J . L . Tu r n e r C e n t e r September Newsletter FiftyForward enriches the lives of adults 50+ by providing pathways to health, well-being, and lifelong learning. September 2014
Letter from the Director Dear Turner Center Members, During the month of September, we are paying homage to the many wonderful men who are members of the Turner Center. We have planned special trips and activities with the interests of these men in mind. Please join us for these special activities and encourage some of your male friends to attend as well! The Bellevue Family YMCA and FiftyForward J. L. Turner Center are hosting a Health Fair on Monday, September 29th from 9:00am12:00pm. We hope that you will join us for this morning to learn more about the upcoming Medicare Open Enrollment, speak with local physicians and visit with other agencies who will be in attendance There will be refreshments, giveaways and lots of good information for all who come! ~ Megan
FiftyForward and my retirement by Ron Prater This month we are featuring activities and programming for the men at the Turner Center. We have asked one of our members, Ron Prater, to write an article about why he volunteers and participates in activities at the FiftyForward J. L. Turner Center. Thanks, Ron.
On January 1st, 2009 I retired from 40+ years at Marathon Petroleum Company. A few days later I started searching for something to keep me busy in my retirement, as my wife had told me I could not sit at home and watch TV. I had no intention of doing that anyway so my search began. I knew I wanted to volunteer at doing something so my first volunteer position was working at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, which I still do to this day. I had been attending Bob Allen's History and Genealogy Group for sometime at
FiftyForward and one day Bob asked me if I would get qualified to drive the FiftyForward van so we could take some group members on field trips. That sounded like fun so I met with Liz Martin, <former Turner Center Director> and got the necessary information and paperwork to become a qualified driving. Thus began my volunteer job of driving the vans for numerous activities sponsored by FiftyForward. I have found this to be not only fun, but to be a great way to meet other seniors and develop a bond of friendship, but also to give back to the community by being involved. I was also asked to be on the Active Older Adults committee, which gives me an opportunity to help plan activities for the center and get more involved in the day to day activities. All in all it has been a great relationship and one I plan to continue for a longtime to come.
Friends Learning In Pairs (FLIP) Help A Child Learn! Volunteer with FLIPâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Friends Learning in Pairs Make a difference in the lives of children by tutoring reading and math while developing a special friendship with students in grades K-4. Contact Michele Clark, 860-7180 or mclark@fiftyforward.org for additional information.