With your help, the Village has persevered through the pandemic as Chicago's leading social network and services resource for people over 50.
We expanded our personal outreach by leveraging staff and an army of volunteers, transitioned to a plethora of Zoom events, introduced a new brain health/memory loss program, recruited more young professionals to our Bridging Generations board, increased intergenerational activity through Ageless Innovators, and we continue to expand our offerings in social engagement, life and career planning, health and well-being, lifelong learning and volunteerism. Our community tells us they feel more connected than ever.
Still, we wanted to learn more about the day-to-day impact of Covid within our community as well as in the community at large. In this issue of The Navigator, we report on what we discovered. Some outcomes have been very good, some not so good, and some are still unknown.
One thing is certain. We can continue to rely on each other to form bonds across generations, across neighborhoods and without regard to socioeconomic status as we build an inclusive, age-friendly city for all.
Warm regards,
Darcy L. Evon
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Surviving Covid: Accepting and Adapting |
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Babette Peyton, Warrior
by Laurel Baer
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In the arc of Babette Peyton’s life, Covid-19 has been just a blip. She has lived for many years with the results of a military training accident and stroke, uses a wheelchair and has the use of one arm and leg.
Babette’s energy and spirit are awe-inspiring. She is a part of the Village’s Ageless Innovators* program, where she is receiving advice about launching a business surrounding two patents – one related to improved accessibility for the disabled. This is not new to her. She has had a construction business in the past and was part of the Americans with Disabilities Act consulting team, helping to write the accessibility training program for contractors.
Some ten years ago, after Babette’s hospitalization and nursing home rehab, she was homeless for over six months until she made her way up the waiting list for veterans housing where she still lives. “It’s clean, safe, accessible and close to transportation.”
During physical therapy at the Military Veterans Paralympics Adaptive Sports Clinic at one of Babette’s lowest points, a coach required Babette to try archery using her teeth and a piece of leather to pull the string back.
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Exhausted, she was on her way out when they shouted “Peyton – you got two bulls-eyes!” That was the start of her way back. She thought, “That’s God telling me I’m not dying. I can't do things the same as before, but I can still live.” Babette has competed all over the country, won numerous awards and is now recognized as one of the best. |
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Covid has kept her from “going everywhere” and she especially misses swimming and aqua therapy sessions at Great Lakes. “But,” she says “I’m glad for a chance to slow down, rest, think and be creative”
When asked what keeps her going, she responds immediately, ”God and connection to church services (now virtually). She says,”I like to stay prayed up. That’s what I call it – being prayed up.” Babette ends most conversations with the words “I love you!” It’s hard not to respond “I love you too!”
* Ageless Innovators is a joint program of The Village Chicago and Chicago Innovation. It is Chicago's first intergenerational co-mentoring program, now engaging its fourth cohort.
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Covid and Childhood
by Bruce Hunt
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Nine-year-old Amryn Hurd attends the Belle Aire School in Downers Grove. She is actually going to school these days for half a day, but until a few weeks ago she was following the 4th grade Remote Learning Schedule from home. She (and her teacher Jennifer Barnick) like it better when they can meet in person.
Amryn works on her own in the morning. (The schedule calls this asynchronous learning) and she doesn’t mind, except that it is difficult to ask questions. And Amryn likes to ask questions.
She goes to school in the afternoon and everyone wears a mask and keeps their distance. “Sometimes it’s hard to understand what others are saying when you have to talk through a mask, but we work hard to communicate with each other. And if you ask for help, you can usually get it.”
When asked what she has learned from living with this pandemic, Amryn was very clear: “When there is something hard, don’t give up.” And “Sit down, take a deep breath and say to yourself, ‘We’ll get through this.’” Good counsel from a wise nine-year-old.
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The Lost Season
by Laurel Baer
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Fiona O’Toole is about to turn 15 and is a freshman at Walter Payton College Prep which means that Covid hit as she was finishing her last year in middle school. She says, “It started right before spring break and we thought we would be OK.” But they never did resume classes which caused Fiona to lose her track and soccer seasons.
Fiona is now attending her new school via remote learning. She says, “I am not learning as much as I would like, and I really miss being with friends.” What makes her happy now is being outdoors and cross country running. She's not a big social media user and finds she is spending more time writing as well as creating a graphic novel with a friend. But she has found the time to do some good – Fiona is the Village’s youngest volunteer!
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Filling the Days in Assisted Living
by Bruce Hunt
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Village member Dorothy French lives with a number of people, “pretty close together” in assisted living. So when she comes back from her shopping downtown and her doctors’ appointments (“I bunch them together”) she quarantines herself. For fourteen days.
Netflix saves her during quarantine. “I don’t mind bingeing, what else am I going to do?” Her favorite binge is Schitt’s Creek.
Dorothy says, “I’m doing OK. I go to mass every day at 10; it comes in from Toronto, and with lunch and the newspaper, I’m fine until 2 o’clock. From 2 to 5 it can get a little dreary and that’s when I do Netflix. I’m not much of a napper.
And I voted! I am proud of that, mailed it in and they replied, told me they had received my ballot.” Now like all of us, Dorothy is wondering what’s going to happen after Election Day.
I did most of my Christmas shopping through catalogs, but I went to Bloomingdales after my trip to the doctor. My Christmas shopping is all done. And I really feel good about that!”
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Dorothy French enjoying a socially distant birthday celebration. |
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Surviving Covid: New Insights, New Learning, New Skills |
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A Master of Self-Care
By Laurel Baer
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Terry Koch (pronounced “coke”) is a new member of the Village. He grew up in Chicago, but left in 1965, moving to a small town in upstate New York. After retirement his first step back to “civilization” was college town Ithaca, NY. He then decided to return to Chicago because it still meant “home” - but mostly for its walkability.
Terry landed here on March 1 and despite being almost immediately locked down, has successfully fought his self-acknowledged tendency to isolate. He searched out and found the Village and also joined the Buddhist Temple of Chicago – his chosen belief system for over 30 years. He is finding a sense of community from both groups and is starting to form relationships (the hard way – over Zoom!).
He has a remarkable self-care regimen – one he amped up as the summer faded and it was apparent that we faced a difficult fall and winter. It includes limited processed foods, walking, social engagement, mental activity such as digging into a subject he finds interesting (currently it’s linguistics) and availing himself of some of the glorious cultural institutions to which Covid has given us access - a favorite being the 92nd Street Y.
This wise 78-year old also practices one of the most important elements of self-care, which is gratitude. “How lucky I've been, in comparison to all of the people for whom this has really been a matter of life and death. My problems have been small comparatively. I’m grateful that I’ve had the good luck to be able to weather this as well as I have.”
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Be Ready for the Future
By Laurel Baer
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Molly Matthias is the Manager of Mentoring and Inclusion for Chicago Innovation and oversees Ageless Innovators. This cross-generational co-mentoring program's fourth cohort is about to wind up their time together. (See Village News below for information on how to apply for the next cohort).
The current participants have been paired off and working together since July when Covid fatigue was beginning to really settle in. Molly has noticed a higher attendance at events because “The participants really want someone to talk to.”
Molly says, “Covid has made building mentoring relationships a little bit harder than it used to be. In addition the shrunken world has resulted in fewer resources and networking opportunities.”
“But,” she says, “Covid has encouraged people to learn how to pivot and there is more time to think creatively and really dig into things.” The Ageless Innovator participants are surveyed regularly and the results show that people really do need and want a safe space to learn – something this program amply provides.
Molly started with Chicago Innovation in August and looking back, she says,”I can’t believe I actually switched jobs during such an uncertain period, but the way it has turned out shows me that anything is possible.”
She predicts, “Going forward it will be essential to function at the top level of virtual communication and to become comfortable with LinkedIn and other platforms. They’re here to stay.”
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Community Health Equity
By Laurel Baer
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Your zip code should not determine your life expectancy. That is the driving principle behind Rush University Medical Center’s Community Health Equity program. The program's VP, Darlene Hightower, says “Our mission is to provide support and resources to improve health and wellness in the communities around Rush.”
“Since March,” Hightower says, “everything we do has a heightened sense of urgency – how to get help and resources to where they are needed.” Her group developed and launched a Community Command Center which established regular e-mail communication across the Rush system among everyone engaged with Covid right within the community. Hightower says “This has boosted coordination and efficiency and most important, deepened our impact. It has been so successful that we will continue it.”
Food relief has also been an urgent need. This is something they have always done, but now they have stepped it up, engaging employees as volunteers to deliver food directly to families. The food is sourced from non-profit Top Box Foods. Over 1,000 families have been helped in this way.
Hightower says that this period has caused her to adopt a day-to-day and sometimes even a moment-to-moment outlook. She says, “I toggle between optimism and concern. Equity, justice, opportunities to thrive are just not happening. But then I realize this is an opportunity to re-think how we do things and with the can-do spirit that has emerged, just double down and keep moving forward.”
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"Different Can Be Okay"
By Ruth Ann Watkins
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(Dr. Cheryl Woodson, a Geriatrician who has worked over 35 years with older people, is an author and a member of The Village Chicago Advisory Committee to the Brain Health and Memory Loss Initiative. She has a blog “Straight Talk With Dr. Cheryl” and on the web her address is drcherylwoodson.com)
“Change is hard,” says Dr. Woodson, “and things are not going to be the same as they were before the pandemic. For people who worship ‘sameness’ this is a particularly hard time.”
She has observed that older people, like her 94 year old Aunt Terri who still walks 17 laps around her building daily, are more resilient because they have been through so much change in their lives and they generally have adapted better now than younger generations who have never experienced such a disruptive period in their lives.
Dr. Woodson suggests that people accept that “different” can be OK, that experiencing the grief of loss of how things used to be is natural, and deciding what to do about it is a good way to deal with such change. Crucial to adapting to the isolation caused because of the virus is maintaining contacts with other people whether by phone, technology such as Zoom or other forms of communication. For people who are alone she strongly recommends “escaping the prison of silence” by being proactive about reaching out to talk to other people.
She does worry about the significant stress first line responders, particularly doctors and nurses, are experiencing and she predicts they will suffer PTSD when the virus ebbs, and will need support to deal with their feelings and help them remain in the healthcare field.
Dr. Woodson says, “One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic is increased use of technology such as Zoom that has allowed families who live apart to become closer, and though virtually, to remain engaged in exercise, cooking, book clubs, support groups and more. And for those who don’t have tech access, the phone works!”
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Future of Work Presents: Artificial Intelligence with Dr. Rick Stevens
Co-hosted by Ageless Innovators
Monday, November 9
5:30–6:30 PM (CST)
Members & guests–free
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Calling All Ageless Innovators! |
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Are you…
Looking for a co-mentor to learn from and together advance your skills?
Interested in building intergenerational relationships?
A successful leader looking to broaden your perspective?
Ageless Innovators was co-founded in 2019 by The Village Chicago and Chicago Innovation with a generous grant from the RRF Foundation for Aging and is the city’s first intergenerational co-mentoring program.
Everyone, no matter how old or young, has something to teach and something to learn. Ageless Innovators bridges the generations through reciprocal mentoring to share experiences, skills, and knowledge. Everyone in Ageless Innovators is a mentor and a mentee!
You are invited to apply to be a co-mentor with our 5th Ageless Innovators cohort from January – June, 2021.
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Benefits of co-mentoring:
- Gain new knowledge and skills
- Learn from the expertise of a different generation
- Give back and help your co-mentor reach their goals
- Join a community of over 150 intergenerational innovators in Chicagoland
- Free Chicago Innovation membership including free tickets to Chicago Innovation events all year round
- Free membership to the Village Chicago with access to stimulating social and cultural intergenerational events including The Future of Work.
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Every week we are adding more virtual programs via Zoom, including these upcoming events you can register for today:
- (11/5) Coffee Chat BYOC - "Small Acts of Kindness"
- (11/6) Explore Fine Art Graphics
- (11/7) Saturday Afternoon at the Movies - Honeyland (2019)
- (11/9) The Future of Work Presents: Artificial Intelligence with Rick Stevens
- (11/10) Exercise at Home with Jill Stein
- (11/10) Medicare One-on-One Counseling with Kate Paz from Mather (now full; wait list available)
- (11/10 + 11/17) Be Positive on Purpose: Let Gratitude Be Your Guide, A Two-Part Series
- (11/11) Post-Election Town Hall Discussion Presented by the Village Men's Group
- (11/11) Pet Parade
- (11/12) New York & Friends
- (11/15) Tiny Theatre Presents Crimes of the Heart
- (11/18) Death Café: An Informal Conversation About Death & Dying
- (11/18) Front Porch Discussion Group
- (11/19) Creating Holiday Cards & Gifts with MacTutor
- (11/19) Great American Read Book Club – The Joy Luck Club
- (11/22) Holiday Dessert Cooking LIVE Virtual Demo
- (11/22) Annual Fall Potluck
- (12/2) LGBTA Book Discussion - Other Voices, Other Rooms by Truman Capote | Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson McCullers
All virtual events require registration, so be sure to RSVP today! Participants will receive an email confirmation with details for joining via Zoom.
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Village Member Pastime Groups |
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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, intergenerational community, connected to others and to the resources that support growth and well-being 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
Nancy Felton-Elkins,
Vice President
Charles G. Cooper,
Vice President
Angie Levenstein,
Secretary
Richard W. Sullivan,
Treasurer
Kathie Kolodgy,
Immediate Past President
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David E. Baker
Donald M. Bell
Patricia Clickener
Thomas C. Eley III
Glen Gabert
Judith Gethner
Bruce Hunt
Ira Kohlman
Therese Meike
Liz Metzger
Gail C. Moss
Linda Randall
Wally Shah
Lois Stuckey
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 social 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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