Older Americans Month: Meet Our Residents!

Celebrating Older Americans Month by celebrating the lives and stories of a few of our community partner residents!

May 19, 2021

In tough times, communities find strength in people—and people find strength in their communities. In the past year, we’ve seen this time and again in communities across the country as residents and staff have found new ways to support each other.

In senior living communities, older adults are a key source of this strength. Through their experiences, successes, and difficulties, they have built resilience that helps them to face new challenges. When communities tap into this, they become stronger too.

Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads the celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). This year’s theme is Communities of Strength, recognizing the important role older adults play in fostering the connection and engagement that build strong, resilient communities.  

When people of different ages, backgrounds, abilities, and talents share experiences—through action, story, or service—we help build strong communities. And that’s something to celebrate!  Together, we can find strength—and create a stronger future.

This year, one way K4Connect will celebrate Older Americans Month is by highlighting some of our amazing community members (residents). 

Delivering prescriptions on my bicycle at 14 years old. My first career job was as an electrical engineer with GE.

Gone With the Wind, Star Wars and The Godfather

Italian food

Vietnam

My career and family.

When you think you have problems, look over your shoulder, someone you see will have real problems.

Pick a goal and get started.

30 – 40. You are no longer teenage impulsive; you’re working, healthy and settled with a family, and still invincible.

My first job was at age 14 working at J B Ivey’s, a retail department store in Charlotte NC, making 50 cents an hour.  They were not open on Sundays and even closed the display windows so that people could not window shop on Sundays.  I worked in the boys’ clothing department and in greeting cards and gift wrap.

‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’, which I have seen 8 times including once here at the Cardinal, is my all-time favorite.  I’ve also read the book and been to Savanah to visit the actual locations shown in the movie.  Watching so many times was somewhat like shopping in a wonderful gift shop where you can’t see everything in just a few trips.  I also like ‘Pretty Woman’ and any movie Kevin Spacey is in.

Well, it would be hard to do without my favorites: strawberry shortcake, anything lemon, Jiff Extra Crunchy peanut butter, and Kettle popcorn.  But being a vegetarian and wanting to feel good as long as possible, I suppose it would be a toss-up between Thai food or a salad with lots of fruit, veggies, onion, and beans or eggs for protein.

Like most people near my age, I remember exactly where I was when J F Kennedy was shot.  Then his brother Robert and Martin Luther King along with the civil rights movement.  We have come such a long way from those days but have much further to go.  

My response will be in addition to my children and grandchildren, of course. As a volunteer in 1981 I helped organize a team of wonderful people to build a swim and racquet club and served as its first president.  That club brought families from several neighborhoods together for such fun, for the competition and good sport of swim meets, and for pool parties, laughter, and special celebrations.  I still love to ride by or visit and see children and young people enjoying time there.

Don’t double trouble by wasting time or energy worrying.  Don’t make decisions out of fear.  Even in difficult times look for all the things to be grateful for, trust God, expect the best but be prepared for the worst, practice patience and kindness, show compassion.

Learn the skill of being assertive instead of aggressive. Many want to be attractive or smart but the most important thing to be is kind. Don’t be so rigid and intent on doing things right; find the joy and have fun.  Be grateful in all things even through pain and heartbreak. Try always to be true to your values; forgive yourself when you fail and do better the next time. Remember you will be ‘less young’ one day yourself.

For me at age 48, having reared my children and learned to enjoy being ‘single again’, I experienced a freedom I had never felt before, not even in childhood.  I was in good health mentally and physically.  This was also a time of reinventing myself once again and starting another career that challenged me and helped others.  

If we ignore the health issues, life as a senior citizen is full of good memories, hopefully some wisdom gained throughout life, and others who are on the journey to the same destination we are and who support one another on that journey.  Opportunities abound to do the things one loves to do.

 My first job was with IBM Corporation in engineering development.

My top 3 movies of all time : West Side Story; The Longest Day; My Fair Lady.

If I could only eat one thing it would be dark chocolate.

The Birth of the State of Israel had most impact on my life because it opened the door for my family to escape the Romanian and soviet life and emigrate to Israel.

My biggest accomplishments are the development of my family and my professional accomplishments in management and use of languages.

Maintaining social network, continued learning and finding ways to help others.

Learn all the time from school, friends, family and develop sources of pride in yourself.

I believe the thirties because by then one has a pretty clear career path and a family may be developing to achieve a happy life.

Setting telephone poles in hot summer.

My Fair Lady, Mary Poppins and The Magnificent 7

Ciopinno

The fall of the Berlin Wall

Raising two super children

Never give up (Winston Churchill)

Take more risks

Today’s age – tomorrow’s age will be better!

We hope you enjoyed learning a bit about some of these fantastic residents. For more resources, visit the official OAM website, follow ACL on Twitter and Facebook, and join the conversation via #OlderAmericansMonth.