The Village Chicago is excited to announce the recipients of the 2021 Trailblazer Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement and extraordinary leadership in changing the narrative on aging. The awards will be presented September 21 at our annual benefit: “It’s the New Roaring '20s!”

Trailblazers are individuals, organizations and authors who shatter stereotypes about aging and show that the decades of life after 50 are vital, engaging, productive and fulfilling.

We are living in a time when working together toward common goals has taken on existential importance. What's at stake now is our city, our country, our planet. Through their work, these Trailblazers have demonstrated the immense benefits of a fully age-integrated, inclusive society where everyone's strengths are appreciated, respected, and utilized.

Best Regards,

Darcy Evon, CEO

P.S. – Please come to our annual benefit on September 21 and hear these Trailblazers speak.

By deed and example, Tom Kuczmarski has realized the promise of intergenerational collaboration and has built bridges across age, race and class. At age 50, while president of global consulting firm Kuczmarski Innovation, he co-founded Chicago Innovation, which has grown into a multifaceted innovation ecosystem focused on education, connection and celebration.

He serves on the board of RRF Foundation for Aging and has funded tech training and job search for older adults at Chicago Public Library branches. With The Village Chicago, he co-founded Ageless Innovators, Chicago’s first cross-generational, co-mentoring program. For over 40 years, he has taught at Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and is the author of eight books. Perhaps most importantly, he has shown that innovation and creativity are for everyone – from small non-profits, to start-ups, to global corporations.

Tom Kuczmarski says, “Innovation is for everyone, and we mean everyone. All ages, cultures, races, genders need to be at the table now.” But, as Stanford’s Ashley Martin points out, “...in the workplace, even fair-minded people seem to prioritize race and gender over age.”

Despite this entrenched mindset, Tom Kuczmarski has surrounded himself with people of all ages and backgrounds -- intentionally including older adults in all that he does. He has created a community of thousands who know how to collaborate across generations to unlock the value of innovation.

Town Hall Apartments is a life-changing, pioneering initiative – the first affordable LGBTQ-friendly senior housing in Chicago. Built in collaboration with Heartland Alliance and Center on Halsted, it directly addresses the housing discrimination and isolation issues that face Chicago’s more than 50,000 LGBTQ seniors. Heartland Alliance collaborated with local stakeholders to develop and manage this high-quality affordable housing.

The adjacent Center on Halsted is a comprehensive community center dedicated to the well-being of Chicago’s LGBTQ community and provides an array of programs and services to Town Hall residents and the community. Located in the heart of Chicago’s vibrant Lake View neighborhood, Town Hall Apartments is both a welcoming community, and a sustainable, innovative model of housing and inclusion.

What’s at Stake: Housing – A Growing Quality of Life Issue

The Milken Institute reports that low-income individuals and people living on a fixed income feel the effects of the nation’s affordable housing crisis acutely. Their study, “Age Forward Cities 2030” reports that design lags behind the need with only 3.5% of U.S. homes having the basic universal design elements older or disabled Americans need such as no-step entrances, single-floor living and extra-wide doors and hallways. And walkable, small- to mid-sized housing that's affordable for middle income households can't be found because it no longer exists.

Town Hall Apartments is an important example of how creative collaboration (with Heartland Alliance and Center on Halsted) can fill unmet needs – in this case by adaptive re-use of the historic decommissioned Town Hall police station along with new construction. This initiative demonstrates that it is possible to create homes and communities for people of all ages and life stages to live with dignity.

Ashton Applewhite’s deeply researched and exuberant book, This Chair Rocks – A Manifesto Against Ageism is transformative. With wit, intelligence and moxie she has helped catalyze a global movement to recognize and eliminate age bias—starting between our ears. She wants us to recognize that it’s not the passage of time that makes it hard to get older, it's ageism – a prejudice that pits us against our future selves, and each other.

"Aging is not a problem to be fixed or a disease to be cured," she says. "It is a natural, powerful, lifelong process that unites us all." Applewhite has been recognized by the New York Times, National Public Radio, the New Yorker, and the American Society on Aging as an expert on ageism and speaks widely, at venues ranging from universities and community centers to the TED mainstage and the United Nations.

While older adults are most often the target for ageism, younger people also experience this prejudice. In a new Fast Company-Harris Poll, 36% of younger millennials and Gen Z say they’ve faced workplace ageism and nearly 40% of employed adults of all ages feel that people their age are viewed as out of touch at work.

As Applewhite make clear in her speaking and writing, it stems from baseless stereotypes up and down the age ladder. And, “like racism and sexism, ageism serves a social and economic purpose: to legitimize and sustain inequalities between groups." ”Everyone is either old, or will be..." and Applewhite writes, “… unless we put an end to it, ageism will oppress us all.”

“Age-friendly communities aren’t just wheelchair- and walker-friendly, they’re gurney- and skateboard- and stroller- and bus-passenger- and delivery-guy- and tired-person friendly. Let’s call these programs what they are – all-age friendly. Let’s acknowledge the need for helping hands, and reach for them gratefully and without shame.”

In a new children’s book, The Three Little Engines, a little engine learns that an “I-think-I-can” attitude isn’t always enough to get past different obstacles in life – the playing field isn’t level and we need each other. Read more.

“Men are notorious for waiting for others to contact and recruit us into social activities. Such a stance never, never, never works.” Self reliance does not mean isolation. Read more.

As the pandemic recedes, unprecedented millions of workers are re-thinking their priorities. Read more.

The Alzheimer's Foundation of America recently released a booklet and video, called "The Apartment," that illustrates how even small changes can make a difference in someone's quality of life. Read more.

Callie Alton has joined the Village as our part time Engagement & Development Manager. With a BA in English from The University of Washington and a Master’s in Literature from Trinity College Dublin, Callie has been working as an educator and writer. An avid reader as well, Callie is passionate about all things literary and also enjoys the visual arts, cycling, and travel. She became well-acquainted with the Village movement as a volunteer for the Chicago Hyde Park Village where she developed a commitment to building equitable communities through cross-generational networks of connection and support.

1. Join the Host Committee for a $500 or $1000 donation or be an Underwriting Sponsor with a leadership gift starting at $1,500. If you sign up by July 25, you will be listed in the event invitation and you will inspire others to give! To make a commitment, just click here.

2. Honor our Trailblazers by making a gift of any amount by clicking here.

3. Save the Date for the online auction kick-off cocktail party which will be both in person and on Zoom, Tuesday, September 14, 5–7 PM.

4. Donate quality items for the auction. We're assembling an irresistible array of jewelry, art and art objects, vacation homes, cottage, experiences, airline miles, fine libations, rare wines and more. And don’t forget gift certificates from your local businesses--gyms, spas, salons, yoga, Zumba, restaurants, shops, theaters, bowling alleys.

To donate, click here to fill out an auction donation form – or send an email to Susan Wakula at susanw@thevillagechicago.org.

Higher education has a critical role to play in educating people of all ages for the workplace of the future. And higher education faces many critical issues at this juncture, in both development of curricula, pedagogy and delivery platforms to match the rapidly changing demands of the workplace; and challenges presented by changing demographics, politics and global competition.

This Future of Work event will feature DePaul University’s new provost, Dr. Salma Ghanem, an international expert in Communications with a deep background in intercultural education. For a full description and to RSVP, CLICK HERE.

Learn more about the Village by calling us at 773.248.8700 or click here to download the membership application form.

2502 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60614. 773.248.8700