What does it mean to learn, plan and serve?

By Marilyn Olson, Executive Director, VillagesOKC

In the three years since we started VillagesOKC, we’ve gotten the message across to most folks that we’re “a plan, not a place.” However, there is perhaps lingering confusion about what our mission is for mature adults in the metro area.

So, here it is. “We are virtual neighbors enabling mature adults to come together to learn, plan and serve with spirit and dignity.” That’s a mouthful, so let’s break it down.

Virtual neighbors: While we may not live next door to one another, ours is a neighborhood which is connecting the good people of Greater Oklahoma City and trusted businesses to help each other with whatever we can, whenever we can. VillagesOKC offers friendships to fill the gaps where family, church and existing friends leave off.

Although we are modeled after the other 300+ “villages” across the nation, ours is a member-driven organization designed to meet the needs of members across the greater metro – from Guthrie to Norman and Choctaw to El Reno.

To learn: We know learning can continue much later in life than many previously thought. For a long time, brain researchers have proposed a “Use it or Lose it” approach to brain health. More recently, the research supports the notion of “Use it and Improve it.”

After working more than two years with MINDRAMP Consulting, a leader in this approach to brain health, we have developed a Brain Health Initiative led by Pam Redline. She is the owner of Brain Builder Pros., a neurological rehabilitation company. She has twenty years of experience in brain health. Her passion for learning inspired her to seek further education and certification in two brain health fields: Brain Integration Therapy and Cognitive Wellness Coaching.

To plan: Our featured planning opportunity is the exclusive Gathering Information For Transitions (GIFT) sessions. These are 90-minute, small group sessions held once a week over four weeks at different locations around the Oklahoma City metro.

Led by trained facilitators, attendees put together personalized notebooks documenting their important information and wishes. These provide a starting point for family discussions and contain information spouses, children or caregivers may need to provide help when it’s needed. To schedule a GIFT workshop, call 405.990.6637 or email [email protected] for dates and locations.

To serve: VillagesOKC is an opportunity to be an integral part of organized friendships with boundaries and liability insurance to insure no one carries too great a load. Service opportunities include providing office help, participating Porch Pals, making Good Neighbor Calls, helping do repairs in HeShed, and much more.

For me, VillagesOKC is an opportunity to use some of the skills I’ve learned throughout the years – and that is energizing.

To learn more about VillagesOKC, call or text 405.990.6637 or email [email protected].