Do you do any advocacy work?

VintageBetter

VintageBetter

Senior Member
Have you planned to get involved in any causes for social change in your senior years? You don't have to name organizations; maybe just name issues and what do you do to try to help out? (I find it hard to relate to Seniors who just want to have "fun" all the time, as if we are all 17 again. There's more to life than having fun.)
 

There is nothing wrong with anyone just wanting to have fun or do what they want. We never know how much stress they had or hard work they did all their lives.

I do think it's great to do something though. For me, it never seems to work out. I've tried. I just don't seem to belong anywhere.
 
Right now I’m on a committee that sponsors events for seniors. Some are informational, some are teaching workshops and some are just for fun.

During the past 12 years I have advocated for individual seniors that were having difficulty navigating bureaucracies. Since I spent my career in human services I know how to advocate and how to locate services for others.
 

I started a group to advocate for major changes in the foster-care system.

Started out with 5 people, and we took turns meeting at our houses. Then one of the ladies made a Facebook page for us. That was a really good move. Last I checked she had nearly 200 members, or followers...whatever they're called, and over 100 of them are local to this region.

I let her pretty much take over, but I do contribute ideas and stuff.

I'm also a new board-member for a group that focuses on people living in group homes/facilities of all sorts. That includes young people who "aged-out" of the foster-care system and had no place to go.

The board meets every 3 months to discuss urgent needs that aren't being met by the state or county due to funding cuts (read as lack of concern), and then contact people who can donate money, services, or time to meet those needs.

I just joined this one very recently (by invitation). Next month we'll have a meeting that's only the second one I'll have attended....so far.
 
I have done 40 years of advocacy for veterans Issues. My husband's death produced a bill that has passed the Senate unanimously. Hopefully it will get to the House this year. To support the bill, I had collected many years of probative evidence and had to correct the initial Senate committee, by mail to each member , on what it should entail. None of the Senate members on this committee were veterans.

They had no idea of what the VA is all about. This grew out of our former President's White House Hot Line, and President Trump also helped me get a regulation in Title 38 ( which controls VA benefits) changed, in mere months without the need for any formal amendment. The Bill will save lives.

The regulation supported something I had done myself with success in the VA claims process, that has helped many disabled veterans to get wrong decisions from the VA corrected, and thus received retroactive benefits that they should have gotten in the first place!


  2. "38 U.S. Code § 5109A - Revision of decisions on grounds of ...​

    www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/38/5109A
    (a) A decision by the Secretary under this chapter is subject to revision on the grounds of clear and unmistakable error. If evidence establishes the error, the prior decision shall be reversed or revised. (b)"

I was also a local fire department volunteer ( auxiliary) for 8 years, a library volunteer in NJ. a volunteer in Archeology department at the NJ State Museum, and also a volunteer under auspices of both NJ and NY Veterans Administrations.

I believe Volunteerism is great- but also, I understand that when one has worked hard all their life, it is time, as seniors, to do what we want to do! Some of us however, do not really want to retire, because our volunteer work gives us a daily goal and gets us to meet wonderful people.
 
The river-ecology conservation/restoration group I belong to has a 19-year history. Being involved with work & other projects, I only became involved seven years ago. The work is worthwhile, and mostly respected in our valley. And I find the people in the core of the organizations (who are now good friends of mine) to be so heartening that it's fun getting together with them.
 
I advocate for ‘Dying With Dignity, Canada.’
It’s a non profit business that helps those suffering to ‘die with dignity.’

We don’t let our pets suffer needlessly so
‘why us?’

These volunteers work relentlessly for our RIGHT to die with dignity.

I donate when I can and spread the word about this charitable service
 
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BTW, I realize some people have done volunteer work before retirement. I have too. It's just that during my "prime" years I was very busy with work and childcare, or work and extended family care, to do much volunteering. Many of you were the same way, I know. Raising family, working, and caring for a household takes up a lot of hours. Just wondered if now that you have free time, you have decided to follow other paths that have called you.
 
I have been in an organization for over 30 years that advocates for the homeless, the poor, the disenfranchised, and many activities for community development. Once I dove in, I have loved this work/activity/way of life, and I am still at it. :)
 

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