One of the reasons I love my job is that I get to hear from people all the time about their experiences and reactions to doing something meaningful in the second half of life.  So many who have left their corporate jobs have experienced a sense of isolation and feeling like they are not doing anything useful.  A friend of mine who just started volunteering with kids told me that she was totally unprepared for what she learned from these young girls and the incredible benefits she was receiving. She now feels more energized and excited about getting up every day.  It turns out there are hundreds of others who are feeling the same way about working with kids in their community.

On the flip side, I have spoken to numerous CEOs of local youth-serving organizations who have recognized the value that older adults bring to the children they are serving.

I wanted to share with you a new report that was just published by Generations United- “I Need You, You Need Me – The Young and the Old and What We Can Achieve”.  The report begins by recognizing the barriers that exist when bringing together the young and the old.  We live in an age segregated society where over 25% of all neighborhoods contain a high proportion of older adults (senior communities) and 31% contain children and families.  This was not true in the last century when it was not uncommon for generations to live together under one roof or in the same neighborhood.   This age segregation has led the way to ageism and silos where each generation is misunderstood or mislabeled.  Generations United and Encore.org are focusing on ways to embrace and adapt programs and an environment where the young and old can unite.

Why the Young and Old Must Unite

 Twenty one percent of our youth today are in poverty and another 22% are very near poverty.  This segment is more likely to suffer academically and emotionally while their parents are struggling to survive.  At the same time, older adults are looking for meaning and not sure where to go to find that pathway.  As mentioned in my own friends’ experience, when we find ways to integrate young and old, we begin to address the isolation and relational poverty experienced by both generations.

The Generations United report also highlights exceptional examples of intergenerational programs and testimonials that are truly uniting the young with the old.  Most important, the report focuses on specific actions like advocacy, volunteering or starting a local project to help a youth that can be taken to help foster this intergenerational integration.

Generation to Generation Tampa Bay

 We are thrilled and honored to be doing our part in this intergenerational movement by becoming an official Intergenerational Impact Zone under the umbrella of the Generation to Generation campaign launched by Encore.org.  We are in the process of selecting our youth-serving pilot partners and outreach organizations.  Over the next two years we will provide an Entrepreneurial Lab that will create more efficient and effective ways of mobilizing and engaging older adults in a variety of different youth-serving roles.  This model will be tested and documented so that other nonprofits in our community can benefit from this new recruiting/engagement model.

What can you do to unite the young and the old in your community, leave a legacy and live a life on purpose? 

 It starts by TAKING ACTION AND GETTING INVOLVED. Here are just a few opportunities:

• Tell us about other organizations or efforts in the Tampa Bay community that are bringing together the young and the old.  (adopting schools, showcasing local organizations such as New Life Village, etc.)
• Join our Generation to Generation Tampa Bay team as we put together all the key pieces and players to launch our initiative (areas such as research/evaluation, social media, and community outreach).  We also need a Gen2Gen Story reporter- to interview and write short blogs about people and programs in our community that are uniting the young and old.
• Make a financial contribution to Encore Tampa Bay to help fund the Generation to Generation campaign. (Yes, we need to raise money to make this program work)
• Check out www.generationtogeneration.org and take the Summer Challenge.  Enter your zip code and you will see many opportunities, starting right now, to volunteer right in your own backyard.
• Don’t forget to look at the other ways to unite the young and the old in the Generations United Report.

 “ As a society, we tend to believe that each generation is an insular one, and that the interests of each are unique and separate from those of others. But now more than ever, people young and old must join forces to address problems that affect both of their communities.”

MICHAEL EISNER

Over the last 3 1/2 years, Encore Tampa Bay has assisted baby boomers to explore options and retool for meaningful paid work or volunteer services through programs, events and a network of local resources. At the same time, we have helped strengthen nonprofit organizations, businesses and the economy of the Tampa Bay community by connecting the talent and experience of baby boomers with the demand for qualified workers.   These efforts have laid the groundwork to expand our reach and impact in the Tampa Bay Area.

During the last five months, we have begun to define a future state and vision for Encore Tampa Bay over the next three years. Our board and strategic advisors have addressed the following questions:

• Where is the greatest need?  Who are Encore Tampa Bay’s main target audiences?
• What is our greatest opportunity for impact as well as sustainability?
• What role should we play?

CHALLENGE ONE:
What kept coming up in our research and conversations is that over 10,000 nonprofits in the Tampa Bay area play such a critical role in meeting the economic, education, healthcare, cultural and environmental issues of our community. Each of these organizations is struggling to do more with less. Yet, there exists a vastly underutilized resource that can address some of these challenges.   Over 500,000 older adults in our community are unsure how they can apply their skills and experience in a way that has meaning for them.  It became clear to me and the board that there is not a coordinated effort and pathway to activate and connect this massive untapped talent to the demands of our social service community.

CHALLENGE TWO:
There are far too many older adults who are ready to stay engaged and use their skills and talent in either paid or volunteer assignments but are unsure of where to start or locate resources to assist them along the way.  One major priority for many older adults is to continue to earn income.  There are 10,000 adults turning 65 everyday and many of them wonder what other options they have once they leave their job.

CHALLENGE THREE
While 80 million boomers are ready to change the rules on work, retirement and living, our community, organizations and infrastructure have not made the shift in how they view older adults in this new way of living!  Employers do not yet see the possibilities of a new model for work as 30% of their workforce contemplate their exit strategy.

Our defined future state for the next three years and priorities for 2017 are as follows:

 INDIVIDUALS (Older Adults)

• Defined future state: Encore Tampa Bay will be an aggregator and thought leader about purposeful aging. Encore Tampa Bay will be a connector of resources for individuals looking for encore opportunities.

 2017 Priorities
o   Continue to raise awareness in the community with face-to-face, online and media presence.
o   Continue to strengthen the Encore Tampa Bay Network of organizations who can assist with discovery and retooling.
o   Expand our Job Opportunity Board to include more paid part time positions.

• Defined future state: Encore Tampa Bay will be a fierce advocate for older adults to shift the cultural narrative about aging and to reinforce that age is an asset.

2017 Priorities
o   Participate in a community-wide initiative to achieve an “AGE FRIENDLY DESIGNATION” (led by AARP and St. Petersburg College Policy Institute).
o   Initiate the AARP Age Friendly Employer Pledge with businesses located throughout Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties.

NONPROFITS

• Defined future state: Encore Tampa Bay will be the go-to resource and connector of talent for nonprofit and community leaders in need of time, talent and experience.

2017 Priorities
o   Mobilize encore talent for needs of nonprofits or community wide initiatives and accelerate connections of encore talent with the nonprofit world.
o   Our number one priority will be developing the foundation and launching the Generation to Generation Campaign (a community wide initiative) in 2017.

 BUSINESSES

• Defined future state: Encore Tampa Bay will be the provider of consulting services and programs that will assist businesses with their employees’ retirement transition process.

2017 Priorities
o   Roll out an Encore Employee Retirement Transition Program to be implemented in local businesses as a social enterprise effort.

Please contact us if you have any questions about these priorities. I am excited and optimistic about what the future holds for Encore Tampa Bay and our community! And I want you to be equally excited!

After three years, what I know for sure, is that we cannot do this alone!   We want to walk the talk and engage our encore population in helping to achieve this defined future state! Over the next two months we will be identifying specific roles and mini projects to advance each of these major priorities and will post these opportunities in our newsletter and website!   Stay tuned!

I want to thank our Board of Advisors and Strategic Advisor Council for their participation and input during our planning process! I’ve listed them all here so that you will recognize the individuals and organizations that have given so much to grow the encore movement here in Tampa Bay.

Bevan Rogel
Encore Tampa Bay