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Why do seniors give to charity?

aadmin — Fri, 20 Dec 2013 11:55:16 +0000

For many people in the United States and Canada, winter is prime charitable giving time. With a wide range of different religious and cultural holidays in November and December, charity is in the air. And while the ranges of charitable giving ranges wildly, based on such demographics as income, sex, and location, one demographic consistently donates more money – and time – to charitable causes: older people.

According to a study by Blackbaud, people aged 49 and older donated 69 per cent of all charitable dollars in the United States. However, that age bracket only represents 20 per cent of the overall American population. So Baby Boomers and their peers are giving about 3.5 times their proportion. And while Baby Boomers and seniors are generous with their money, they have found new ways to donate to their favorite charities: the internet.

“It is exciting to see how giving is trending with the Baby Boomers playing an ever important and impactful role in philanthropy. It is also encouraging to see all sectors using technology to give,” Lisa Dietlin, a Chicago, Illinois-based philanthropic consultant, said. “Technology will accelerate giving by providing easy opportunities in which to donate.”

Catherine Chapman, a philanthropy consultant based in Louisville, Kentucky, told RetirementHomes.com that one major factor which has dictated older people’s charitable giving is their financial situation; namely, their lower expenses. Other reasons include their desires to establish a lasting legacy in their later years, as well as their higher level of overall trust for charitable organizations, whereas younger cohorts tend to be more skeptical of the efficacy of charities to accomplish their stated goals.

The rates of charitable giving, even among seniors, have fallen in recent years as a result of the unstable economic landscape in Canada and the United States. A recent article in the Globe & Mail newspaper showed that in Canada, charitable giving fell from 10 billion Canadian dollars five years ago to only 8 billion today.

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Five ways seniors can fight ageism

aadmin — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 15:51:58 +0000

Congratulations! After decades of hard work, a long career and efforts spent saving money, retirement has finally arrived. You have all the time in the world to see friends and family, and spend time on hobbies, volunteering, or worldwide travel.

But although you may be happy in retirement, ageism exists, and misconceptions about seniors and retirees exist. To help make a mark, a recent article from USNews.com shares five ways seniors can make a positive impact on their environment:

1. Be positive – Focusing on the negatives brings yourself, and others, down. To put people in a better mood, be positive.

2. Listen – It is human nature to want to speak about themselves, but when someone listens to others without speaking, that goes a long way.

3. Don’t judge – Another trait of being human is looking at others and making judgments about their character. No one can ever know the mind of another person, so it’s best to avoid judging them.

4. Be charitable- Whether it’s with your time or money, being charitable means helping out those less fortunate, and giving them support and encouragement.

5. Live it – ‘Do as I say, not as I do’ is not an ideal attitude to win over fans, according to USNews.com. Instead, think of yourself as a role model.

What do you think about these tips? Do you already practice them at home or in your assisted living community? Tell us about it in the comment section below:

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Retired 92 year-old soldier gets gift from fellow servicemen

aadmin — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:39:59 +0000

Against the backdrop of a beautiful, blue fall sky, World War II veteran Gus Siciliano took hold of the rope handed to him and carefully raised the American flag and the black Prisoner of War (POW) flags outside his Vineland, New Jersey home. It was clear to those present that he was overcome with emotion as his poignant wish came true.

Siciliano says he is very proud of his years in the military as a tail-gunner in a B-17 airplane, including one year spent as a prisoner in a Nazi prison camp. Although he is 92 years old and in hospice care for Cancer, he still lives in his home with his wife of 60 years, Helen, and until recently, flew both the U.S. and POW from a flagpole in his front yard. That is, until a recent severe storm destroyed both the flagpole and the flags. Because he and his wife live on a fixed income, they were not able to replace the flagpole on their own.

Knowing how important the flags were to Siciliano, his hospice social worker submitted a wish application on his behalf to Twilight Wish Foundation, requesting assistance with this special wish. Twilight Wish is a national nonprofit that works hard to make the dreams and wishes of low-income senior citizens come true. Twilight Wish put the word out about Siciliano’s wish and a local service organization, Bucks County Service Industry Charities, responded. They raised the money and installed the base for the new flagpole, donating the material, new flags, and their time.

Around the same time, a Twilight Wish employee having work done in her home and mentioned the wish to her contractor, who in his spare time is an active member of the troops support group Warriors’ Watch. The contractor was touched by Siciliano’s story and offered to have members from Warriors’ Watch join in the wish granting. So, one winter day, over 50 riders from Warriors’ Watch arrived at Sicliano’s house to recognize and thank him for his military service. Several of them lifted the flagpole into the concrete base while the others saluted Siciliano.

“Gus, you’re going to raise your own flags, sir,” one of the soldiers said.

Siciliano took hold of the rope and began to raise the flags, saying “this is one of the greatest honors I’ve ever had.” As the bikers rode off, Siciliano saluted his new flags one more time.

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