May: Older Americans Month; May 4th : Tutu's Forgiveness Challenge

Today it is the Month of May-The Year 2014

I find rather thought provoking that in my  "Senior Periodicals" for the "Month of May" no mention of "May Poles", "May Baskets" or "May Day"?  

Do note that "May was officially proclaimed; nationwide, "Older Americans Month" in 1963 honoring those age 65 and older.  The state of Oklahoma will however hold its "39th Annual" OK Conference on Aging" on May 20-22 in Norman.  May 20 "Senior Day"- all events are "Free of Charge" to those age 60 and older.  While AARP welcomes all to join its ranks for Publications Discounts and Benefits at age 50!

No doubt about it, at age 86, I may with all certainty proclaim myself as "Older-Aging and American Retired Person!

Born in 1927, I was one of " The Great Depression Children".  The "Official Day of the Market Crash" was October 24, 1929-My Second Birthday!

In that Era, I remember my Daddy returning home from "His corporate office in the Downtown Chicago Loop" taking me on his lap and turning to the "Page with all the Numbers"- The Stock Market Reports' instead of First Reading Me the "Funnies." The "day's figures" came First, "before" Little Orphan Annie and Daddy Warbuck's Adventures!  That winter the lines outside of "Soup Kitchens" all over our Land Became Long and "Brother can you spare a Dime?" a Familiar Phrase!

In the Era of My Childhood that followed I came to know My Elders well - A Sad Story to Tell!  Following the Death of My Daddy- from a simple Tonsil Surgery- an infection- and Miracle Drugs like Penicillin-not as yet to be! At age eight, my grieving Mother and I came to dwell in the beautiful Tulsa home of my Grandparents.  My Grandfather, an alcoholic-a problem with which many successful, early day oilmen had to cope- My Grandmother, was at the Mayo Clinic termed "legally blind" after two unsuccessful eye surgeries.  They said there was no Hope!!

My childhood blended into the Era of my "early teen years"- "Pearl Harbor" and World War II - Today at 86-I observe the "Greatest Generation"- In the 1940's we and our Elders- all who fought brought our Country "- Proudly and Victoriously thorough WWII.  On the "home front", I sadly remember we viewed daily the newspaper's long list of "Oklahoma's Casualty News":  We Teens and Elders understood "Ration Stamps" full well-From Sugar to Shoes-Rationed Tires and Gas-Many Stories to Share - of that Era now so Long Past!

With Peace there came the Post-War Era.  My college years-Then Marriage-The Roles of Wife and Mother-Volunteer Years-Career Years-Grandmother-Great-Grandmother-Widow-Where did the Eras All Go?  I see again this "Month of May," will there be some who still think of Baskets Today? I can still so vividly recall- "My own two Little Girls." My working always with their "Brownies and Scout Troops" Making "May Baskets'-Construction Paper-Cut and Fold-Jars of thick Paste-Wondering will the Handles Hold? The wilting 
white Spireas and Daffodils of Gold-always working in haste and my words as we cleaned-up our meeting place- I can still hear Myself say, "Remember We are Going to Leave this Place Better than We Found it Today"!

Now Dear Lord- In this my "Eldest Aging ERA"- Today, in the Beautiful Month of May-My Place is Your Beautiful Blooming Planet Earth - My nightly Prayer Lord, if I may, ask for Strength that I may "Leave this Place Better than I Found it Today"!

Marolyn Donnelly Stout, 2014 National Older Americans Month

From http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_editions/cb14-ff07.html Older Americans Month: May 2014

A meeting with the National Council of Senior Citizens resulted in President John F. Kennedy designating May 1963 as Senior Citizens Month, encouraging the nation to pay tribute to older people across the country. In 1980, President Jimmy Carter's proclamation changed the name to Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate those 65 and older through ceremonies, events and public recognition.

43.1 million

The number of people who were 65 and older in the United States on July 1, 2012. This group accounted for 13.7 percent of the total population.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates
< http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2012/PEPAGESEX>

92.0 million

Projected population of people 65 and older in 2060. People in this age group would comprise just over one in five U.S. residents at that time. Of this number, 18.2 million would be 85 or older.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Projections
< http://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2012.html>

2.4 million

Projected number of baby boomers in 2060. At that time, the youngest baby boomers would be 96 years old.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Projections
< http://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2012.html>

2056

The year in which, for the first time, the population 65 and older would outnumber people younger than 18 in the U.S.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Projections
< http://www.census.gov/population/projections/data/national/2012.html>

Income and Poverty

$33,848

The 2012 median income of households with householders 65 and older, not significantly different from the previous year.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2012, Table 1
< http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-245.pdf>

9%

The percent of people 65 and older (3.9 million) who were in poverty in 2012.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2012, Table 3
<http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-245.pdf>

$170,516

Median net worth for householders 65 and older in 2011, down from $203,015 (in 2011 dollars) in 2005.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Net Worth and Asset Ownership of Households: 2011
< http://www.census.gov/people/wealth>

14.8%

Percent supplemental poverty rate for those 65 and older, equating to 6.4 million people. Excluding Social Security would leave the majority of this population (54.7 percent or 23.7 million) in poverty.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2012
< http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p60-247.pdf>

Serving Our Nation

9.6 million

Estimated number of people 65 and older who were veterans of the armed forces in 2012.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey
< http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/B21001>

Jobs

21.3%

Labor force participation rate for men 65 and older in 2012, up from 17.6 percent in 1990 and significantly higher than the rate for women 65 and older at 13.4 percent (8.4 percent in 1990).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey Table B23001
< http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/12_1YR/B23001>

4.3 million

Number of full-time, year-round workers 65 and older with earnings in 2012, up from 1.3 million in 1992.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, Historical Income Tables: People, Table P-32
< http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/historical/people/>

Education

82.6%

Proportion of people 65 and older in 2013 who had completed high school or higher education.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2013, Table 1 All Races
< http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/data/cps/2013/tables.html>

25.3%

Percentage of the population 65 and older in 2013 who had earned a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2013, Table 1 All Races
< http://www.census.gov/hhes/socdemo/education/data/cps/2013/tables.html>

Marital Status and Living Arrangements

58%

Percentage of people 65 and older who were married in 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements, Table A1
< http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2013A.html>

26%

Percentage of people 65 and older in 2013 who were widowed.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Families and Living Arrangements, Table A1
< http://www.census.gov/hhes/families/data/cps2013A.html>

Computer and Internet Use

61.8%

The percentage of those 65 and older who reported living in homes with computers in 2011. Additionally, 45.5 percent accessed the Internet either from home or elsewhere.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Computer and Internet Use, Table 2
< http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-569.pdf>

Voting

71.9%

Percentage for those 65 and older who reported casting a ballot in the 2012 presidential election.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, The Diversifying Electorate--Voting Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin in 2012 (and Other Recent Elections), Table 6
< http://www.census.gov/prod/2013pubs/p20-568.pdf>

Homeownership

80.7%

Percentage of householders 65 and older who owned their homes as of fourth quarter 2013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey/Housing Vacancy Survey, Table 7
< http://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/data/q413ind.html>

On the Map

18.2%

Percentage of Florida's population that was 65 and older in 2012, followed by Maine (17.0 percent) and West Virginia (16.8 percent). Alaska had the lowest percentage (8.5 percent), followed by Utah (9.5 percent) and Texas (10.9 percent).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates
< http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb13-112.html>

49.3%

Percentage of the population in Sumter, Fla., that was 65 and older in 2012 - which led all of the nation's counties. Other counties were Charlotte, Fla. (36.0 percent) and La Paz, Ariz. (34.9 percent). Chattahoochee, Ga. (3.6 percent) had the lowest percentage.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates
< http://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/population/cb13-112.html>

Centenarians

53,364

The number of people age 100 and older counted by the 2010 Census.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Centenarians: 2010
< http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-03.pdf>

20.7

For every 100 centenarian women, the number of centenarian men in 2010.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Centenarians: 2010
< http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-03.pdf>

43.5%

In 2010, percentage of centenarian men who lived with others in a household, the most common living arrangement for this group. For their female counterparts, the most common living arrangement was residing in a nursing home (35.2 percent).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Centenarians: 2010
< http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-03.pdf>

3.29

Number of centenarians per 10,000 people in North Dakota in 2010. North Dakota was the only state with more than three centenarians per 10,000 people.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Centenarians: 2010
< http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/reports/c2010sr-03.pdf>

 

Editor’s note: The preceding data were collected from a variety of sources and may be subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. Facts for Features are customarily released about two months before an observance in order to accommodate magazine production timelines. Questions or comments should be directed to the Census Bureau’s Public Information Office: telephone: 301-763-3030; fax: 301-763-3762; or e-mail: <PIO@census.gov>.
 

Arts Festival, Earth Day 2014 Adopt a Street Clean-up and and Pennies as Promise

April Service Memories

Slideshow personalized with Smilebox

Arts Festival Day Chairs

Children Activity Field

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Face Painting

  

  

 

 Recycle and Composting the Arts Festival

  

 Adopt the Street 2014 Clean-up honors Earth Day

Details from Environmental Club Members forthcoming

Breakfast courtesy of Jimmy's Egg

 



 

Safety Tips courtesy of Village Fire Fighters 



 

Teams and where to clean-up

 

Ready to Serve!

Vests, Gloves, Garbage Bags!!

Britton Road North Side Clean-up Crew

Britton Road south Side Clean-up Crew

A Second of Memory Lane

Casady's Environmental Club

The Casady Environmental Club had an Adopt a Street Clean-up, Saturday, April 26 in honor of Earth Day 2014.  Environmental Club members met at 8:30 at Jimmy's Egg( Breakfast donor) and cleaned up the Environmental Club Adopt a Street Section around Casady assigned to the Club in 2005.  

From National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/04/140421-earth-day-2014-facts-environment-epa/ More than a billion people around the world will celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2014—the 44th anniversary of the annual day of action.

Earth Day began in 1970, when 20 million people across the United States—that's one in ten—rallied for increased protection of the environment.

"It was really an eye-opening experience for me," Gina McCarthy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator, who was a self-described self-centered teenager during the first Earth Day rallies, told National Geographic. (See pictures: "The First Earth Day—Bell-Bottoms and Gas Masks.")

First Earth Day "Took Off Like Gangbusters" The environment's low profile frustrated U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, whose campaigns to protect it during the 1960s had fallen flat.

In 1969 Nelson hit on the idea of an environmental protest modeled after anti-Vietnam War teach-ins.

"It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country," Nelson recounted in an essay shortly before he died in July 2005 at 89. "The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air—and they did so with spectacular exuberance." (Related: "Earth Day Pictures: 20 Stunning Shots of Earth From Space.")

 Earth Day Evolves  Since the first Earth Day, environmentalism has moved from a fringe issue to a mainstream concern, Amy Cassara told National Geographic News in 2010, when she was a senior associate at the World Resources Institute in Washington, D.C.

"As many as 80 percent of Americans describe themselves as environmentalists," Cassara said.

Grassroots Power  People in the modern-day environmental movement, McCarthy noted, should remember the power of the grassroots activism that spurred the first Earth Day in 1970.

"It wasn't so much about demanding national action," she said. "It was about demanding that individuals get engaged, [and] that would then push national action." (See your pictures of Earth.)

From Earth Day Network: http://www.earthday.org/greencities/about/ Earth Day Network launched the Green Cities campaign in the fall of 2013 to help cities around the world become more sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint. Focused on three key elements – buildings, energy, and transportation – the campaign aims to help cities accelerate their transition to a cleaner, healthier, and more economically viable future through improvements in efficiency, investments in renewable technology, and regulation reform.

Energy

Most of the world currently relies on outdated electric generation structures that are extremely inefficient and dirty. To help cities become more sustainable, we need to redesign the current system, transition to renewable energy sources, and implement 21^st century solutions.  Casady 7th grade Science had conducted an energy audit of the Middle Division.  Results forthcoming.

Green Buildings

Buildings account for nearly one third of all global greenhouse gas emissions. Through simple efficiency and design improvements to buildings we can reduce those emissions drastically. To realize that vision, cities need to update ordinances, switch to performance based building codes, and improve financing options. Casady's new constructions are green buildings.

Transportation

Transportation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, three quarters of which comes directly from road vehicles. To reduce these emissions and the resulting smog, we need to improve standards, increase public transportation options, invest in alternative transportation, and improve city walkability and bikeability.  Casady's Environmental club promotes share a ride initiatives and bikeability to school when possible.  The Environmental Club recycles paper weekly and has an annual street clean-up to celebrate Earth Day.

 

PENNIES AS PROMISE

 

Sponsored by the Jewish Federation in collaboration with the Respect Diversity Foundation, the sixth grade teacher from Junior-Senior High School in Cairo Ill, Marie Beth Goff of Carbondale, Il, whose students started the  Pennies as Promise project brought to YAC's attention the mission of the project on Friday, 04/26/2014 during B-block.  Pennies as Promise is a class project aiming to collect pennies to name and honor children who were victims of the Holocaust. https://www.facebook.com/PenniesAsPromise/info 

6th grade students from Cairo, Illinois, started the project after Ms. Goff and her students realized " the thin line between saying " I hate you" and acting Upon it."  She taught her students a lesson about the Holocaust and when the students discovered that an estimated 1.5 million Jewish children died, killed by Nazis fueled by hate, the students started to collect 15,000 pennies that represented children killed in the Holocaust.  Eventually, they decided to collect 1.5 million pennies as a way to memorialized each child who lost their life.  Students began sending letters about the project to Jewish houses of worship.   Students received and continue to receive letters with coins, stories, and pictures of those children whose lives were cut short by the Nazis.  Children like Etta Michelson, who was born in Lithuania and killed at age 3 in 1944 and Eva Beern, an 11-year-old who was killed in 1944 at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp.  Students are attaching each penny they receive to a card with information about a child who died in the Holocaust  By honoring the children of the Holocaust and telling their story, the students from Cairo, Illinois hope to raise awareness of what hate can caused and "do something" to end hate. 

Mrs. Goff stated that she encourages her students and teens and children she met in OKC to do their part to combat genocide and other hate-fueled attacks and murders around the world."  (from article written at Daily Oklahoman by Carla Hinton, Saturday, April 26, page 10-A)    Full article at http://newsok.com/teacher-shares-idea-behind-holocaust-project-with-oklahoma-students/article/4568326-students/article/4568326
A collection can was left at the Service-Learning Office at the Wing.  Pennies collected will be turned in to the Jewish Federation at the end of the school year.

 

The Cairo students were inspired by the challenges in their own community and  the Paper Clip Project.

(From Wikipedia)  The Paper Clips Project, by middle school students from the small southeastern Tennessee town of Whitwell, created a monument for the Holocaust victims of Nazi Germany. It started in 1998 as a simple 8th-grade project to study other cultures, and then evolved into one gaining worldwide attention. At last count, over 30 million paper clips had been received. Paper Clips, an award-winning documentary film about the project, was released in 2004 by Miramax Films.^[1]

April Service Initiatives

Meditation Advocacy Project

Photo album created with Smilebox

Ready to lead community change? If you're a teen or young adult ready to lead community change, the National Child Awareness Month (NCAM) Youth Ambassador Program is a chance to take your leadership to the next level. The program offers funding, training, and ongoing guidance to develop high-impact community service projects and social change initiatives. The early application deadline is May 19, 2014.  Learn More Who are we looking for? NCAM Youth Ambassadors are young people, ages 16-22, who have a passion for creating community change. Fifty-one NCAM Youth Ambassadors will be selected - one per state plus the District of Columbia - creating a powerful network of young people raising their collective voice in service to others. What are the benefits? An all-expenses-paid leadership training on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (September 16-18, 2014) A $1,000 grant to support a service initiative of his or her choosing Ongoing training and mobilization resources A platform to develop community change and service initiatives Know someone who would be perfect for this program? Tweet all about it        Share  to your Facebook page   The National Child Awareness Month Youth Ambassador Program is a project of  YSA (Youth Service America) and Festival of Children Foundation.

Forward this email

YAC Bandaid Drive: YAC will have a bandaid drive. Bins will be put up in each  building. The class collecting the most "kid friendly bandaids" will get an extra off campus. The bandaids will go to Children's Hospital so kids can choose their own fun band aids when given shots or other hospital procedures.

The Youth LEAD OKC Planning Committee Teens -Iletze (Putnam City West High School), Dane (Douglas High School) Anaya, Yogaish (Casady High School YAC -Youth in Action the Community-) facilitated a screening and dialog of the documentary LA COSECHA

Make your own free newsletter design

What: Hosting a thought provoking teen documentary The Harvest/La   Cosecha
   When: Friday, April 18, 2014; 7pm - 9pm
   Where: Douglass High School Auditorium; 900 N Martin Luther King Ave, OKC 73117
   Cost : FREE.  Donations welcome for operating Youth LEAD OKC expenses

Annual SOW LOVE Garage Sale for Zambia Garden School

Abigail and her Sow Love friends will be holding their annual Garage Sale May 16-17^th to raise support for the schools they (with the help of so many of you) were able to help build in the slums of Lusaka, Zambia…one of the poorest countries in Africa!  All funds raised go directly towards salaries for the teachers at Garden School. The difference these schools are making in the lives of “the least of these” is absolutely incredible!   http://sowlovezambia.com/posts/the-garden-school/

If you have items that you could donate, they would be most grateful! …they need everything and anything!  Please keep them in mind as you do your Spring cleaning and together (hopefully once again!) our unused stuff will be the catalyst to literally change kids’ lives halfway around the world!

 The Sow Love team will be out picking up items on the dates below:

·         April 27,    May 3, and     May 10 ·         MAY 16-17^th GARAGE SALE!!!

 Items can also be dropped off on our porch anytime …if you leave your email address we would be happy to send you a tax donation receipt. Address is 1903 Bedford Dr, OKC 73116. Or they are happy to make special arrangements for pickups at your convenience.

Casady Saint Baldrick's Team fundraisers for pediatric cancer research on Global Youth Service Day, April 13, 2014

The team composed by Dr. Lewchuk and his son Dylan, Father Blizzard, Mr. Bush, Braeden Moss and his little sister Kayle (Biggest Fundraiser), Mr. Staats, Mr. Crofton and more raised $1,190 for pediatric cancer research.  Great job team!

See details at http://www.stbaldricks.org/teams/mypage/91494/2014

Monthly Dinners at Children's Hospital: April Dinner

 

Thank you to Abby G. for photos