaders provide technical and logistical assistance to train and empower tenants living in senior housing.
JASC’s mission “envisions a world where all seniors can age with dignity and safety, free of ageism, racism, and other forms of oppression.” And its methods are based on community organizing—crossing neighborhood, racial, religious, generational, and socio-economic lines to find common ground. Surely, the Jane Addams Senior Caucus is a legacy of which Jane Addams would be proud, and it’s an organization that is contributing to the wellbeing of us all.
What’s at Stake for Everyone
The past decade saw more grassroots activism than at any time since the Great Depression, including the 1960s. And while innovative solutions to social issues can come from anywhere, they are most likely to come from people who are closest to the problems they're trying to solve, as demonstrated by the achievements of the Jane Addams Senior Caucus.
Even though JASC’s work is focused on older adults, they do not view issues through a generational lens. JASC moves towards their equity goals with the advocacy and support of younger allies, and the progress they make will benefit people of all ages.
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Trailblazer Award for an Individual |
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Whenever Dr. Aggarwal found a way to improve health and wellbeing, she did so, serving in an astounding number of leadership positions throughout her career. As a cognitive neurologist, clinical trialist, and researcher, she is a long-standing voice for the participation of underrepresented groups in community-based research, clinical trials, and public health initiatives.
She is a natural-born teacher who advocates for and mentors medical students, young physicians, and researchers in her roles as Professor in the Department of Neurological Sciences, Rush Medical College and the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center; Director of Research at the Rush Heart Center for Women; and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the American Medical Women’s Association.
She cares deeply about people and how to use advancements in medicine to improve lives. This is reflected in her work to amplify the doctor/patient relationship, beginning with the family and continuing into the community through networks of engagement and empowerment. Her considerable energy is always positive, focusing on prevention and preservation, fortified with knowledge about how to live our best lives.
Impact on Communities
Dr. Aggarwal was an important part of the team led by Martha Clare Morris at Rush University Medical Center to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of the groundbreaking MIND Diet (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). The study found the MIND diet lowered Alzheimer's risk by about 35% for people who followed it moderately well and up to 53% for those who adhered to it rigorously.
Dr. Aggarwal has shared her strengths with the Village Chicago community since its inception in 2009. She serves on the Advisory Council and is an instrumental participant on the Village’s Research Committee---bringing important research and clinical trial opportunities to the forefront of the community.
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Can't Stop The Beat! Join Us on September 16 for THE Event of the Year! |
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You won’t want to miss Can’t Stop the Beat! – THE event of the year for the Village community! At our always-fun annual benefit, there will be a performance of Broadway favorites by Chicago’s wonderful Porchlight Musical Theatre, a silent auction and raffle with terrific items—from vacations to dinners to learning experiences and more—and the presentation of our much-anticipated annual Trailblazer Awards. Can’t Stop the Beat will be held from 5-7:30 PM on Friday, September 16, at DePaul University’s Holtschneider Performance Center, 2330 N. Halsted. Call some friends and get your tickets online now! Raffle tickets are also available. And, we continue to add to our exciting auction offerings. If you have connections to someone who could offer a fabulous item or opportunity, please contact Julie Reeder at [email protected]. |
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An Important Op-ed on Ageism, Co-authored by Our CEO, is Being Syndicated Nationally |
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Darcy Evon, CEO of The Village Chicago, and Tom Kuczmarski, Co-Founder, Chicago Innovation (a partner of The Village), recently authored a well-received opinion piece on the importance of dismantling ageism. It’s all part of our Turn the Page on Age campaign. Originally published in the Chicago Tribune, the piece has appeared in other outlets, from New York to Florida. Find it here and help us turn the page on age by passing it on to others! |
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Catch Highlights from our Turn the Page on Age Kick-off Event |
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Turn the Page on Age, funded by RRF Foundation for Aging, is an age bias awareness campaign that The Village Chicago is offering in partnership with Chicago Innovation. We launched the initiative with ads on Chicago buses and billboards in April, and held a kick-off panel discussion in May. Click the image above to enjoy video highlights from the kick-off featuring Darcy Evon (The Village Chicago), Kim Hunt (Pride Action Tank), Tom Kuczmarski (co-founder, Chicago Innovation), Mary O’Donnell (RRF Foundation for Aging), and Michael Puente (WBEZ). And keep your eyes out for coming programs on how to reduce internalized age bias, which hurts your health and longevity! |
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RSVP today for our upcoming in-person and virtual events! For full descriptions and registration, visit thevillagechicago.org.
- (7/21) Weekly Walks Around SOUTH Pond*
- (7/21) Short Story Intergenerational Discussions
- (7/23) Saturday Afternoon at the Movies: Sense and Sensibility (1995)
- (7/26) Brain Connection Café
- (7/26) Exercise at Home with Jill Stein
- (7/27) NEW! “Explore Your City” Wednesday Walking Tours: Pilsen | An In-Person Event
- (7/28) Coffee Chat BYOC
- (7/29) Lunch at Big Star Restaurant on the Patio with the “Coffee Chat” Group
- (7/31) NEW! Tiny Theatre Presents: Thompson Street Opera Company's Summer Double Bill | An In-Person Event
- (8/2) NEW! Favorite Films of the '30's and '40's: The Lady Eve (1941)
- (8/3) NEW! Ageism Discussion Group Is Now Just “The Group”
- (8/4) Great Books, Great Conversations
*in the event of extreme weather, an indoor (air-conditioned!) coffee hour at Klein's Bakery & Cafe will replace the outdoor walk.
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Are you...
Looking for a new career, about to retire, wondering what's next? Seeking companions that share your interests? Searching for a way to utilize your abilities? In need of occasional help? New to Chicago? Worried about changing needs? An adult child with aging parents?
Village members are part of an inclusive, multigenerational community, connected to others and to the resources that support growth and wellbeing as we navigate life after 50 together.
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Leadership of The Village Chicago |
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Board of Directors
Karen Terry,
President
Judith Gethner
Vice President
David Baker,
Vice President
Angie Levenstein,
Secretary
Richard W. Sullivan,
Treasurer
Kathie Kolodgy,
Immediate Past President
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Donald M. Bell
Patricia Clickener
Charles G. Cooper
Caryn Curry
Thomas C. Eley III
Joan Goldstein
Bruce Hunt
Ira Kohlman
Molly Matthias
Therese Meike
Liz Metzger
Gail C. Moss
Linda Randall
Wally Shah
Carol Stein
Lois Stuckey
Vamse Kumar Subbiah
Janet Walters
Melville Washburn
Joyce Winnecke
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Advisory Council
Neelum T. Aggarwal, MD
Robyn L. Golden, LCSW
Joanne G. Schwartzberg, MD
Mary Ann Smith
CEO
Darcy L. Evon
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The Village Chicago is a community network of friendship, engagement and services for people over 50. We support all aspects of well-being through social engagement, an extensive services and referral network, lifelong learning, health and fitness, intergenerational relationships, work and purpose.
2502 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60614. 773.248.8700
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