Young people and seniors are on opposite ends of the age spectrum—one is often filled with endless hope, the other filled with a breadth of experience. Many of our futuristic dreams eventually translate to memories that we cherish when we retire. Holidays are meaningful for building stronger relationships between the elders and the kids in the family; there are so many examples of both groups coming together to benefit each other.
Morals and Education – Youth Central’s philosophy as an organization is to celebrate youth through community participation, something that is often hard to fulfill in society. Seniors have built up a library worth of wisdom and advice that is applied often as youth matures. In many traditional cultures, elders are assigned an important role in enriching the new generation with meaningful values through storytelling. Conversely, the new generation also shares immense knowledge with seniors; the flexibility in young people’s minds provide a refreshing opinion on social issues, such as girl’s education. Seniors are willing to provide youth with essential foundations, while the youth provide seniors with enrichment in knowledge and creativity.
Volunteerism – In many areas, both groups volunteer to offer new realms of opportunities. Programs aimed to give seniors technological support, such as the Calgary Public Library’s CyberSeniors Connect, are ran by youth volunteers who offer them new creative ways to take advantage of the new era in information technology. Seniors often devote their own time to volunteerism as well; in festivals like Heritage Park’s Once Upon A Christmas, many seniors were assigned in many different roles to recreate an accurate Christmas experience, not only to older guests but also to young children and teens. I enjoyed many of the older carolers myself when I was volunteering there and the songs they sang. Inter-generational programs address key demographic issues with a unique approach by combining ideas and suggestions from both generations to form a well-rounded perspective.
Support – With issues such as social isolation and poverty affecting both groups, support networks can be formed to counsel and guide people in need. Youth Justice Committees often involve elders, who have an important say in determining the sentence of Youth offenders and the impact to the community. Poverty in seniors is a potential issue that would benefit from Youth involvement and knowledge. Inter-generational programs play a role in providing support in these types of issues, which can be difficult to tackle.
This interconnected relationship is prominent in our lives, but can often be ignored. From family celebrations to discussions on social issues, seniors and youth go hand-in-hand in advocacy and support. As we mature and age, we eventually become elders in our communities; our experience now determining the bank of knowledge we can provide as seniors.
