VAN e-Bulletin December 2025

We’re trying something new!

Vital Voices
Civic Discussions

Share your views. Listen to others. Support each other in taking action.

Join us to get connected and build your imagination about what’s possible. Together we’ll find ways to use our influence — in little and big ways — to make a better world.

VAN will provide a structure and facilitate the sessions to ensure meaningful and respectful discussions. We’ll get us started with topics such as the role of free speech in a free society, what should government do or not do, or how to discuss important topics with someone who disagrees with you.

Each session will conclude with an exploration of “What can I do?” and “What support do I need to make a difference?”

We’ll gather on the 4th Monday of every month, starting on January 26 (join us every month or when you can). Refreshments included!

Save the date

Starting January 26 – 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.

We're still putting the final touches on the location. Stay tuned!

Being a Part of a Group Is Good for You, and Might Be Essential for Democracy

VAN’s new Vital Voices discussions are one way to get involved

By Julie Roles, VAN co-chair

This weekend I watched the 2023 documentary “Join or Die” about the work of author Robert Putman (it’s available on Netflix). Putman wrote “Bowling Alone” in 2000 and was at the forefront of understanding the effects of declining civic engagement in America. The documentary argues that Americans can improve their health and help save democracy by being actively involved in their communities.

Image from Join or Die video a group of young men in a bowling group

Click the image to play the trailer for the documentary Join or Die.

Putnam’s research focuses on the importance of informal places of connection called “social spaces” — sometimes also called “civic spaces,” “free spaces” or “third spaces.” Social spaces include clubs, churches, PTA meetings, art groups, and other places where people gather. They are places where you build social capital. Putnam’s research finds that these places counteract the ill effects of social isolation for the individual and further the well-being of our communities and society.

After visiting the United States in the 1830s, the French diplomat Alexis de Tocqueville concluded that civic associations set American democracy apart. The Library of Congress reports his findings this way: “Tocqueville argues that citizens in a democracy rely on associations to bring them into shared concerns with their neighbors and to empower them with a voice to influence public opinion. Association-making, he claimed, was the ‘mother science’ in a democratic society, the piece of social know-how that makes a democracy flourish.”

Two days left to make your end-of-year contribution to support VAN's work

Since 2001, the Vital Aging Network has been creating opportunities for older adults to gather and engage in the shared purpose of making our lives and our communities stronger and healthier.

Help us meet our goal

At the beginning of this year, we set an ambitious goal of raising $8,500 from individual donations to support our organization and programs.

To get us over top, members of our Board of Directors have made special pledges totaling $2,200 for a year-end matching fund. If our participants and supporters contribute that amount, we will meet our goal. That would be amazing!

Will you help us reach our goal and set the Vital Aging Network on a path of strength for 2026?

Donate today!

Group of Wellness 50+ participants learning archery

Wellness 50+ Twin Cities participants learned the basics of archery at our December 4 event. Thanks to our hosts and instructors from Chilakoot Bowhunters. After shooting, everyone enjoyed a potluck lunch.

Upcoming VAN Events

Wellness 50+ Oakdale

Wednesday Walks

Every Wednesday at 10:00 am

Meet in front of the Oakdale Discovery Center. No registration required.

Mahjong

Every Monday at 1:00 pm

Play Mahjong with others every Monday at 1:00 through January 2026 at the Oakdale Discovery Center. If interested in learning to play, email oakdalewellness50new@gmail.com.

Wellness Book Club

Tuesday, January 27 | 6:30 - 8:00 pm

Book club meets on select Tuesdays at the Oakdale Library. The book for this meeting is: My Two Elaines: Learning, Coping and Surviving as as Alzheimer’s Caregiver by Martin J. Schreiber.

Please register at oakdalewellness50new@gmail.com

Wellness Movie Club

Tuesday, February 10 | 12:30 - 2:00 pm

Oakdale Library. The February movie is Loving Vincent. Movies are available to view on Kanopy - WashCoLib Kanopy.

Wellness 50+ Twin Cities

Zumba Gold Dance (Currently full, join the waitlist)

Tuesday, January 6 | 11:30 am - 12:30 pm

Sara Thompson will be back to lead us in an energetic session of Zumba Gold at the Oakdale Discovery Center. Come get out of the cold and move your body to the gentle movements of Zumba Gold.

Join the waitlist on Meetup

Game Night Social (Currently full, join the waitlist)

Thursday, January 15 | 6:00 – 8:00 pm

This is the first of our winter game night socials held once a month in January, February and March at the Oakdale Library. Bring your favorite party game and a snack.

Join the waitlist on Meetup

Bowling at Sun Ray Lanes (Currently full, join the waitlist)

Tuesday, January 20 | 12:00 – 2:00 pm

This is the first of our winter bowling events held once a month in January, February and March in Maplewood. Cost is $10, payable at Sun Ray, for shoes and three games.

Join the waitlist on Meetup

(Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

This Time of Year, Grief Can Be Especially Hard

Deb Taylor, Star Tribune, December 6, 2025

(Deb Taylor has been a long-term friend of the Vital Aging Network. We found her article both moving and hopeful, and are pleased to share it here.)

"I became a widow this summer and as the holidays approach, life feels both tender and strangely bright. Each day brings a mix of ache and gratitude, yet there is a growing clarity about how to live this next chapter with intention and love.

"On July 21, the world as I knew it ended, even though the sun still rose and the traffic still moved and emails still landed in my inbox. My husband’s death split my life into a very real “before” and “after,” leaving me to navigate legal papers, funeral plans and financial decisions while my heart was still trying to understand that he was gone. In those first weeks, shock did most of the holding; I moved through tasks on autopilot, doing what needed to be done because there was no other choice."

Read Taylor's article

Three people in a chair lift getting ready to ski

The Golden Age of Skiing for Seniors (Soft Skiing for Seniors)

Have you ever wanted to ski and thought it was too late to begin again or try it for the first time? Ski Younger Now lessons at the Hyland Hills Ski Area in Bloomington are especially designed for older adults. Instructor, Roger Wangen, has been teaching at Hyland Hills since 2010 and has been a ski instructor for over 35 years. Starting downhill skiing at 60, 70, 80 or beyond is positively possible with the right instructor, approach and environment. Learn about the “magic of soft skiing” to create wintertime fun and adventure for you, your family and friends. Learn more and register.

Good to Know

Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund Offers Hope for Recovery

Minnesota Association of Area Agencies on Aging, December 2025

The 2025 Minnesota Legislature passed, and the governor signed, legislation to create a Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund. The fund will make it easier for Minnesotans who have been victims of scams or fraud to recover their losses. Read the article.

The Great Unretirement: How Octogenarians Are Rewriting the Rules of the American Workforce

WebProNews, November 2025

America’s workforce is undergoing a radical demographic shift as octogenarians delay retirement for reasons ranging from financial necessity to cognitive preservation. This deep dive explores the economic drivers, health implications, and intergenerational dynamics of the 80-plus employee, analyzing how this cohort is forcing a restructuring of labor markets and corporate culture. Read the article.

New Studies Tie Social Support to Longevity of Older Adults

Kyle Umipig , Longevity Technology, December 2, 2025

Two new studies out of the University of Eastern Finland shed light on something surprisingly powerful: the people around us may shape how long and how well we live. Older adults with strong social support networks lived, on average, two years longer than those without them. Read the article.

Social Connection in America: 2025 Survey Report

“When we are socially connected, we live longer, but we also live safer, healthier, and more prosperous lives.” The Social Connection in AmericaTM survey provides data on the important issue of social connection. Read their latest report.

71% of Older Adults Say Affordability Makes It Difficult to Buy Healthy Food, NCOA Survey Finds

NCOA, December 2025

In a survey of 2,332 older adults conducted by NCOA, 71% of respondents said affordability was the main obstacle to choosing and purchasing healthy foods. Nearly half of respondents said it was hard for their household to regularly get and eat healthy foods in the past 12 months. Read the article.

Melissa Hortman Died in a Shocking Act of Political Violence. This Is the Story of Her Life

Rolling Stone, December 18, 2025

Melissa Hortman, former Speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives rarely put herself front and center. She had a powerful voice behind the scenes. This story in Rolling Stone reveals so much about Hortman. It is touching and should inspire us all to do better. Read the article on Hortman.

Vital Voices ﻿﻿Civic D﻿iscussions

Two days left to make your end-of-year contribution to support VAN's work

Upcoming VAN Events

Wellness 50+ Oakdale

Wellness 50+ Twin Cities

Good to Know

Vital Voices
Civic Discussions