Community

By Mac McLean

A large number of Americans are unprepared financially for retirement. Are you on track? Check in with AARP Oregon to learn what you need to know about critical programs such as Social Security, Medicare and work past retirement.

I winced when I received the Newsletter of my ALF. The Newsletter for the Spring months of March or April is usually devoted to the reawakening of nature, a celebration, both religious and mythological, of what Stravinsky imagined musically, as “The Rites of Spring.”

I was a university teacher for 59 years. That’s the totality of my university, campus based classroom instruction, including the 15 years I taught through my retirement days and five years as a co-teacher during my wheelchair confinement as a disabled person. I continue to “teach” as a Guest Speaker in classes related to age and disability.

The ALF (Assisted Living Facility) I live in is located in a college town. That means all, or most, of our caregivers are university students. This has significant implications for our care. Since most of the residents are in their seventies or eighties, these young women – “she” is the usual personal pronoun used when talking about a caregiver - could be our granddaughters. It would be nice if they thought of us as “grandpa” or “grandma.” For the most part though, we’re the main ingredient of their job.

By Mac McLean

AARP has opened applications for the 2019 AARP Community Challenge grant program to fund “quick-action” projects that spark change across the country. Now in its third year, the program is part of AARP’s nationwide work on Livable Communities. Grants can range from several hundred dollars for small, short-term activities to several thousand dollars for larger projects.

In celebration of Black History Month, we are please to bring this interview with Judy Knawls Boyer, Chapter President of AARP N/NE Portland. AARP Chapters are local volunteer organization with their own independent legal status, bi-laws, members and volunteer leadership. AARP N/NE Portland Chapter has a rich and unique history in Portland and we are excited to share it with you.

Parks and public places bring people together, help create a sense of place, and build community. Parks are the cornerstone of age-friendly and livable communities. Portland Parks & Recreation is already a treasure for the city, but as our region grows, it is timely to be thinking about the future of parks in the city and the region. AARP is excited to support Portland Parks Foundation’s Green Dreams: Seeding Portland’s Next Parks Movement series this March.

Do you want to be more involved with your city, county and regional government - and your community? Then CIVICS 101 is for you!