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Thoughts on the Older American Act
by Nancy Eustis August 31, 2010
Much of the Older Americans Act (OAA) is about meeting the needs of older Americans. But the OAA also addresses civic engagement which is about older Americans as a resource.
The definition of civic engagement in the Older Americans Act is a good one: “An individual or collective action designed to address a public concern or an unmet human, educational, healthcare, environmental, or public safety need.”
Civic engagement is the thread that weaves the fabric of a democratic society. Active citizens can be the catalyst for a strong civic infrastructure that includes citizens, government, businesses, and the whole community working together to solve problems and embrace opportunities.
Civic engagement is crucial in these days of shrinking public budgets. According to the National Civic League, “Successful communities no longer look primarily to Washington for money or program guidance. . . . [Successful] communities recognize the interdependence among sectors and citizens, and they struggle to identify common goals to meet individuals’ and communities’ needs and aspirations.”
We who are involved in the Vital Aging Network believe that people in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and beyond, who possess experience and wisdom, can be important catalysts for civic engagement in their communities through active participation and leadership in public life.
The Vital Aging Network is working to engage older leaders in a number of ways. The ALVA Leadership Development program and an AmeriCorps planning project are two programs that exemplify civic engagement and serve as models for other communities.
ALVA Leadership Development
VAN’s ALVA Leadership Development program helps experienced leaders learn to use their skills in fresh ways and acquire new skills needed for being effective changemakers in their communities.
Some results of last year’s ALVA program include:
- Mary Ellen Kennedy, 71, taught fifth and sixth graders for 31 years in the Robbinsdale School District before she retired in 1996. This year, she is playing a major role in helping children with incarcerated parents to connect with adult mentors and address the fear, confusion, guilt, isolation, and anger they often face.
- Dick Kavaney, 73, a civil engineer and construction attorney for 36 years, is putting his experience to use by helping to remove obstacles to universal design in the Minnesota Building Code.
- Lul Ahmed, a Somali immigrant who now lives in Mankato, is working to empower immigrant women who are the heads of households in southern Minnesota.
AmeriCorps
The Vital Aging Network and the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging (MAAA) are collaborating on an AmeriCorps project focused on helping communities tap into the tremendous resource of people 55+ to help make communities work for people of all ages.
Wally Wysopal, city manager in North St. Paul, is anxious to get started with AmeriCorps members. “This project is exactly what we need. It used to be that the Lions Clubs and the veteran’s clubs played the important role of active citizens in our community (but they no longer do). Older adults can step in to help us rebuild what we have lost. It would be tremendously valuable to our community.”
AmeriCorps and older adults are a winning combination for sustainable community development.
The Older Americans Act can support the important work of older adults’ civic engagement. We urge and support expansion of the act to include the following provisions:
- Provide incentives for communities to engage people 55+ as active citizens in their communities.
- Encourage replication of leadership development programs that focus specifically on developing people 55+ as civic leaders.
We also urge an increase in the percentage of AmeriCorps’ membership allocated for people 55+ in the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.
You can play a role in getting these policies enacted. Call or write members of your congressional delegation. As a member of the Special Committee on Aging, Minnesota Senator Al Franken is in a particularly good position to influence enactment of these provisions. Let our elected offcials know that supporting civic engagement of older adults is important to you.
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