In China, Vietnam, and many Asian communities, the elderly are respected for their wisdom and are usually sought and consulted during times of decision-making.  Family is very important, and the family elders and seniors are given honored places within the family structure due to their experience and wisdom gained.

Closer to home, Mexican culture is very similar to ours in many ways, yet Mexican culture is more striking in the way in which it views and treats its Senior Citizens. American Seniors are often residing in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and communities, far from family and friends. While we are fortunate to have these options, it can be very traumatizing for them.  Meanwhile, Mexican elders, “Los Ancianos”, remain with their families in their later years, making them more active and engaged in the community, and vitally contributing to the vibrant culture, lifestyle and community.

In many cultures, seniors are honored and cared for, and looked up to for their wisdom and guidance and experience.  In our country, they are often diminished and stereotyped.  Turning 65 is often viewed as getting ready to cross the finish line.  In all actuality, it is the opposite! The gained knowledge, wisdom, and experience far exceeds other generations, making them an obvious choice to take on more roles of a significant impact in society.  Seniors in our society want to be heard, respected, and sought as a source for advice.  They want to be important.

There are many ways to become involved within our elderly communities!

One of the greatest ways is with the Golden Triangle Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). RSVP provides seniors opportunities to be involved in the community in places where they are valued, respected, and providing a necessary service to others. The Golden Triangle RSVP Program is a volunteer match-maker service, matching people age 55+ with diverse, non-profit agencies in the Hardin, Jefferson and Orange County regions looking for volunteers and service assistance to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering.

If you’re looking to ways to connect and serve the senior community, try one of these:

Visit with an elderly friend or neighbor. Offer to give them a ride, or to run their errands. Bring them cookies and sit with them for an afternoon while they tell you their stories. Ask them about their hobbies, then make plans and gather supplies to spend an afternoon letting them teach you. Make cards with your kids and drop them off at local nursing homes. Making people feel seen, heard, and remembered is easier than you think.

Take a class. Did you know that the beautiful Lakeside Center in Downtown Beaumont is primarily an activity center focused on supporting the Senior community and providing opportunities for them to live an active and engaged lifestyle? Not only that, but classes are completely FREE for ALL Beaumont residents ages 18+, and very reasonable (around $5 per class) for those who don’t live in Beaumont! This is an amazing opportunity to connect with the Seniors in the area. With activities like fitness, arts & crafts, computer and social media training, choir, American Sign Language, and social hours, there’s truly something for everyone and an amazing potential to find a new mentor or Senior friend to sit with, live with, and enjoy. For more information on the Lakeside Center, visit the Beaumont Events website.

Go for a drive. Nutrition Services for Seniors is a non-profit agency dedicated to providing programs that assist older adults maintain their quality of life while also maintaining dignity, respect, and independence. You may be familiar with their Meals on Wheels program, described as the heart of their organization, that delivers daily hot meals to homebound seniors. The rising cost of everything, but namely gas, has hit the Meals on Wheels program hard, with volunteer drivers being unable to afford to fulfill their routes. Delivering hot noonday meals to these homebound seniors is some of the only social interaction they may get in a day, and is another wonderful opportunity to learn, glean, serve, and love the generation that came before. In addition to Meals on Wheels, Nutrition Services for Seniors also provides homebound seniors fresh vegetables grown in their “Grow to Share” Garden at their facility on Concord, and offers congregate dining at 15 locations within Jefferson and Hardin Counties, providing hot noon meals and activities such as bingo, cards, or dominoes, and a variety of other necessary assistance to these vital members of our society.

We can change our perspective on the aging and elderly by what our children see us do, and there is so much to be learned from the previous generation that can only be gleaned through sitting with them, learning, serving, and loving them.  Our first step is right here at home within our own families!