Older Americans Month: Communities of Strength
posted
May 2021
In tough times, communities find strength in people—and people find strength in their communities. In the past year, we’ve seen this time and again in Dane County as friends, neighbors, and businesses have found new ways to support each other.
In our community, older adults are a key source of this strength. Through their experiences, successes, and difficulties, they have built resilience that helps them to face new challenges. When communities tap into this, they become stronger too.
Each May, the Administration for Community Living leads the celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). This year’s theme is Communities of Strength, recognizing the important role older adults play in fostering the connection and engagement that build strong, resilient communities.
Strength is built and shown not only by bold acts, but also small ones of day-to-day life—a conversation shared with a friend, working in the garden, trying a new recipe, or taking time for a cup of tea on a busy day. And when we share these activities with others—even virtually or by telling about the experience later—we help them build resilience too.
This year, the Madison Senior Center will celebrate OAM by encouraging community members to share their experiences. Together, we can find strength—and create a stronger future.
Here are some ways to share and connect:
- Look for joy in the everyday: Celebrate small moments and ordinary pleasures by taking time to recognize them. Start a gratitude journal and share it with others via social media, or call a friend or family member to share a happy moment or to say thank you.
- Reach out to neighbors: Even if you can’t get together in person right now, you can still connect with your neighbors. Leave a small gift on their doorstep, offer to help with outdoor chores, or deliver a homecooked meal.
- Build new skills: Learning something new allows us to practice overcoming challenges. Take an art course online or try a socially distanced outdoor movement class to enjoy learning with others in your community. Have a skill to share? Find an opportunity to teach someone, even casually.
- Share your story: There’s a reason storytelling is a time-honored activity. Hearing how others experience the world helps us grow. Interviewing family, friends, and neighbors can open up new conversations and strengthen our connections.
When people of different ages, backgrounds, abilities, and talents share experiences—through action, story, or service—we help build strong communities. And that’s something to celebrate! Please join the Madison Senior Center in strengthening our community – share your story, listen to the stories of others, or simply share a smile.
Learn more about programs that strengthen our communities at www.madisonseniorcenter.org or find us on Facebook.
#OlderAmericansMonth
Recent Posts
- Medicare 101 posted
- "Back to School" Isn't Just for Kids posted
- Immunizations Make a Positive Difference posted
- Heat Safety posted
Archive
- National Falls Prevention Week
- Public Health Madison & Dane County and the City of Madison Police Department are Partnering to Increase Compliance with Public Health Orders
- Celebrating National Senior Center Month and Delivering Vital Connections
- Celebrating National Senior Center Month and Delivering Vital Connections
Category
Uncategorized
Clubs & Groups
Entertainment & Enrichment
- "Back to School" Isn't Just for Kids
- National Ice Cream Month
- Make Music Madison
- Juneteenth
- National Senior Center Month - Open House
- National Senior Citizens Day
- Ice Cream Social with Capital Centre and Blue Accordion
- Older Americans Month: Communities of Strength
- Native American Heritage Month
- Celebrating National Senior Center Month and Delivering Vital Connections
- Juneteenth - A Message from Mayor Rhodes-Conway
- Container Gardening- What, Why and How?
- Looking For a Way to Enjoy Spring? Look No More!
- Staying Connected Amidst COVID-19
- Age Friendly Madison - Innovative, Inclusive & Thriving
- MLK Day
- Cybersecurity Tips for the Holiday Season
- September 23rd is National Falls Prevention Day
- July is National Ice Cream Month
- Stonewall OutLoud
- Connect, Create, Contribute
- Too many elderly people are isolated in our society
- St Patrick's Day
- From the Desk of Sally Jo Spaeni
- AMP - Aging Mastery Program
- Aging Mastery Program
- National Family Caregiver's Month
- March is National Nutrition Month
- Artists of the Month: August
Events
- Make Music Madison
- Juneteenth
- Juneteenth
- Older Americans Month: Communities of Strength
- “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Happy Veteran's Day From The Madison Senior Center!
- What Voting Looks Like This Year
- Juneteenth - A Message from Mayor Rhodes-Conway
- All 2020 Census Systems Go: How Smart Planning, Thorough Testing, and Backup Systems Will Deliver a Secure and Successful Count
- From the Desk of Sally Jo Spaeni
- Welcome Sally Jo Spaeni New Senior Center & Senior Services Manager
- Building Momentum - September is National Senior Center Month
- Anniversaries to Celebrate
Giving Matters
Health & Wellness
- Medicare 101
- Immunizations Make a Positive Difference
- Heat Safety
- Are you what you eat?
- Multigenerational Homes Are On The Rise
- MSC Partners with the River Food Pantry
- Glaucoma Awareness Month
- National Senior Center Month - Open House
- National Senior Citizens Day
- August is Immunization Awareness Month
- Pride Month
- Older Americans Month: Communities of Strength
- NO FLU for You: Protect yourself. Protect others. Get a flu shot.
- Flu vaccine: Your best shot for avoiding influenza
- Navigating the Holidays During COVID
- National Caregivers Month
- Understanding Health Information
- Public Health Madison & Dane County and the City of Madison Police Department are Partnering to Increase Compliance with Public Health Orders
- Celebrating National Senior Center Month and Delivering Vital Connections
- Celebrating National Senior Center Month and Delivering Vital Connections
- Furry Friends
- Switch Out The Salt!
- Skin Cancer Safety for Older Adults
- Summering with COVID-19
- Can’t Garden? What about a CSA?
- Container Gardening- What, Why and How?
- Looking For a Way to Enjoy Spring? Look No More!
- DIY Cloth Masks & The Importance Behind Them
- Avoiding Scams While in Quarantine
- Staying Active While Quarantining
- Staying Positive During a Crisis
- Our best defense is our collective action
- Preparing to Care
- How Seniors Are Affected by Mesothelioma?
- Resolution Check: Have you been keeping up with your New Year resolutions?
- Winter Safety
- Age Friendly Madison - Innovative, Inclusive & Thriving
- Gratitude
- Preparing to Care
- September 23rd is National Falls Prevention Day
- Wearable Tech for Increased Health
- The Longest Day
- Dementia Friendly Communities
- From the Desk of Sally Jo Spaeni
- February is American Heart Month
- AMP - Aging Mastery Program
- Aging Mastery Program
- National Family Caregiver's Month
- Positive Attitude Month
- Heat Stroke: The Facts for Seniors
- Wise Words from MSC Director, Christine Beatty
- Walk With Ease
- March is National Nutrition Month
Know Your Resources
- Medicare 101
- "Back to School" Isn't Just for Kids
- MSC Partners with the River Food Pantry
- National Senior Center Month - Open House
- Pride Month
- Older Americans Month: Communities of Strength
- NO FLU for You: Protect yourself. Protect others. Get a flu shot.
- What Voting Looks Like This Year
- Celebrating National Senior Center Month and Delivering Vital Connections
- Celebrating National Senior Center Month and Delivering Vital Connections
- Juneteenth - A Message from Mayor Rhodes-Conway
- Summering with COVID-19
- Can’t Garden? What about a CSA?
- Avoiding Scams While in Quarantine
- All 2020 Census Systems Go: How Smart Planning, Thorough Testing, and Backup Systems Will Deliver a Secure and Successful Count
- Winter Safety
- Cybersecurity Tips for the Holiday Season
- Preparing to Care
- September 23rd is National Falls Prevention Day
- Crimes of the 21st Century
- Dementia Friendly Communities
- From the Desk of Sally Jo Spaeni
- AMP - Aging Mastery Program
- Building Momentum - September is National Senior Center Month
- Naming the Senior Center in Your Will
- Wise Words from MSC Director, Christine Beatty
- Anniversaries to Celebrate
- Homeless … and don’t know where to start?
- Memory Cafés
- Aging & Disability Resource Center of Dane County
- Dane County Cultural Diversity Program
Technology & Finance
Tags
- #Health & Fitness
- #maskupmadison
- Alzheimer's
- august
- Bird Watching
- black lives matter
- BlackLivesMatter
- BLM
- Blue Accordion
- Caregiver
- Caregivers Month
- Caregiving
- Census
- Community
- COVID
- COVID-19
- CSA
- culture
- Dementia
- diversity
- Education & Enrichment
- Elder Abuse
- Enrichment
- Entertainment
- Equity
- families
- Family
- Fitness
- Flu Vaccine
- gardening
- Get the facts
- Giving Matters
- gratitude
- Health
- Health & Fitness
- Health & Wellness
- Health Literacy
- Health/Wellness
- Heart Health
- Holiday
- Holidays
- Honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
- ice cream
- Immunizations
- Indigenous Peoples
- Isolation
- July
- June
- Juneteenth
- LGBTQ
- LGBTQ 50+ Alliance
- Lifelong Learning
- Live & Play
- Live & Work
- live performances
- Madison
- Madison Senior Center
- Medicare
- Mental Health
- MLK
- Momentum
- Native American Heritage Month
- News & Events
- No Flu For You
- November
- Nutrition
- OAM
- Older Adults
- Older Americans Month
- Outdoors
- Pneumonia
- Pride Month
- Public Health
- Safety
- Sally Jo Spaeni
- Scams
- Senior Center
- Seniors
- Shingles
- sleep
- Special Events
- Strong Communities
- Summer
- Tdap
- Thanks
- vaccinations
- Vaccine
- Veteran's Day
- Volunteer
- Vote
- Walking
- weather
- Welcome
- Wellness