In 2007, a Washington University research study confirmed what volunteers have been consistently saying all along.  AARP Experience Corps volunteers become more active and energetic as they participate in the program. From the study: “At the end of the academic year, about two-thirds of the low-activity group was classified as high-activity, as they became more active in [non-Experience Corps] activities. “

Experience Corps members become more active through their work engaging children in reading. This is the gift that they give; they spend anywhere between four to fifteen hours per week reading to children in underperforming schools.

Members often say that the increased levels of social interaction and activity, coupled with the gift of giving back, create a wonderful opportunity in Experience Corps.

Volunteers are assigned to one school and stay in that school for the entire academic year.

Other Key Program Benefits

Of course, students benefit as well. They receive the reading skills that are necessary in order to become better learners.  How do we know?  Here’s some data from the 2011-2012’s teachers’ surveys: “Approximately two thirds of below grade-level students made substantial progress towards grade level proficiency in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. “

With Experience Corps, volunteers learn to sustain high-levels of activity, and previously struggling students make significant progress in both reading to learn and learning to read. Teachers are given a supplement to their weekly lesson plans while simultaneously observing better behavior in their students. Everybody wins.

Maybe the Minneapolis Star-Tribune says it best:

Experience Corps matches a critical need with a vital resource…  Struggling inner-city children need help with their studies and more adult attention. Older citizens have time on their hands and skills to share. Put the two together and you have a powerful combination that works wonders for all involved. – The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Children need you and you have so much to give. To learn more about AARP Experience Corps, or to sign up as a volunteer, visit us at http://www.aarp.org/experience-corps/.  For other volunteer opportunities in your community visit www.createthegood.org.

I was born and raised in Chicago. I love traveling and have been to thirteen countries and nineteen states within the U.S. Last December, I volunteered in the slums of India providing medical assistance to the those in need. A couple of summers ago, I studied abroad in the United Kingdom, comparing the health care system of theirs to ours. I am planning to visit a few more places this summer, including Hawaii. My other interests are in shopping, interior design, and floral design. I also blog about fashion (I love shoes!) and lifestyle in my free time. There are many things I can do or am interested in – cooking is not one of them. Eating on the other hand… where do I sign up?

Most importantly, I am a social media junkie. I believe in adapting a Business model to social ventures. That is actually how I became involved at AARP. I attended Social Media conference presented by the Illinois Public Health Association and met Courtney Hedderman, where she connected me with the Communications department for Illinois. So now you will be seeing me around in the community on behalf of AARP and virtually through posts on the various digital media pages, including (but not limiting to!) Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and on the blog. Feel free to subscribe to my channels and say hello! I’d love to chat with you!

LinkedIn – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/debbie-liu/24/b2b/26a

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/debbie.liu.9

Instagram – http://instagram.com/simplydebburrs

Twitter – https://twitter.com/simplydebburrs

Pinterest – http://pinterest.com/simplydebburrs/

blog page – https://www.facebook.com/AllMyHeartAndSoles

AARP Illinois volunteer and attorney Nathan Fuchs, formerly with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York District Attorney General’s office, moved to Chicago in 2009 to be closer to his son, daughter in law and grandson.

AARP Illinois members are invited to join volunteer Nathan Fuchs, a former trial attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission and an Assistant District Attorney in New York in the senior fraud prevention unit, along with experts from the National Futures Association, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services, for the timely forum, “Avoiding Fraud is Your Best Money Strategy.”

“Scammers today are very sophisticated and expert at getting information they can turn around and use to steal your identity and your savings. Everyone is vulnerable, and everyone needs to be aware of the dangers,” says Fuchs, who will share identity theft and fraud protection information and tips at two sessions during Money Smart Week.

The program “Avoiding Fraud is Your Best Money Strategy”  is a lunch forum on Thursday, April 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Renaissance Court in the Chicago Cultural Center, at 78 E. Washington St. A repeat of  “Avoiding Fraud is Your Best Money Strategy”  is available on Friday, April 26th from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Southeast (Atlas) Senior Center, at 1767 E. 79th St.  Free lunch or light refreshments will be provided to participants at both of these Chicago sessions. Anyone wishing to attend the programs should pre-register by calling (312) 781-1454. 

These two sessions, as with all Chicago Money Smart Week programs, are free and open to the general public.  The events are designed to help consumers of all ages better manage their money, keep it safe from fraudsters, and learn more about investments, long term care and a wide range of financial topics.

Let me be clear: I will not do either.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

We know that Social Security is a separate, self-funded program that doesn’t contribute to the deficit and shouldn’t be a part of any deficit-reduction deal. Our new survey of Illinois residents shows that the overwhelming majority of older Illinoisans agree Social Security should not be cut for deficit reduction.” Full Text

Across party lines Illinois residents give a big thumbs down to the President’s chained CPI proposal

Illinoisans Take Action Now!

Call Your Senators

 Tweet Your Senators

Send a message to @senatordurbin and tell him to oppose the #SocialSecurity and veterans’ cuts in Obama’s budget: bit.ly/Zj39y1

— AARP Illinois (@aarpillinois) April 5, 2013

Send a message to @senatorkirk and tell him to oppose the #SocialSecurity and veterans’ cuts in Obama’s budget: bit.ly/Zj39y1

— AARP Illinois (@aarpillinois) April 5, 2013

E-Mail Your Senators

Members of the Media: We’ve got Illinois Residents willing to talk about taking the survey. We’ve got hundreds of stories from our members talking about how these cuts would be detrimental to them from all over the state, our Facebook page is abuzz!  Contact Gerardo Cardenas for more information at gfcardenas@aarp.org or via cell at 312-351-0228.

Also of Interest

• Is Obama Ready to Propose Big Changes to Social Security, Medicare?
• Cutting Benefits: Washington’s New Way of Thanking Veteran’s for Their Service
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more

As you may already know from my blog series, my dad has been on an unexpected journey. Due to a life-changing accident, he has had to find a new career at age 54. This daunting task is one that many older adults face in this economy. He tried out AARP’s Life Reimagined Calling Cards recently and was happy to discover a new idea.

I took a quick video of him so that you could all meet him. Internet, dad. Dad, Internet.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Have you used the Calling Cards? What new idea did you discover?

Also of Interest

• Parents, Get Your Financial Life in Order (Then Talk to Your Kids)
• Fleetwood Mac Guitarist Bob Welch Commits Suicide
• Join AARP: Savings, resources and news for your well-being

See the AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more

Hello again from Allie the intern! Today’s post is part two of my series…

“Trying to reimagine yourself is harder than most people realize.”

My dad knows this better than most. After a life-changing accident, he lost mobility in his left hand and the ability to continue his career of 30 years. Now that he has been cleared to return to work, he is faced with a new dilemma — finding employment at age 54 in a terrible economy with highly specific skills and a disability.

“When you get to your mid-50s, starting a new career…it’s overwhelming,” he said. “I grew up in an era where when you turn 65, you stop working. I have to wonder, are they even hiring people my age?”

Enter AARP’s Life Reimagined, an idea meant to help people who are starting a new phase of their lives. I suggested my dad try out the Life Reimagined Calling Cards exercise to determine some new interests and paths. He agreed (and I documented the process). Be sure to check out our tips for when you use the cards!

Finding Your Calling (Cards)

Once he set up an account, my dad was introduced to the many calling cards that list specific skills, such as “Making Things Work” and “Organizing Things.” The instructions said to pick the ones he enjoys. He went through the cards with good spirits (“If I had talent, I would choose Performing Events … but people pay me not to sing …”) and a clear focus for choosing things he actually likes. *Pro tip: remember, you’re looking to make a career from these skills. Don’t just pick ones that sound good on a resume! Pick things you like to do on a daily basis.

Once he finished, the next step instructed him to pick at least five of those that he is really good at and loves doing.

“It’s making me really look inside myself,” he commented as he considered the cards. He also had trouble not letting conventional left-brain/right-brain thinking throw him off as he debated choosing “Analyzing Info” along with cards in the Artistic category.

*Pro tip: don’t let “traditional thinking” anywhere near your card choices. This isn’t about what anyone else wants, thinks or assumes. It’s all about you. He picked eight cards and moved on to the next step — finding his core gifts.

When faced with picking his top five cards, he tried not to overanalyze.  He then made it to the last step: ranking his core gifts. “In the effort to be honest, it’s hard to know if what I think is something the rest of the world would think too,” he said.

After much deliberation, he made his ranking: Adding Humor, Giving Care, Organizing Things, Instructing People, Bringing Joy.

New Paths

“My calling cards suggest I’m an Artistic personality with a Social side who could also thrive in a Conventional environment,” my dad’s Life Reimagined profile now proclaims. My inner 8-year-old who always went to dad with math questions was surprised, but this makes sense to grown-up me. Being a TV cameraman required an artistic eye for setting up a shot correctly, and he always needed to work with others (aka he was social). And conventional environment? He’s one of the most level-headed people I know. You can’t exactly film people in every walk of life without having a regular and steady plan.

Neat. So what did we do next? Scrolled down to Explore Careers, of course.

We went through the suggested careers of Artistic, Social, and Conventional types. A Museum Guide sounded like “a stretch, but would be interesting;” an HR Specialist sounded like intriguing work, but intimidating physically due to the amount typing involved; a Personal Trainer required him being “in much better shape;” and Wind Energy Consultant was dismissed — “too easy.” Naturally.

But one of the suggested careers was Academic Adviser. “That’s very interesting,” my dad said, rubbing his chin. “I wouldn’t have thought of that one. Huh.” I could see the wheels in his head turning as he considered the idea. And he liked it. I could see why — it’s a very social job that requires patience, organization and creativity. Sounds like a winning combination.

We both agreed that going through the calling cards was a very helpful step for him. Not only did it pin down his interests; it gave him a new and specific idea to pursue. Beforehand, he’d only had a few loose ideas. He explained, “The concept of the path being wide open with all possibilities there for you … some would go, ‘Ooo, how great!’ And right now, it’s really not. I wasn’t looking for a new career. I didn’t have a Plan B.”

So many people are in a similar boat and need to start all over with no idea of what’s next. While it’s a scary place to be, this blogger is very glad there are resources like Life Reimagined to help.

Have you done the calling cards? What ideas has it given you? Tell us in a comment below!

When Diana Nyad was an 18-year-old Olympic hopeful, she walked out on the pool deck at the trials afraid that the years of 4:30 a.m. workouts and sets of 1,000 situps would end in failure. A friend grabbed her and told her that she needed to focus on the moment–the one-thousand one-thousanths of a second, the time it would take her to swim the length of a slice of a fingernail–and give it her all.

If you run into a shark in the ocean just “punch it in the nose.”

She focused and used all her strength–and finished sixth. She congratulated the top finishers who would continue on, telling them she would cheer their Olympic pursuits. She walked away with her head held high and her shoulders back–no regrets.

During a walk in downtown Austin during South by Southwest to promote her new movie ”The Other Shore, “ she encouraged about 30 people striding down the street with her–including 6 AARP staffers from around the country–to live their lives like that.

She certainly has–and continues to do so.

At 63, she is an inspiration to people all over the globe–from the 7-year-old girl at the walk who wanted to know more about her experiences with jellyfish (which were bad) to adults sharing their struggles to compete athletically. She tried to talk personally, one-on-one, with as many people as she could, including the AARP team.

We’re with you Diana!

She told Jessica Prell, from the Wisconsin team, that whenever she visits Madison she always leaves with a stash of Badger gear–not because she loves the team, but because that’s the name of her dog.

Diana was surprised that some of us were younger than your typical AARP member, until we told her we were involved in social media. Then she promised to tweet more for herself in a conversation with Illinois’ Jenn Baier, who said that’s what fans really want.

And she was supportive of me–a former swimmer and avid fan. It sounds cheesy, but she said exactly what I personally needed to hear. I signed up for a triathlon in June, but I’ve been afraid to push too hard because I haven’t trained in a couple years due to injuries. I probably would have dropped out. Not now. I told Diana that I was going to do it. And I will. Or at least I will give it every effort–down to that sliver of fingernail. If injury sidelines me again, I’ll try again. And again. I want to inspire my daughter like Diana inspired me.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Diana says she is at the prime of her life–and gave a great shoutout to AARP members and others who are trying to figure out how to live the second half of their lives.

We’ve been watching and cheering her latest efforts to swim from Cuba to Florida. She’s attempted–and failed it–four times since 1978. So will she do it?

“Oh yes, ooooh yes,” she told the group today. “Never ever give up!”

Click here to view the embedded video.

As Diana would say, “Onward!”

By Karin Miller, AARP Tennessee Communications Director

 If you are ready to help a child improve his or her reading skills, please contact us at ecchicago@aarp.org or 1-888-698-3335. 

AARP Experience Corps is a nonprofit organization devoted to increasing literacy among underserved student populations. We are recruiting 600 volunteers age 50 and older to work in 25 Chicago Public Schools, improving the reading skills of students from kindergarten through third grade. The program will launch for the 2013-2014 school year. Chicago volunteers will become part of a network of 2,000 Experience Corps members in 19 cities who make a profound difference in the lives of children, schools and their communities.

The focus of the Chicago branch of Experience Corps will be citywide, and a major focus of the program is in schools where English is often not the first language at home. The ability to speak Spanish will be a plus for volunteers wishing to work in Chicago’s Latino neighborhoods.

Dedicated Youth Education Leaders

Torres has worked extensively with Chicagoland youth-serving programs. From 2006-2008, Torres held the position of chief program officer at Gads Hill Center, a nonprofit community-based children and youth-serving organization in the west side’s Pilsen and North Lawndale neighborhoods.

“It will be wonderful to reconnect with the Pilsen community,” Torres said, referring to her time at Gads Hill. “As a Latina, my first language was Spanish. I clearly remember the struggle it was for me to learn the English language. It was extremely difficult.”

Torres believes she has achieved so much because of her education. With AARP Experience Corps, she works to ensure those opportunities are more widely available.

“Today, I am successful because I acquired good reading skills.  We have a responsibility to support our young children so they too are on a path to success,” Torres finished.

Revollo adds much as well. For 14 years, Tomas Revollo was principal at Chicago Public Schools’ Thomas J. Waters Elementary School in the Ravenswood neighborhood. During his tenure, the area served by the school was mostly Latino. Revollo’s biggest interest is to mentor and inspire Latino leadership. He believes that, while Chicago does not have many Latino leaders in education, Experience Corps will remedy that.

“The beauty of Experience Corps is in exactly what the title suggests. [There is] nothing better than to bring adults into schools. They have much to offer. It will not only help with student achievement, with literacy, but it also will help to have adult interaction.”

The connections that Torres and Revollo have to Chicago’s Latino community are critical to the program’s success. Experience Corps is looking to provide much for these communities that are spread throughout the southwest, west, and northwest parts of Chicago.

Torres and Revollo’s influence as thriving Chicago community leaders pays homage to the effect of the AARP Experience Corps program. Experience Corps aims not only to increase literacy, but also to provide adult models of success.

Are you interested in working with Experience Corps? Seeing successful, adults they can relate to provides Experience Corps students inspirational role models! While volunteers can come from any part of the city or surrounding suburbs, Experience Corps is actively seeking volunteers from the surrounding neighborhoods closest to the schools targeted. Chicago volunteers for the 2013-14 schools year will receive excellent training and support. You must have a high school education and be fluent in English. Please contact us at ecchicago@aarp.org or 1-888-698-3335.

Volunteers commit to 4 to 12 hours per week in the classroom. They spend this time reading to students in K-3. Volunteers are asked to stay with Experience Corps for at least one school year, typically late August through the end of May.

By Jake Cashman

During my last semester at Prairie State both of my parents lost their jobs. I decided that I would leave school indefinitely and focus on making money any way I could. While working odd jobs here and there I was hired to work at a grocery store in Crete called Walt’s Food Center. A year and a half later I was named their 2011 Employee of the Year. This instilled a confidence in me that I never really had before. I realized that my work ethic would lead me to achieving bigger and better things. Soon after, my father found a new job and I immediately decided to return to school. I am now the first member of my family to attend a university, and am on my way to being the first to graduate from one. I still go home on the weekends to see my family, friends, and girlfriend, as well as to continue working at Walt’s. So if you’re ever shopping and see me, say “hello”.

I’ve learned that politics affect basically every aspect of our lives, and I made it my goal to try and understand as much as I possibly can. Someday I wish to work in local government as an elected official, to help those who have helped me become the person I am today.

A number of factors brought me to AARP; the first being the Applied Study Term program at UIS, which was one of my biggest reasons for attending the school. The program guides you through finding your own internship and helps students discover what they want to do with their lives by providing opportunities you never knew were within reach.

A second thing that brought me to AARP was living with my grandmother for the past ten years. Through this experience I have witnessed the needs and hardships that many seniors deal with every day of their lives. It has really opened my eyes to just how much we younger people take for granted everything that has been provided to us, primarily by older generations. I know that I would be nowhere without my grandmother and those just like her who continue to make sacrifices for our well-being. 

My favorite experience thus far was working on the recent debate for the 2^nd Congressional District of Illinois. This was particularly rewarding because it is the district I live in, and I feel like I was able to do a service to people I’ve grown up with. It also doesn’t get any better than being at the Capitol. It is astounding to think that about a year ago I was simply just pushing shopping carts and bagging groceries, while today I am standing side by side with my state’s most powerful decision-makers.

Outside of work and school I enjoy spending time with family, friends, and my girlfriend. I also like keeping up with politics, playing any sport I can think of, and cheering for all the Chicago teams (except the Cubs, GO SOX!). I am a movie and music fanatic. Everyone and everything around us has a story to tell and I am always eager to listen.

Are you interested in volunteering or interning with AARP Illinois? Shoot us an email at aarpil@aarp.org.  We’ve got plenty of opportunities in both our Springfield and Chicago offices. 

Stanley Fukai was honored with a Community Service Award from the Asian Coalition of Chicago for teaching AARP Driver Safety Courses in English and Japanese.

We’ve got some really fantastic volunteers in Illinois and around the country. The range of activities they work on is quite stellar. From Driver Safety to Tax Aide, to lobbying down in Springfield,  or assisting with office projects, this organization wouldn’t exist, and wouldn’t have nearly the impact that it does, without help from volunteers.

That’s why we’re always excited when volunteer work is honored and recognized! So props to our longtime AARP Driver Safety Program volunteer Stanley Fukai  who received the Japanese American Community Service Award from the Asian American Coalition of Chicago on Saturday, February 23 at the 30^th Annual Lunar New Year Celebration. 

Since 1996, Fukai has served as an instructor for AARP’s Driver Safety Program, which strives to help seniors maintain safe driving skills and independence.  He is the only instructor in Illinois to offer classes in both English and Japanese.

“Stanley Fukai is a hard-working volunteer who for 15 years has helped countless Chicago-area drivers, especially older drivers, to stay safe on the roads through AARP’s Driver Safety program,” said Bob Gallo, AARP Illinois State Director. “We are thrilled that Stanley is receiving this well-deserved honor.”

The AARP Driver Safety Program is the nation’s first and largest driving refresher course for people ages 50+.   The course reviews current rules of the road, how to operate a vehicle safely in an increasingly challenging driving environment, and how to compensate for common age-related changes in vision, hearing, and reaction time. Often times insurance companies will give a discount to those who have completed the class and have a safe driving record, so be sure to ask your agent if you qualify. To locate a class, please click here.   

Great work Stanley!

Have you taken an AARP Driver Safety Course? Let us know what you thought of it in the comments.