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OUR HOME
50+
Ms. Senior Tennessee
2012 Pat Baxter
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Late Bloomers
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OUR HOME
50+
2013
4th Edition
Published by
The Lebanon Democrat
402 N. Cumberland Street
Lebanon, Tennessee
Publisher
Joseph H. Adams
Managing Editor
Jared Felkins
Advertising Director
Roger Wells
Art Director
Mark Rodgers
Assistant Graphic Designers
Jina Bostick
Pam Wingett
Writers
Laurie Everett
Bonnie Bucy
Kimberly Jordan
Mary E. Hinds
Our Home 50 Plus,
published annually by
The Lebanon Democrat,
is distributed through the
circulation of The Lebanon Democrat,
a newspaper with a readership
of more than 39,000 daily,
the Lebanon-Wilson County
Chamber of Commerce,
the Wilson County Joint Economic and Com-
munity Development Board, a
nd Middle Tennessee Electric
Membership Cooperative.
The magazine is also provided to
participating advertisers and is
placed in local businesses and
professional offices.
Late bloomers fulfill dreams and blossom ................................................................2
Activities for Seniors ................................................................................................6
Is the Nest Really Ever Empty? ..........................................................................10
Make a Difference in Your Community ..............................................................11
2 O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3
Age is an issue of mind over matter.
If you don't mind, it doesn't matter.
Mark Twain
"IF I ONLY KNEWTHENWHAT I KNOWNOW,"
is a phrase people often murmur when they've had
an epiphany on life.
There's some satisfaction gained when peo-
ple realize all the angst in their teens, life lessons
in their 20s, and parenting and business pitfalls
in their 30s and 40s actually do have a purpose.
Five-plus decades of "doing life" with all its ups
and downs equip people with wisdom, experience
and insight. It shouldn't be surprising to hear those
in their 50s say, "I still don't know what I want to be
Martha Nelson published her first novel after she retired. SUBMITTED PHOTO
STORY BY Laurie Everett
Late bloomers
fulfill dreams
and blossom
BECOMINGVINTAGE
O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3 3
homeinstead.com/719
Whether you are looking for someone to help an aging parent
a few hours a week or need more comprehensive assistance
Home Instead Senior Care in Wilson County can help.
Call for a free, no-obligation appointment:
615.553.4297
Each Home Instead Senior Care

franchise office is independently

owned and operated. 2009 Home Instead, Inc.
when I grow up."
Success knows no age boundaries.
Middle-aged dogs can learn new
tricks, and when people come into
their own in their 50s, many reinvent
themselves and become seriously suc-
cessful. At about the age of 50 people
are more self-aware, have greater con-
fidence and are not afraid to put
themselves first and revive early pas-
sions and dreams.
There are many stories about peo-
ple over the age of 50 who found great
success. The most famous and well
known is Harlin David Sanders, aka
Col. Sanders, who was 65 years old
when he started Kentucky Fried
Chicken. Other well known people
who found their "calling" later in life
are famous writer Laura Ingalls
Wilder, painter Grandma Moses,
McDonalds founder Ray Kroc, for-
mer South Africa president Nelson
Mandela, chef Julia Child and poet
Maya Angelou.
"Late bloomers may be unclear
about their career paths when young,
but they go on to either discover their
talents later in life or finally take a
chance on pursuing an old dream,"
said Janet Cranford in an article on
the subject.
Alfred Hitchcock directed his best
films between 54-61. Sister Marion
Irvine started to run at age 47. She was
smoking two packs of cigarettes a day
andoverweight. She went onto qualify
for the Olympic marathon trials at 54,
according to Cranford. She said many
late bloomers live to be quite old.
"Could it be that pursuing your
passions later in life is also good for
your health and longevity?" she said.
Mt. Juliets Del Webb resident
Martha Nelson literally started a new
chapter in her life when she retired
after 40 years from a variety of suc-
cessful career steps. She was in the
media profession for 15 years and got
burned out. She then became a com-
munications director.
"I knewI would never get that gold
watch," she said. "I love to grow in dif-
4 O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3
ferent directions. I was always looking to do the next thing."
When she moved to Tennessee 25 years ago, she became
the head of school for St. Paul Christian School and later went
"back home to New York" after her marriage dissolved. She
went onto delve inmarketing and development. A"long learn-
er" and not one to sit still were two threads that ran through
her life. She married Mark Nelson in 2004, and now they live
in Del Webb.
"I always written, and always knewI wanted to write a book,"
she said.
She tried twice and said it was "junk." She knew when the
time was right, she'd be ready.
"My husband said, 'you are 64; you better get going,'" said
Nelson.
Her first novel, "Black Chokeberry" chokeberrys are a
hardy fruit, much like her characters, three women all over the
age of 50 was published last April.
She's started a new project.
"I know when we retire we think we'll sleep late in the
mornings, travel," she said. "We need to tap into those dreams.
Now is the time to do it. It's important to keep your mind busy.
Sometimes retirees' lives are entrenched in routine."
She said people need to "break out and dare to embrace
change."
"People can rediscover themselves," she said. "I never
thought of trying to be famous, but rather thought of being
fulfilled."
Pat Baxter, 2012 Ms. Senior Tennessee, learned to sing
after she retired and used that talent to gain her title. She won
Ms. Wilson County Senior America in 2011, and before she
Ms. Senior Tennessee 2012 Pat Baxter learned to sing after she
retired and used this talent to clinch her title. SUBMITTED PHOTO
O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3 5
knew it captured the state title in
2012.
"I don't call it growing older; I
call it growing vintage," she said.
"It's a lot of fun to accept change,
and be willing to try new things. I
say throw caution to the wind and
step out of your comfort zone."
Baxter said reinventing ones
self is similar to stepping into a
cold swimming pool.
"It's cold at first when you step
in, but you grit your teeth and
move around a bit," she said. "It's
gets warmer and nicer. We all have
talents. They don't have to be
overt."
Baxter also painted her first
canvas when she was in her 50s.
"You must be present to win in
life," she said. "You have to be
engaged to be fulfilled. Life is so
exciting if you are interested in
other people and not yourself."
She said when people get
older, they need to "push the walls
out, not draw them in and make
your world smaller."
"Let's push those walls out,
she said. 50+
Tips for late
bloomers
+ Be strong and aware of
your strengths.
+ Be creative in overcoming obstacles
and dont let lack of money,
discrimination or age come between
dreams.
+ Invest time in building friendships.
+ Be honest with yourself. Ask your-
self, What am I doing that I want to
stop? What am I not doing that I
want to begin?
+ Remember nothing you do is
tiresome. It may sound daunting to
go to medical school at 46, or join
the Peace Corps at 65, but this isnt
exhausting, its exhilarating.
+ Help other late bloomers find their
path in life.
+ Learn a sense of humor. Laugh
often, especially at yourself. A good
laugh can ease the anxiety of
risk-taking.
Source: Wikihow.com
HARLAND SANDERS
Chicken mogul Harland Sanders, also known as
Colonel Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken
didnt open his first fried chicken restaurant until he
was 65. He had a popular restaurant and motel in
Corbin, Ky., but an interstate opened near his restau-
rant, and there was a marked downturn in business.
He didnt give up. He invented his secret spice blend
and fast-cook chicken method in 1952. He soon sold
franchises, and the rest is history. Back in 1964, he
sold his business for $2 million when there were
more than 900 franchises.
RAY KROC
McDonalds founder Ray Kroc was a milkshake
machine salesman when he was 52 years old in
1954. One day he saw a hamburger stand in San
Bernadino, Calif. and instead of selling his machine
to the McDonald brothers, he bought the joint. Kroc
essentially jumpstarted the fast-food business. In
1960, he had more than 200 McDonalds franchis-
es in the states. He made his money when he
started the Franchise Realty Corp., which bought
property and leased to it franchisees. He then
expanded across the world in the 1970s. He ended
up with $500 million in assets.
LAURA INGALLS WILDER
The classic Little House on the Prairie series of
books was written by Wilder when she was 65
years and older. She became a journalist in her 40s.
The first book was published when she was 65. It is
one of the most beloved series for children known.
GRANDMA MOSES
It was arthritis that prompted Anna Mary Robertson
Moses to pick up a paint brush. She loved to embroi-
der, but arthritis crept in, and she could no longer
hold a small needle. She turned to a paintbrush. She
was 76 years old when she painted her first canvas
in the mid 1930s. Today she is known as one of the
most famous American folk artists. After her first
painting she painted another 25 years. She was able
to witness her paintings sell for over $10,000 each.
They sell for much more today.
Sources: Wikipedia and Ethen Trex Mental Floss
SUCCESSFUL
LATE BLOOMERS
6 O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3
SENIOR ACTIVITIES
THERES NO NEED TO GET UP AND DRESSED
for work. Nothing is a demand to be at a certain
place at a certain time. Golf or tennis can be only be
played so many times a week, and then either stami-
na or money runs out.
How to fill at least those 40 hours a week usually
put into work becomes the question. What can be
done to stay active, socialize with other people so the
tongue and mind stay sharp enough to carry on a
conversation and to physically and mentally stay in
shape. Well, in Lebanon and Wilson County, the
means to do all these things are readily available.
Of course, exercise should be a necessity at all
times, but too many times we only think of it as a
means to recuperate from an illness or injury. The
Jimmy Floyd Family Center and Sports Village offer
all means of exercise from walking indoor or out-
door tracks to using enhancing machines to senior
racquetball and shooting hoops to water aerobics
and aquatics.
Both centers offer the Silver Sneakers program,
which most Medicare packages cover.
Participants can come and work on their own or
as part of a class, said Anita Whitfield withthe Jimmy
STORY / PHOTOS BY Bonnie Bucy
Retirement age hits and suddenly
life isn't on a structured level anymore.
O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3 7
Best of Living at
Southern Manor Living Center
For more information
call 615-443-7929 or drop in
for a visit at 900 Coles Ferry Pike
in Lebanon.
www.southernmlc.com
Come discover a neighborhood where the best years
are yet to be lived. Come join us at Southern Manor
Living Center. Call Jennifer Bradshaw for a tour.
Ask about our special.
We Offer:
RN & LPNs on duty Social Events Nutritious Meals
Private or Short Term Apartments Laundry Service On-Site
Activities Program: Days - Evenings - Weekends
Housekeeping Service Van for off campus activities.
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Michaels Garden Center
Floyd Center. We have lower impact classes at 10:45
a.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, but
anyone can join in any activity they are physically
able to do, including water aerobics. We have four-
month, six-month and one-year plans, depending
on whether you live inside the city limits or outside.
Or, you can pay $3 per day to use the facilities.
Jan Rubins at Sports Village said it offers the full
Silver Sneakers program and water aerobics.
We are offering four classes a week in water aer-
obics and one of our instructors is arthritis certified
to teach it, said Rubin. We also offer a new group
class called Bokowa, which involves stepping out let-
ters and numbers instead of the harder impact steps
used in other dance routines. We also have Zumba,
where we work with glow-in-the-dark tambourines
and Yoga and Piloxing, which combines Pilates and
boxing. A lot of over-50-age people are taking it.
Rubin said three-month summer memberships
are now sold for those who don't want to be tied up
for a year. There is also a medical membership with
a prescription froma doctor available from$129 for
three months.
Lebanon has a great walking/jogging trail at the
Don Fox Park. The level oval track that runs around
the park section itself is one mile. The additional path that
meanders along the creek for a pleasant run or walk is two
miles up and back or if you make it once around all of the
trail; it's a total of three miles. Also, try parking in spots far-
ther away from the store door so you are required to walk
a distance to get inside the store you're visiting. Or, take the
stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
The most diversified and interesting place for seniors is
the Lebanon Senior Citizens Center. Want to learn to play
the guitar or dulcimer, use the computer, line dance, learn
Mary Hardin and Neville Triplett found love at 90 and 78,
respectively, in the most unusual place and time in life.
8 O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3
about wills and estate planning, get
medical tips on various problems,
learn to paint, borrow a book fromthe
centers library, get your blood pres-
sure checked on a regular basis, have
people to play cards or other games
with, take a day long or long distance
trip or get great food to eat at very rea-
sonable prices? Go to the Senior
Citizens' Center.
We have something going on all
the time here, said Teresa Botts, assis-
tant director and activity director. As
you can see, today is one of our dance
days and you see what a crowd we have
here to dance to and be entertained by
68-year-old Bill Feathers, who comes
once a month. Just before that, we had
about 250 here for lunch at $3 a head.
I do at least one shopping trip a month
to various malls, and we do other type
day trips. We have six pool tables here
that are ready at all times for play, exer-
cise equipment to be used and Bingo
several times a week.
We always have members in here
playing Spades, Bridge, Rook, Hand to
Trot, Pinochle, Euchre, Scrabble and
Dominoes. We have wonderful people
like 85-year-old Opal Lowe, who can
still buck dance or clog her way all the
way through Rocky Top or whatever
polka they happen to be playing. We
just had our annual Country Breakfast
and Flea Market, took a trip on the
General Jackson and toured Belle
Meade Plantationas part of May's activ-
ities. On June 25, we will be taking a
day trip to Crossville to see Dolly Par-
ton's 9 to 5 play, which includes
brunch at the Cracker Barrel.
The center also has a group of quil-
ters and craft people, who make
beautiful creations and then turn
around and use themto raise funds for
other projects. There are constant
classes and mini seminars on health,
financial, legal, nutrition, insurance
and Medicare, veterans services and
senior-life options.
The Senior Citizens Center costs
$25 a year to belong. Except for trips,
meals and supplies for such classes as
oil painting, all its services are free to
members. Members of the center also
have water aerobic and exercise rights
at the Jimmy Floyd Center.
Another thing that's become pop-
ular for seniors to do is volunteer for
choirs or musical groups and then go
with those groups to entertain other
seniors. For instance, there are the
Echoes and the Joy Singers or the Dul-
cimer Band.
I was at Elmcroft one day when I
heard the Echoes sing for the patients
there, said Wilma Duke, a former
Lebanon businesswoman who is now
near 80 and in pain from fibromyalgia
and other problems. They sounded so
wonderful that I just went up to them
and asked if I could join them. They
told me to talk to Helen Brithauer, and
she welcomed me with open arms, no
auditioning or anything. She had
picked up the reins of the Echoes
whentheir founders, Cordell and Nina
Reed, died. They practice once a
month at Elmwood and then perform
at various nursing homes, etc. I love it
because when I'm singing, I forget my
pain. They are very laid back and so
nice to work with. J.D. Carr, a 92-year-
old trombone player, is part of our
group.
Check with the Senior Center or
Elmcroft about a contact point on
groups that do this. Call Helen
Brithauer regarding the Echoes or the
dulcimer band at 615-547-0381. There
are such groups out there that include
washboard players and other interest-
ing combinations, too many to list.
Swimming is always good exercise
for oldsters, as well as youngsters.
There are at least four pools in
Lebanon that are available under cer-
tain conditions for public use plus the
many individual pools that could be set
up for group sessions. These include
bothof the centers already mentioned,
the Lebanon Golf & Country Club
with its saltwater pool, Five Oaks and
the Coles Ferry Swim Club, which is a
membership club, as well. Or, make
arrangements to meet at a certain per-
son's house and form a water
exercise club.
The nice thing about the Jimmy
Floyd Center and Sports Village is they
have indoor and outdoor pools so no
matter what the weather outside, you
can get your workout in.
Or, take exercise and turn it into a
family project. The other day, Linda
Gaskey, 63, was at the indoor pool at
the Jimmy Floyd Center with her 4-
year-old granddaughter, Eva Lindsey.
She was working diligently to make
sure little Eva was having fun plus was
learning to swim at the same time.
Bill Feathers, 68, comes to the Lebanon Senior Citizens Center once a month to
play for the crowd to dance and/or listen. He's a favorite with the crowd.
O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3 9
LEBANON SENIOR CITIZENS CENTER
Come join your friends for good food, games,
classes, trips, fellowship and much more!
We Care
670 Coles Ferry Pike Lebanon, TN
615-449-4600 Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Rehabilitation &
Physical Therapy
For More lnformation, please call
and schedule a tour at 615-444-4319.
Our car|ng staff of phys|ca| and occupat|ona|
therap|sts are h|gh|y exper|enced |n treat|ng the
fo||ow|ng cond|t|ons:
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We spec|a||ze |n he|p|ng sen|ors recover the|r
fu|| range of ab|||t|es fo||ow|ng |njury or |||ness.
3LIHUVU /LHS[O 9LOHIPSP[H[PVU
731 Castle Heights Court
444-4319
I live in Knoxville at the present time and come in
to stay with my granddaughters, Eva and Kaitlyn, 13, to
help my daughter out. As soon as our house closes in
Knoxville, my husband and I will be moving to
Lebanon to be closer to my family so I can take care of
my grand children for her, said Gaskey, and if you
want exercise, try keeping up with a 4 year old all day,
every day. We make the pool a stop at least once a week.
I think it's a great way to keep me young and active; it
keeps the kids within the family and it definitely helps
my daughter, Brandi Lindsey, who teaches nursing at
Middle Tennessee State University and owns Wildber-
ry Catering in Lebanon. It's a win-win situation.
Besides the dances and dance lessons several times
a month at the Senior Center, check out other studios
that may teach dance. It's a good source of exercise.
Also remember travel trips, especially those designed
for seniors like the ones through the Senior Center
and through the Gold Club (over 50) at Wilson Bank
and Trust that keep you moving but look out for you
at the same time.
One more bit of advice, don't give up trying to stay
active even if your circumstance means you have to go
into an assisted living facility. Mary Hardin, now 78,
came from Missouri to live at Elmcroft a year ago last
September because she had family here and they want-
ed her to be close to them. She had been widowed
three years earlier.
I was so sick, I just wanted to die, said Hardin. As
far as I was concerned, I was dead.
Neville Triplett, who turned 90 March 29, had lived
in Flora, Miss., all his life and was at death's door when
his daughter and her husband, Becky and Marion
Brown, who lived inLebanon, brought himto Elmcroft
last July so he could be close to them. Triplett had been
a widower for 21 years and said he was as good as dead
when he entered Elmcroft.
I'd been married nearly 50 years when my wife
died, and I never thought I'd find love again, although
I don't believe you ever get too old for love, said
Triplett. I'd had a girlfriend along the way, after my
wife died, but there was always something missing.
Moving past what both Hardin and Triplett consid-
ered predestined moves, they finally met one another
and almost immediately fell in love.
They've been like watching a couple of teenagers
in love, laughed Becky Brown. They can't keep their
hands off one another. They watch movies together
every evening. One day, shortly after they'd gotten
together, dad was worried because he hadn't heard
back fromher. We reminded himto give her some time
because he'd only known her a couple of days. He
promptly informed us he didn't have that much time at
age 90, and he didn't want to waste a minute of it.
He is so sweet and romantic. He leaves me notes
on my door. I never had that before, said Hardin. I
was dead before he came along, and nowhe's made me
want to live again. I think he is so cute and sexy.
Love is in the air for Triplett and Hardin.
So, seniors, stay active because you never knowwho
you'll meet when in love or catching that brass ring.
For more information on the Jimmy Floyd Family
Center, call 615-453-4545; for Sports Village call 615-
449-0031 or the Senior Citizens Center, call
615-449-4600. 50+
When Opal Lowe, 85, isn't buck dancing/clogging to Rocky Top or
doing the polka, she's dancing to whatever else is played.
1 0 O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3
Is the
Nest Ever
Really
Empty?
MANY PARENTS EXPERIENCE SADNESS
when their children leave home to pursue
college, careers or get married.
This is commonly called empty nest syn-
drome, and can affect both women and men.
According to Wikipedia, empty nest syndrome
is a feeling of grief and loneliness parents or
guardians may feel when their children leave
home for the first time. It is not a clinical con-
dition.
However, there are some parents out there
who never really become empty nesters.
Pam Peery, an employee at the Wilson
County schools central office, confessed she
never really was an empty nester, and now she
is experiencing just the reverse. Her children
moved back in with her and her husband earli-
er this year.
I felt it was part of my responsibility as a
parent to prepare them to leave the nest, said
Peery.
Children sometimes even expect their par-
ents will suffer when they leave the nest, and
Peery said she thought her daughters were a
little disappointed that Peery was not overly
emotional whenthey moved out to pursue their
own paths.
Peery said she was skeptical of the prospect
her daughters would move back in, even con-
fessing she had turned her daughters old
rooms into my new closets.
At first I was like I cant believe this, but
you are always there for your children regard-
less she said.
Now, however, she said the new arrange-
ment is nice, and she enjoys them back home.
I think its brought us together and closer,
she said. They helped me out. I had an injury
and was sick for a few months, and they were a
great help to me during that time.
Peery also confessed the arrangement is not
what she had first anticipated.
Its not as bad as I first anticipated. You
learn to compromise, and that is a good lesson
for all of us, she said. Theyll be put on the
spot that, when I get older, guess what? Im
moving in with them.
For parents or guardians who have children
who have recently left the nest, Wikipedia gives
these tips to aid possible empty nesters in cop-
ing with their feeling of loss.
One of the easiest ways for parents to cope
with empty nest syndrome is to keep in contact
with their children. Technological develop-
ments, such as cellphones, text messaging, and
the Internet, all allow for increased communi-
cation between parents and their children.
Parents going through empty nest syn-
drome can ease their stress by pursuing their
own hobbies and interests in their increased
spare time. Discussing their grief with each
other, friends, families or professionals may
help them. Experts have advised that over-
whelmed parents should keep a journal or go
back to work if they were full-time parents. 50+
STORY BY Kimberly Jordan
"The greatest gifts you can give your
children are the roots of responsibility
and the wings of independence."
Denis Waitly
O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3 1 1
THEY ARE THE PEOPLE WITH THE
experience, the energy and, if retired,
the time. They are senior citizens, and
more and more, local agencies tap
them as a valuable volunteer resource.
Natasha Calhoun heads up com-
munity service projects for Home
Instead Senior Care. She said her orga-
nization is in the thick of the hunt for
Tennessees outstanding senior volun-
teers. Sponsored by Home Instead, the
Salute to Senior Service program rec-
ognizes senior volunteers for the many
contributions they make in their local
communities. Friends, co-workers, fam-
VOLUNTEERS
STORY BY Mary E. Hinds
Make a
difference in
Communities
1 2 O U R H O M E 5 0 + 2 0 1 3
Mid-Cumberland
Community Action Agency
Debbie Waller, Director
PO Box 310
233 Legends Drive
Lebanon, TN 37088-0310
(615) 443-7606
FAX (615) 742-3911
email: mccaawallerd@bellsouth.net
FiftyForward
Penny Gammons, Director
174 Rains Avenue
Nashville, TN37203
(615) 743-3420
FAX: (615) 743-3480
email: pgammons@fiftyforward.org
L.B.J. & C. Development Corporation
Sandra Wilson, Director
240 Carlen Drive
Cookeville, TN 38501
(931) 528-6488
FAX: (931) 528-6488
email: fgprsvp@frontiernet.net
Southwest Human Resource Agency
Brenda Smith, Director
PO Box 264
Henderson, TN38340
(731) 989-5111
FAX: (731) 989-3095
email: emurleyfgp@yahoo.com
TN RSVP Programs:
Big Brothers, Big Sisters
of Middle Tennessee
Diane Frey, Director
204 General Forrest Drive
Springfield, TN 37172
(615) 384-3941
Cell: (615) 202-1097
email: dianefrey@bellsouth.net
Clarksville-Montgomery County CAA
Deborah Grubbs, Director
350 Pageant Lane, Suite 307
Clarksville, TN 37040
(931) 648-5774 x103
FAX: (931) 648-5784
email: dwydrarsvp2@hotmail.com
FiftyForward
Shannon Duke, Director
174 Rains Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 743-3423
FAX: (615) 743-3424
email: sduke@fiftyforward.org
L.B.J. & C. Development Corporation
Sandra Wilson, Director
240 Carlen Drive
Cookeville, TN 38501
(931) 528-6488
FAX: (931) 528-6488
email: fgprsvp@frontiernet.net
Southwest Human Resource Agency
Leisa Scott, Director
PO Box 264
Henderson, TN 38340
(731) 968-7548
FAX: (731) 968-4559
email: lscottnssc@yahoo.com
FiftyForward
Amanda Chiavini, Director
174 Rains Avenue
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 743-3421
FAX: (615) 743-3480
email: achiavini@fiftyforward.org
TN Foster Grandparent Programs:
Clarksville-Montgomery County CAA
Roy Chalmers, Director
350 Pageant Lane, Suite 307
Clarksville, TN 37040
(931) 648-5774 x111
FAX: (931) 648-5797
email: rchalmers@midsouth.net
L.B.J. & C. Development Corporation
Sandra Wilson, Director
240 Carlen Drive
Cookeville, TN 38501
(931) 528-6488
FAX: (931) 528-6488
email: fgprsvp@frontiernet.net
Southwest Human Resource Agency
Brenda Smith, Director PO Box 264
Henderson, TN 38340
(731) 989-5111
email: emurleyfgp@yahoo.com
ily members and nonprofit organiza-
tions nominated deserving seniors for
possible state and national honors.
To be eligible, a senior must be
over 65 and do at least 15 hours of
community service per week, Cal-
houn said. Locally, we have a
volunteer, known as Jo G., who was
nominated by Beulah Garrett.
On the voting website Jo G.s
accomplishments are vaunted. She
volunteers with the Lebanon-Wilson
County Chamber of Commerce and
for her church.
She helps people in need, Cal-
houn said, adding volunteering is
good for the seniors who help, as well
as the people they serve.
The winner in each state will
receive $500, and one national winner
will receive $5,000 to donate to the
winners charities of choice. From
those state winners, a panel of senior
care experts will pick the national
Salute to Senior Service honoree.
Home Instead, Inc. will donate
$500 to each of the state winners
favorite nonprofit organizations, and
their stories will be posted on the
Salute to Senior Service Wall of Fame.
In addition, $5,000 will be donated to
the national winners nonprofit chari-
ty of choice.
Regardless of whether or not
senior volunteers are recognized for
their work, or they quietly serve their
communities, everyone the seniors
and those they serve, benefit.
These seniors have a sense of pur-
pose, it keeps them involved and
keeps them active, Calhoun said.
Mid-Cumberland Meals On
Wheels and Senior Dining Program is
another program that is finding
seniors to be a Godsend as the agency
looks for volunteer drivers to deliver
noon time meals to senior citizens in
the Lebanon and Mt. Juliet
area. Maggie Brazil heads up the
Lebanon Meal On Wheels program.
In Tennessee, the senior hunger
rate is about 25 percent, she said.
To combat that eye-opening statis-
tic, her agency is desperately seeking
senior volunteers to deliver meals to
fellowseniors. She said one group that
has been up to the task has been local
volunteer seniors.
Im looking for volunteers who
can work from 10-11:30 a.m., she
said. Its great for retired people.
Seniors who want to volunteer to
help in their communities can turn to
the state of Tennessee to find opportu-
nities to serve. The Tennessee Senior
Senior Volunteer
opportunities
Planning for Retirement?
Meet with Financial Planner
Visit New Homes in Retirement
Community at Hearthside
Order Travel Brochures
215 Castle Heights Ave N
Lebanon, TN
443-1994
Corps matches seniors with local
agencies that can use their assistance
and expertise. According to state offi-
cials, more than 6,300 seniors in
Tennessee contribute their time and
talents in one of three Senior Corps
programs.
The Senior Corps has more than
half a million volunteers ages 55 and
older who serve through the Foster
Grandparents, RSVP and Senior Com-
panion Programs throughout the
country.
Foster Grandparents Program
Serving Children Foster Grand-
parents devotes its volunteer service to
one population, children with special
or exceptional needs. Across the
country, Foster Grandparents are
offering emotional support to child
victims of abuse and neglect, tutoring
children who lag behind in reading,
mentoring troubled teenagers and
young mothers, and caring for prema-
ture infants and children with physical
disabilities and severe illnesses.
Retired and Senior
Volunteer Program
Serving the community, RSVP
offers maximumflexibility and choice
to its volunteers. RSVP matches the
personal interests and skills of older
Americans with opportunities to help
solve community problems. RSVP vol-
unteers choose how and where they
want to serve - from a few to over 40
hours a week. RSVP makes it easy for
older adults to find the types of vol-
unteer service opportunities that
appeal to them. RSVP volunteers pro-
vide hundreds of community services.
They tutor children in reading and
math, help to build houses, help get
children immunized, model parent-
ing skills to teen parents, participate
in neighborhood watch programs,
plan community gardens, deliver
meals, offer disaster relief to victims
of natural disasters, and help commu-
nity organizations operate more
efficiently.
Senior Companion Program
Senior Companions reach out to
adults who need extra assistance to
live independently in their own
homes or communities. Senior Com-
panions assist their adult clients in
basic but essential ways: they provide
companionship and friendship to iso-
lated frail seniors, assist with simple
chores, provide transportation, and
add richness to their clients lives.
Senior Companions serve frail older
adults and their caregivers, adults
with disabilities, and those with termi-
nal illnesses.
Regardless of whether senior vol-
unteers join a state organization, or
volunteer locally, they are a recog-
nized asset for local groups who are
trying to provide services on tight
budgets.
We all know seniors who do so
muchfor our community. These silent
heroes give selflessly, expecting noth-
ing in return. And yet, their
contributions often make a difference
not only to the organizations they
serve, but in changing how the public
views growing older, said Maggie
Julian-Lea, franchise owner of the
Mount Juliet office of Home Instead
Senior Care.
For more information about how
to volunteer for the Tennessee Senior
Corps, contact Jerry Herman at the
Corporation for National and Com-
munity Service Tennessee State office
at 615-736-5561 or via email at jher-
man@cns.gov. 50+