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Growing and Nurturing the Vital Aging Network

by Nancy Eustis February 22, 2010

This month’s e-Bulletin and forum focus on the joys and health benefits of gardening. I personally don’t have much of a green thumb. Nonetheless I thoroughly enjoyed growing lettuce,radishes, green beans, and other goodies during several summers. As I recall, I even won the first-ripe-tomato contest waged with fervor by a good friend and myself. I used two cylindrical, raised garden beds, roughly 40 inches in diameter, which were invented and marketed for wheelchair gardening by a family in Lake City, Minnesota. Perhaps my gardening experience, though very limited, can suggest to others with mobility impairments, sore hips or knees, or limited manual dexterity that simple adaptations can make gardening satisfying and productive for anyone.

Though I’m happy to think about gardening as the shadows fall on this mid-February day, right now I am more preoccupied with growing and nurturing VAN. Accordingly, I want to report on VAN’s accomplishments in 2009.

ALVA Leadership Development Program

Forty-four graduated from our newly revised ALVA Leadership Development Program in May 2009. The course was offered in three college locations: Century College, Inver Hills Community College, and Northwest Technical College in Bemidji. Participants gave high marks to their experiences, including learning and reading about leadership, hearing and interacting with guest speakers, getting to know their classmates, and developing their leadership projects. A new cohort of 37 is now taking the course at one of three locations: Century College, Inver Hills Community College, or Minnesota State University, Mankato.

VAN Forums

VAN has been hosting free, discussion-based VAN Forums on the second Tuesday of every month since 2001. The forums cover topics as varied as Alzheimer’s awareness, creativity and dance, building bridges with the Hmong community, and baby boomers and civic engagement. In 2009, over 1,000 individuals participated in the forums, twice as many as the 470 attendees in 2008. Those completing evaluations consistently rated the programs between 4 and 5 on a five-point scale of usefulness. Seventy-eight percent of those responding reported that they got an idea for further action from the forum.

e-Bulletin

VAN delivers an e-Bulletin to over 3,400 recipients each month. In addition to original articles by local leaders, you will find information about upcoming events and highlights about volunteer opportunities.

Website

VAN’S website was thoroughly updated in mid2008. Since then, the number of hits per month has substantially increased. The website is filled with information about vital aging, provides a location for interactive discussions for ALVA participants, and provides access to VAN’s Vital Communities Toolkit. The toolkit links to tools and models that help individuals engage effectively in their communities.

We are looking forward to a productive 2010. I encourage you to get involved with VAN. Attend a forum, add your name to our email list, sign up for ALVA. Be a part of the movement!

Comments

Assistance - October 08, 2011
Well said. I never thought I would agree with this opinion, but I’m starting to see things from a different point of view. I have to analyse more on this as it looks very interesting. One thing I don’t understand though is how everything is related together.

Sharon Anderson - February 23, 2010
I am delighted Nancy Eustis is leading our network team.

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