Training in Indio, CA

Staff and volunteers from the Senior and Teen Centers in Indio, California spent December 13 with Generations United’s Sheri Steinig and Leah Bradley focusing on developing successful intergenerational activities and programs. When discussing previous experiences, a senior center volunteer shared that he “had never laughed so hard in his life” as he did when kayaking with the teens during one of their intergenerational trips. It was an empowering, exciting day, culminating in plans for three new ongoing opportunities for intergenerational interactions. This training was supported with a grant from Met Life Foundation, as part of a national shared site initiative, building capacity of local communities. Generations United is working with a select group of cities, counties and non-profit organizations to strengthen their communities through strategic planning and staff training.

Intergenerational Thinking is the New Norm

Thinking within an intergenerational context is really becoming a conventional wisdom. This is supported by the Harris Interactive survey we recently commissioned, which revealed more than 80 percent of American adults want their leaders in Washington to fund policies that encourage connections between older and younger people. And as more and more families are living in multigenerational households, we as a nation are becoming far more intergenerational than we were only 20 years ago.

A recent story on multigenerational households in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette perfectly supports this idea. The article quoted Donna, and it also featured a new comic strip by cartoonist Ed Stein called “Freshly Squeezed.” The strip centers around a family forced to live under the same roof due to economic necessity. It is based on Stein’s experiences when his mother died and his then 80-year-old father decided to move in with him while he and his wife raised toddlers.

Comic strips are like TV shows and films in that they reflect the zeitgeist of our society. It is encouraging to see more mainstream treatment of multigenerational living depicted in the media. It only makes sense, because it is where we as a society now find ourselves. Let’s hope we see more soon.


Rich Robinson is the press secretary for Generations United. You can email him at rrobinson@gu.org

Building a Policy Framework: Family Matters a Success!

What a great event! On November 15th we released Family Matters: Public Policy and the Interdependence of Generations to a packed house at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. A panel, moderated by Generations United strategic advisor Juan Willams, discussed the issues and recommendations in the report. John Rother (AARP), Ralph Smith (Annie E.Casey Foundation) and Eugene Steuerle (Urban Institute) thoughtfully discussed the issues our country faces as our economy continues to struggle and families are hurting. While some tend to lean towards segregating support for generations, we at Generations United advocate it's not a fight, it's a family. We need to create and implement policies that help generations help each other.

We are grateful to Juan, John, Ralph and Gene for joining us. While the discussion was rich, the stories shared by three individuals added the heart to the day. Many thanks to Pamela Perry who talked about her twins' wonderful experience at Easter Seals' Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Inter-Generational Center; Beth Finke who shared her story pointing to the value of Social Security for all ages and the need to reinstate the student benefit; and to Carrie Ryan who explained why she believes generations should be connected which led to her starting "Bridging Generations" while in high school.

You'll be hearing more about the report and our plans to move the recommendations forward. In the meantime, download a copy of the report from our website and let us know what you think. And have a great Thanksgiving! Best, Donna

Fighting Over Future Funding Hurts Everyone

Perhaps you’ve seen some press recently about a new book from journalist Ted C. Fishman called “Shock of Gray” (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/magazine/17Aging-t.html?emc=eta1). In it, the author attempts to make the case that as the world’s population is grows older, there will be heated battles between generations for shrinking dollars that fund programs which support older citizens (i.e. Social Security) or the young (i.e. Head Start).

Supporting an aging population is not a bleak either/or proposition that pits one generation against another. Instead of disparaging and dismissing the involvement of older adults, we should celebrate their contributions and facilitate their active participation.

One critically important way to do this is to make it easier for people of all ages to work in both paid and unpaid positions. In 2009, older adults volunteered 1.6 billion hours of time valued at more than $33 billion to our economy, a legacy that benefits recipients among all generations.

We must not look at an aging society as if we need to triage who to save and who to cut. We need to pull together and realize it’s a family, not a fight.

~Rich Robinson
Generations United, Press Secretary can be reached at rrobinson@gu.org.

Protecting and Preserving Social Security for Generations

Last week, Generations United was honored to be invited to testify before the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security on Protecting and Preserving Social Security for Generations. Unfortunately due to other pressing Congressional priorities, the hearing was cancelled. However, GU’s written testimony was distributed to the entire Ways and Means Committee and the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, which is charged with identifying policies to improve the current fiscal situation and to achieve fiscal sustainability over the long run.

Our testimony emphasized that Social Security lifts more children out of poverty than any other Federal Program and is a promise to all generations that must not be broken. It was founded on the belief that those who work long and hard should not become destitute due to retirement or disability, nor should their families suffer economic insecurity in the event of early death. Social Security not only protects older adults, it protects children through survivor’s benefits, retirement benefits, disability benefits, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Social Security is especially critical for grandfamilies, families where children are being raised by grandparents or other relatives. As one grandparent caregiver said, “Without it, we’d be living out of my car.” More than 6.5 million children across the country are living in households maintained by grandparents or other relatives.

GU urges Congress to look at ways to improve the adequacy of Social Security by restoring the student benefit, improving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and exploring ways to change the family cap and grandchild benefit to better support non-traditional family structures such as grandfamilies.

GU will continue to advocate and protect the intergenerational commitment embodied in Social Security and we’ll continue to build off the momentum created by our Social Security For All Generations Call-In Day, cosponsored by AARP, Child Welfare League of America, Children's Defense Fund, Grandfamilies of America, Easter Seals, National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights, North American Council on Adoptable Children, and Voices for America's Children. which garnered 4,600 calls to federal lawmakers stressing the importance of Social Security for all ages, and our informative testimony.

To read the entire Social Security testimony and stay informed visit our Social Security page or download our new fact sheet about Social Security's importance to grandfamilies (grandparents and other relatives raising grandchildren).

Thank you to all the abuelas (and abuelos) out there!

Abuelita, Nana, Mima, Lita, Abucha, Mama, Abue. These are all ways in which to say Grandmother in Spanish. There are probably others I missed, never mind in other languages. I myself used to call my maternal grandmother Mama Nati (short for Nativity because she was born on Christmas, may she rest in peace).

I had the pleasure of watching an amazing film about grandmothers last week, For the Next 7 Generations. This film tells the stories of thirteen indiginous grandmothers from all over the world who had never met, but came together because they believed it was up to them to share their sacred wisdom in order to save Mother Earth and preserve it for those who came after them. The grandmothers are from all over the world, Tibet, Africa, Alaska, Canada, South America, even Mexico and Nicaragua. In one scene the grandmothers came together and a girl of about nine years made a short movie about them, showing why it was that they came together in the firt place. It was a very touching film and I don't want to spoil it further, but I hope everyone can take the opportunity to watch it for themselves.

There are over 2.5 million grandparents raising their grandchildren across the country. 19%, or almost half a million, of them are Latino. Nationally, over 6 million children are being raised by their grandparents because their parents are not able to. This is a tremendous endevour filled with many hardships, but also love and joy. It's no easy task for anyone involved and these grandparents need the support to be able to do it. There are groups all over that are there to lend a hand, and one such example is in Arizona. Arizona's Children Association has several KARE Family Programs throughout the state to serve grandfamilies, several are in communities with high numbers of Latino populations. They offer support groups, education referrals, legal resource information, assistance with completing paperwork, and much more.

It's been my experience that Abuelas have been held in high esteem and affection. It's when they take on a much more significant role, like that of a primary caregiver, that it becomes clear how vital they really are.

For more information on Arizona's KARE Programs visit www.arizonaschildren.org/karecenter.htm.
For more information on the film about the thirteen indiginous grandmothers visit www.grandmotherscouncil.org.

SHINE On Through

The Latino culture and its people have been part of U.S. fabric for as long as it has existed, back when the west and southwest states including California, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas belonged to Mexico. As the United States’ boundaries changed and became the “Land of Opportunity” people from all over the world and especially Latino countries came in droves. Latino immigrants of all ages came with the high hopes of a better life, often escaping difficult, even dangerous, situations. Countries mired in civil wars made it hard for people to earn good livelihoods. And coming to America hasn’t always been easy, as most immigrants will tell you. Because although immigrant communities have a reputation for being closely knit, isolation and depression are all too familiar to many.

Project SHINE was created in Philadelphia, PA at the Intergenerational Center at Temple University by Nancy Henkin. She hoped that this new project would help ease the transition for older adult immigrants, who, after spending their entire lives in another way of life, have painful experiences integrating into a new culture. Project SHINE was just the beginning at Temple University; it runs at eighteen other campuses across the country. Through this service-learning program, college students serve as tutors, coaches, mentors of sort in ESL classrooms in community agencies that serve immigrants and older adults. This program not only benefits the older adults, who get to interact with college students, learn English, learn about America from one of its younger generations, they are also able to share their wisdom with young people, give first-hand accounts of what life is like in a part of the world that is unfamiliar to many people. This is a program that makes sense, benefits younger and older individuals, and meets a community need.

For more information on Project SHINE visit www.projectshine.org

~Roxana is blogging during Hispanic History Month about intergenerational programs and initiatives that serve Latino communities.

Celebrating Senior Corps Week

This week (September 20-24) the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is celebrating the extraordinary impact of older adults through the first-ever Senior Corps Week! CNCS’s Senior Corps program provides service opportunities for adults age 55 and older to engage in activities that benefit community members of all ages. With the theme “Making a Difference for Generations,” Senior Corps Week highlights the powerful impact of 55+ volunteers and inspires others to get involved. The initiative recognizes that service by older Americans benefits everyone – it helps volunteers by keeping them active, healthy, and engaged; it helps our communities to have millions more skilled volunteers; and it helps our nation by saving taxpayer dollars, reducing healthcare costs, and strengthening civic participation.

As the 78 million Baby Boomers near retirement age, it is important to invest in intergenerational programs that utilize the experience and wisdom of older adults to strengthen our communities, and our country. “Older Americans bring a lifetime of skills and experience as parents, workers, and citizens that can be tapped to meet challenges in our communities,” said Dr. Erwin Tan, a board certified geriatrician and recently appointed Director of Senior Corps. “Given the many social needs facing our communities – and the growing interest in service by 55+ Americans – this is a moment of unprecedented need and opportunity for our programs.”

In a time of serious economic and social challenges, nearly 500,000 volunteers age 55+ are serving through Senior Corps' three programs – Foster Grandparents, RSVP, and Senior Companions. These individuals contributed more than 98 million hours of volunteer service worth an estimated $2 billion in 2009. Generations United is pleased to join in celebrating the impact of older adults in our communities and schools.

To read more about intergenerational service opportunities, check out our fact sheet on the Kennedy Serve America Act.

For more information on Senior Corps or ways to get involved, please visit NationalService.gov.

Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off

Hispanic Heritage Month starts today. For the next 30 days Latinos everywhere will be celebrating our proud heritage. As a Latina born in El Salvador, I will as well. I moved to the United States when I was 7 years-old and one thing I missed most after leaving was my connection to extended family, particularly my grandparents who helped raise me for those first seven years of my life and whom I lived with at different periods. Those intergenerational connections are priceless. I know in the Latino community, they are as well. The challenge comes when families immigrate and those connections alter or break.

One group that is meeting this challenge while focusing on meeting early childhood education needs of low-income, Spanish speaking immigrant children is Adelante Mujeres. Their Champions for Early Childhood Education (CECE) program does just that in a partnership with PODER Family Literacy. They engage local baby boomers in the Forest Grove, Oregon area to help in the classroom, one-on-one or small groups. Looking back on it, I wish there had been a program like this one when I had first come to the U.S. or that my parents would have known about one if it existed. Though, I think I managed to do pretty well all in all considering, having the familiarity of an older adult in a grandparent-like role may have made the transition better. Because of programs like these, immigrant children in that community will be better off.

For more information on Adelante Mujeres visit www.adelantemujeres.org.

~Roxana Martinez, Program Coordinator

Celebrating the Success of Call-In Day

Thank you to everyone who participated in our successful Call-In Day yesterday, Monday, September 13th. The Social Security For All Generations Call-In Day garnered 3,600 calls to federal lawmakers stressing the importance of Social Security for all ages. Through letters, e-mails, Tweets and online postings surrounding the day, thousands of Americans were informed about the support Social Security provides to many of our most vulnerable children and families.

Special thanks go to our cosponsors: AARP, Child Welfare League of America, Children's Defense Fund, Grandfamilies of America, Easter Seals, National Committee of Grandparents for Children's Rights, North American Council on Adoptable Children, and Voices for America's Children.

Stay informed by visiting our Social Security page or downloading our new fact sheet about Social Security's importance to grandfamilies (grandparents and other relatives raising grandchildren).

Call NOW for Social Security!

Today, Monday, September 13, 2010, is our Social Security for all Generations Call-In Day. Join us in telling Members of Congress that Social Security is vital - for ALL generations.

Call 1-800-795-5336 to dial your legislator from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

Calling to make your voice heard is easy. You don't have to be an expert on Social Security or the budget. You just need to let them know that you care about preserving Social Security's support for all generations. It only takes a minute. Here's how you make the call:

1. Dial 1-800-795-5336 and follow the prompt to enter your zip code. Then press "1" to connect to your first Senator's/Representative's office.

2. A staff person will answer the phone. Tell that person where you're calling from, and that you're calling to remind your [Senator/Representative] that...

Today, 6.5 million children receive benefits through Social Security. Social Security cuts would mean a considerable loss of economic security for children and break the promise of Social Security for all generations. Please tell the [Senator/Representative] to support children. Cuts to Social Security benefits to reduce the deficit would hurt children, families, and older adults now.

3. Most calls will end there. However, if you like, you can add another statement about why this is important to you.

4. Since all your Members of Congress have a stake in this debate, please call 1-800-795-5336 again to get connected to your other Members' offices. Once again enter your zip code, then press "2" to be connected to your second Senator. After you have called your Senators, please call again to select the option to connect to your Representative.



Photo by Ed Babb

White House Issues Grandparents Day Proclamation

President Obama has just issued a proclamation for National Grandparents Day!

"Throughout our history, American families have been guided and strengthened by the support of devoted grandparents. These mentors have a special place in our homes and communities, ensuring the stories and traditions of our heritage are passed down through generations. On National Grandparents Day, we honor those who have helped shape the character of our Nation, and we thank these role models for their immeasurable acts of love, care, and understanding."

Read the rest at the White House's website. We at Generations United wish all older adults a very happy Grandparents Day this Sunday, September 12!