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Study Seeks to Give Aging an Image of Volunteerism
June 16, 2004, The Oklahoman

By ANN DeFRANGE

The Harvard School of Public Health and the MetLife Foundation have collaborated on a study and have issued a report titled, "Reinventing Aging: Baby Boomers and Civic Engagement." It was released this week.

In our terms, that means not only "What is the next generation of senior citizens going to do with the rest of their lives?," but also, "What shall we do with them?"

The surveyors are hoping this big, retired, aging, but not so old and reasonably healthy population, will find volunteer work to do. Boomers, after all, have extra years left over and experiences and skills they've gathered, all of which could benefit their communities. It's an ideal situation.

But the possibilities aren't so promising because it's a generation that didn't get involved in civic duties or volunteer work when they were younger, and may not now.

Baby boomers are people born between 1946 and 1964. In 2011, the oldest of them will celebrate 65th birthdays. They are expected to continue to have birthdays until age 83, on the average; many will live into their 90s. This is the first time in human history we have this extended, productive life span.

The Harvard folks realize this group could become a "social resource of immense proportions by actively participating in the life of their communities."

However, even though they are the offspring of the greatest generation, which gave generously to their country and communities, and even though the earliest of them grew up under the influence of the service-driven Kennedy administration, they have not become joiners of civic organizations or leaders of community projects and have not voted in numbers comparable with their parents.

Civic clubs in Oklahoma City, whose memberships are aging and dwindling and whose traditional projects are threatened, can testify to this.

The study recommends a media campaign to put a different image on aging. It suggests enlisting news reports, advertisements and Hollywood productions to show older people busy doing good deeds that will give purpose to their lives and improve their communities. They will be depicted imitating their parents and inspiring their children.

If they see it, the premise goes, they will become it.

We'll see what the aging boomers think.