Dear Friends,

A new spirit of optimism is finally emerging after two years of a pandemic and a difficult year of super high inflation and stock market losses. People are taking stock of what happened and figuring out what they want to do for the next part of their lives. For some, it’s finding a new job. For many, it’s finding a higher purpose. And for nearly all, it’s finding time to focus on reconnecting with loved ones and making new friends and acquaintances.

The problem is that we are a little rusty on the social circuit and have grown too accustomed to being alone. We know that isolation and loneliness are bad for us and have a terrible impact on our mental, physical and emotional health. So we have to work hard on building new social networks—especially after retirement or other major life transitions—and make connections with people to hang out, go for a walk, pursue pastimes, volunteer, or just laugh and have fun.

Things have changed over the last three years and it’s time to harness what we have learned to forge ahead with a bold vision of the future. We can help you find many interesting and fun things to do and encourage you to pursue new pastimes–while helping others in the Village community who really could use a friend. Send us an email at info@thevillagechicago.org, or give us a call at 773-248-8700. We can help you re-engage and explore this new world.

Warm Regards,

Darcy L. Evon, CEO

How has the pandemic changed us? We spoke with several noted experts to get their take on some significant–and surprisingly positive–outcomes. Their observations were clear, unequivocal, and virtually the same. Our panel consisted of Kate Krajci, LCSW, Director, Clinical Practice with Older Adults University of Chicago ; Liz Metzger, Doctor of Occupational Therapy; Niki Fox, MSW, Director of Health and Wellbeing The Village Chicago; and a clinical social worker practicing on Chicago’s north side.

Here’s the good news:

People are prioritizing what's most important to them. They’re experiencing clarity. The pandemic period seems to have opened our eyes to the opportunity we have to examine how we have been living. We want to make choices that lead to the life we really want. Krajci put it this way: “There seems to have been a systemic reset and people are now more aware of what is most precious to them.”

In addition to that, people are much quicker to identify loneliness as something they are experiencing and want to do something about. Metzger said, “It’s as though loneliness has been de-stigmatized and on their own, people are seeking ways of finding new connections.”

Our panelists all reported that there is also a genuine sense of eagerness - even urgency - to make these changes. The mood out there is “seize the day.”

And for those who care deeply about intergenerational relationships, good things are happening. Younger people have been more engaged with their older family members and as a result, they are more aware of aging - including their own. This can bring the generations closer and lead to more age inclusive social networks, workplaces, and communities.

There were job and work trends developing prior to the pandemic, but the last two years have accelerated the development of new opportunities for workers - even older ones.

Entrepreneurship and self-employment are becoming viable options for a growing number of adults over 50. The Kauffman Foundation, which studies entrepreneurship, saw a steep uptick in startup activity since 2020, with most of these new entrepreneurs 45 and older. And according to MIT research, older entrepreneurs typically have more capital, knowledge, experience and, as a result, a good chance for success. (Read more here.)

For those who prefer a steady paycheck, The Wall Street Journal reports that the number of opportunities for skilled freelancers is expanding. This opens the door to good life/work balance, a stepping stone to full time employment, or just the satisfaction of purpose and a paycheck.

There are others in whom the pandemic woke a desire to shift to work that has meaning. More and more, people are asking: “Why wait?” Here is are the stories of six people who made the leap.

And it's now easier than ever to stay up-to-date on workplace skills or dive into a myriad of other topics. The pandemic opened up access to top-drawer and affordable adult education online. Popular resources include MasterClass, the Graham School at the University of Chicago, and The Newberry Library. You can even get that Harvard education you always wanted.

One of the exciting outcomes of the pandemic is that the definition of “live event” continues to evolve, inspiring a new group of cross-platform creators who fuse together music, sound, images, video, live performers, props and such technologies as projection mapping and augmented reality. An example of this was the highly successful immersive experiences built around the works of Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Gustav Klimt.

In the art world, as in several other fields, the pandemic had the effect of accelerating trends such as forcing advancements in digital art and the overall democratization of art. Read more here.

Is Zoom fun? Sometimes. The important thing is that despite Zoom fatigue, despite its shortcomings, despite everything, Zoom has been, and continues to be life-changing for millions of people. The connections that Zoom has opened up for so many is nothing short of miraculous. People who are housebound due to caregiving responsibility, mobility issues, lack of transportation, illness, or personal preference, now have access to a bigger world.

The Village embraced the use of Zoom on the first day of the lockdown. Zoom has made it possible to engage more of our community in more activities than ever before so we could keep having fun! One member says, “I’m one of those people whose social life became much more lively during the pandemic because of Zoom.” We will continue to include Zoom programming as it helps us stay connected - and nothing’s more important than that.

It is well known that finding purpose is necessary for wellbeing and life satisfaction. As people prioritize what is most important to them, some are finding purpose by reinvigorating their connections to their community, passions, and beliefs.

In March 2020, The New Yorker reported a surge in mutual aid activities spurred by the pandemic. In organization theory, mutual aid is a voluntary reciprocal exchange of resources and services in which people take responsibility for caring for one another and for changing the underlying political conditions which make such grassroots organizing necessary.

“Even before widespread workplace closures and self-isolation, people throughout the country began establishing informal networks to meet the new needs of those around them. Disabled people in the Bay Area organized assistance for one another. And, in New York City, dozens of groups across all five boroughs signed up volunteers to provide child and pet care, deliver medicine and groceries, and raise money for food and rent.”

Mutual aid is not a new term or a new idea – but it has generally existed outside the mainstream. Perhaps the widespread acts of altruism that arose during the pandemic, along with recognition of why they were needed, can lead to lasting change. Here is a guide to mutual aid groups in Chicago.

Those who have found that the pandemic led them to identify what is most important in their lives may be drawn to the simple living movement. Voluntary simplicity eschews materialism and practitioners come to terms with what is their own individual “enough.”

It's a framework for truly living one’s values. It’s not a fad - it’s a lifestyle that religious, political, and moral leaders — from Buddha to St. Francis to Gandhi — have embraced for centuries. Here are Amazon’s best selling books on simple living. The good news is that practicing simplicity in your own way can free up time, money, and energy to pursue cherished non-materialistic goals such as spending more time with family and friends, helping the community, embracing nature, making art, and more.

People who come to the Village community for connection express it in interesting ways. “I'm retired now and I want a playmate to explore the city with me.” One woman said, “I need some new girlfriends - mine have all moved away!” Another asked, “Do you have any Canasta players?” (We do!)

Taking that first step, reaching out by phone or email or in person, can be intimidating.

But it need not be. A study by Yale University psychologists found that people consistently underestimate how much others like them after an initial conversation. Believe it and reach out with confidence! And to go along with the confidence, here are some tools to ease the way into new relationships.

Hone your outreach skills by having a specific purpose when you contact new people. It may be a simple question, like “How was that restaurant? I’m thinking of going.” Or “I’m looking for a poker game. Do you know any other players?” From there, the conversation has legs and a basis for continuing.

Another good tip is, don’t ignore your “loose ties” (also called “weak ties”).The Harvard Business Review (HBR) points out how important they are in building both professional and personal social networks.

Loose ties are the people in our lives who don’t play a big role, but do play a consistent one. It might be the barista who always asks about your wife – or the librarian who knows who your favorite author is - or the man who attends the Village short story discussion group on Zoom with you.

Harvard researcher Hanne Collins studied all types of relationships that occur around the world and she discovered something new. Weak social ties are just as important as strong ties. She learned that regularly interacting with a wide variety of social ties, both weak and strong, fortifies our satisfaction in life. (Collins et al., 2022). To help get you started, the New York Times current Happiness Challenge series: Day 3 dives into how to work your loose ties.

Loose ties are important in the workplace, too. A massive study by LinkedIn, co-directed by an MIT researcher, shows the strength of weak ties when it comes to employment. The study looked at more than 20 million people on LinkedIn over a five-year period and found that forging weak ties does indeed help people get new jobs. The reason may be that your more casual acquaintances have social networks that overlap less with yours and may provide connections or information you would not otherwise be able to access.

Start forming some of those loose ties that can lead to new friends, new jobs, and new pastimes by tapping into The Village Chicago. You can attend an event or join as a member and receive our weekly event calendar full of activities. Members can also get involved in the following groups and committees.

Launched in 2019, The Bridging Generations Board is a group of young adults who believe in the importance of intergenerational relationships at work and in the community. The events they have organized include book, short story and documentary discussion groups; intimate multigenerational dinners; community volunteerism; Trivia nights; and more.

The Village Chicago in partnership with Chicago Innovation has established Ageless Innovators, Chicago’s first cross-generational co-mentoring program. Over the course of six months, older and younger innovators share their experiences and insights through one-on-one meetings, networking and professional development events, and more.

With funding from the RRF Foundation, The Village Chicago and Chicago Innovation have teamed up to help dismantle age bias with an exciting city-wide campaign, “Turn the Page on Age.” Volunteers are welcome to help plan programs and activities for 2023.

This welcoming, intergenerational group plans social and educational events like play outings, dinners, book discussions, and more. Committee members share resources, opportunities, and friendship, providing numerous ways to get involved and connected within and beyond the Village community.

Creates opportunities for individuals facing work and purpose transitions to explore how they want to live and work in later life.

If you want to check in with us about any of these activities, call the Village office at 773-248-8700 or send an email to info@thevillagechicago.org.

Learn more about the Village by calling us at 773.248.8700 or click here to download the membership application form.

David Baker, President 

Judith Gethner, Secretary

Dick Sullivan, Treasurer

Thomas C. Eley III, Vice President

Joan Goldstein,

Therese Meike,

Kathie Kolodgy, Member at Large

Karen Terry, Immediate Past President

Don Bell

Stefanie Clark

Charles G. Cooper

Carol Hitchie

Ira Kohlman

Angie Levenstein

Molly Matthias

Liz Metzger

Gail Moss

Carol Stein

Lois Stuckey

Vamse Kumar Subbiah

Jan Walters

Joyce Winnecke

Advisory Council

Neelum T. Aggarwal, MD

Robyn L. Golden, LCSW

Joanne G. Schwartzberg, MD

Mary Ann Smith

Darcy L. Evon

2502 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60614. 773.248.8700