When an Oasis tutor spends one-on-one time with a child, the results are lasting for both generations.

Marilee Fisher found her volunteering sweet spot when she discovered Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring five years ago. She’s hooked.

“Being an Oasis tutor gives you a chance to help those kids who get caught in the middle,” says Marilee. “They aren’t reading at grade level, but don’t meet the requirements to get special services provided by the school. They just need a little extra attention, and that makes all the difference.”

Even though she’s a seasoned educator herself with years of experience working with children, she is quick to point out that no classroom experience is required to be a successful Oasis tutor.

“You just need to love children,” she says.

Thirty years of intergenerational impact

Marilee is among thousands of older adults who have raised their hands to volunteer with the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring program. The largest of its kind in the U.S., the program has reached more than 485,000 children since it was launched in St. Louis in 1989.

For 30 years, children across the country have improved their skills and discovered the joy of reading with support from Oasis tutors. The Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring program pairs older adults with children in grades K-3 to work one-on-one each week as their tutors, mentors and friends.

“Every day, Oasis tutors are making an impact in children’s lives, not only improving their literacy skills but also their self-esteem, class attendance and interest in reading and language arts,” says Mary Click, national director of the program. “Reading scores collected from tutored students in the 2018-2019 school year demonstrated that 98 percent showed improvement.”

Today, more than 4,000 Oasis tutors volunteer in 14 states in over 20 U.S. cities.

“We rarely find a program that has such a profound impact on two generations like Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring,” says Oasis Founder Marylen Mann. “The program is successful because the schools welcome us, our tutors feel supported, empowered and needed, and most importantly, the children benefit from one-on-one relationships with adults who care.”

Find out more about Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring.

Children in kindergarten through third grade are keeping their reading skills on track during the summer months with help from Hoener and 16 other Oasis tutors who raised their hands to volunteer in a partnership between the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring program and St. Louis County Library. The pilot program started July 18 and will run through August 8, and is taking place at the Weber Road Branch and the Florissant Valley Branch.
Children participating in the free program work one-on-one for 30-minute sessions with older adults who serve as tutors with the Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring Program, the largest older adults tutoring program in the U.S. The sessions focus on reading and literacy skills. Each week, children participating in the program take home a free book to encourage reading after the tutoring session.

“We are delighted to be partnering with the St. Louis County Library to reach more children in the community,” says Mary Click, national director of Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring. “The tutors who have agreed to participate in this summer pilot are already dedicated to their work throughout the school year, and it is very encouraging that they are ready to help in the summer as well. Summer reading is key to helping students retain knowledge and skills they gained during the previous school year.”

America is becoming an older nation. Does that worry you?

For a country that’s always thought of itself as young, the statistics are a shock to the system! We’re now a more-old-than-young society and with that comes the fear of scarcity, isolation, cost and conflict. I hope we never see “kids vs. canes,” but the possibility of a struggle over diminishing resources in a society split along generational lines is real.

I don’t want to make light of the genuine challenges we face, but I believe there is reason for optimism and the possibility of a much better outcome. The fact is, for all the hand wringing and apocalyptic predictions, the needs and assets of the generations fit together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Just ask any grandparent! If we build on this natural bond between the older and younger generations, both within families and across different communities, we can avoid conflict, solve problems from child care to loneliness and even generate a good deal of personal happiness along the way.

What’s standing in the way of closer ties between older and younger generations?

Since the beginning of human history, older people have invested in and supported younger generations. And yet over the past 50 years, we’ve taken something that’s deeply rooted in the human experience and made it close to impossible in our modern world.

The two biggest culprits are a culture that encourages older people to hang on to their youth and a whole set of institutions that keep the generations physically apart. Workplaces, housing and our education system are all increasingly age-segregated.

What will it take to remove the barriers and bring the generations together?

We’re going to have to be as creative at inventing institutions that bring Americans together as we have been over the past century in crafting ones that split us apart. I’m encouraged by new ideas popping up across the country, particularly in housing.

A few years ago in Boston, two MIT grads launched Nesterly, a tech start-up pairing older people who have room to spare in their homes with university students in need of reduced rent and able to do chores. In Cleveland, a senior living community called Judson Manor created an artist-in-residence program in 2010 providing free housing for graduate music students, who agree to perform for the residents and participate in meals and other activities.

In both cases, proximity has often brought with it not just support but deep, intergenerational friendships.

What can we do to challenge age segregation in our own lives?

It’s so important to focus on creating relationships across generations. But don’t do it in an eat-your-broccoli kind of way. Do it because it’s one of the surest routes to happiness in our longer lives.

The psychiatrist George Vaillant, who led the landmark Harvard Study of Adult Development, tracking hundreds of men for decades, found that those in middle age or older who invest in nurturing the next generation are three times as likely to be happy as those who fail to do so.

How to get started? Here are three quick tips One; Think long and hard about how you set up your life — where you live, worship and volunteer. Two: Listen. One of my mentors used to talk about how easy and seductive it is to be interesting. It’s much harder but more worthwhile to be interested. And three: Sign up for more ideas from Gen2Gen, the Encore.org campaign to mobilize 1 million adults 50+ to stand up for — and with — young people today.

Of all the things that divide us, the gap between old and young is arguably the most bridgeable, but there’s no time to waste.

Contact Oasis to learn how you can become an intergenerational tutor. You can make a difference!

A former kindergarten teacher, Pat says that volunteering as an Oasis tutor has given her meaningful connections with students and a sense of belonging with the school community.

“I get such a warm reception every time I come into the building, from students, teachers and people in the office. It makes me feel like I’m wanted, needed and an important part of the routine,” she says.

Pat is among the nearly 4,500 older adults across the country serving as Oasis tutors. Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring is the largest older adult tutoring program in the U.S., and has reached more than 444,000 children since its inception in 1989. The program pairs older adults with children in grades K-3 to work one-on-one each with as their tutors, mentors and friends. Oasis tutors use a six-step approach to literacy designed by educators that emphasizes improved reading, speaking, listening and writing.

A lasting connection

Pat joins 11 other tutors nationwide this year being honored for 20 years of service in that role. That kind of longevity strengthens the program, as well as the experience for tutors.

“Most tutors do not start the program thinking about a long-term commitment, but they do come to the process looking for a sense of meaning and purpose,” says Mary Click, National Director of Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring. “Once they discover the direct impact that they can have with a child, most are hooked and ready to come back year after year. When they do that, they only get stronger as tutors, which benefits the children and schools they serve.”

Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring has a very strong retention rate, well over 80 percent. There are a number of reasons that Oasis tutors stay committed to the program. Through regular surveys, tutors report improved outlook and self-care, better health and a reduction in feelings of social isolation.

In 2018, a number of tutors nationwide will be honored for milestone years of service with the program: 211 will be recognized for completing five years; 90 will be honored for serving 10 years; 33 tutors have served for 15 years; 12 will be recognized for 20 years;  and one tutor has volunteered with the program for 24 years.

A sense of wonder

Lucy Kammer never comes to a tutoring session without a plan. That’s one thing she’s learned after 15 years as an Oasis tutor in San Antonio, TX.

“I usually have three activities ready to go, so that I always have something that I think will be of interest to the children I’m working with,” says Lucy, who taught high school herself before retirement, but taught all four of her own children to read.

“As I’ve come along, I’ve seen the sense of wonder that might have been lost somewhere along the way if a child had not been working with tutor and developed a joy of reading. It’s important to keep that sense of wonder alive, that desire to read,” she says.

24 years and counting

Twenty-four years is a long time to commit to anything, but to Betty Heath, of St. Louis, finding volunteer positions she likes and sticking with them makes perfect sense.

“I guess I’m just that kind of person,” says Betty, who also volunteers with her church, as an usher with a local theater and has delivered meals to shut-ins.

She considers the 24 years she’d dedicated as an Oasis tutor as time well spent. She’s worked with children in two local elementary schools, focusing primarily on  students in kindergarten, first and second grades.  Betty says it’s the children who kept her coming back year after year.

“It’s really interesting to work will all kinds of children who have different needs. Sometimes, you’ll get assigned to a child who is very capable academically, but for one reason or another, needs some one-on-one support. It’s really fun to come up with things that challenge and interest a child like that, too.”

Find out more about Oasis Intergenerational Tutoring.

Volunteering is part of the Oasis mission

Tutoring is just one of the many ways that Oasis participants across the country have found meaningful ways to volunteer. Many serve as class instructors and facilitator for lifelong learning and health classes, support center operations and help to guide and develop innovative programs. Including tutors, more than 6,200 adults volunteered in some way through Oasis in 2018.

To learn more about other Oasis volunteer opportunities, contact an Oasis center near you.

When I realized that I would be turning a half a century in December of 2018, I knew I didn’t want a big party, a fancy trip or even an extravagant piece of jewelry.  I wanted to plan something memorable and do something for others.

I shared with my friends that I wanted to celebrate each year of my life by doing an act of kindness.  My friends and I planned out the day by searching for ideas on Pinterest, making sure to include some intentions that directly touched each of our lives.

On a busy Saturday in the middle of the Christmas shopping season, seven of us loaded up into a minivan and went out to perform the 50 Acts of Kindness. We ended up doing more and were at it for over 12 hours. Some were extravagant and some were small, but our goal was to make an impact, however big, on 50 people.

We paid for two families eating breakfast at a local restaurant, brought treats to a very special city firehouse, filled up the gas tank of a stunned teenager at the gas station, paid for three pet adoptions, left a jar of pennies in front of a fountain for easy wish-making, gave blankets, foods and socks to the homeless, dropped off coats and toys to a crisis nursery, gave a roll of quarters and lottery tickets to several people at the laundromat,  hung homemade bird feeders in the park and delivered flowers to residents at my mother’s assisted living center, among a list of other things. It was beautiful, impactful, and memorable and lots of fun!

We posted a short video made from photos we took during the day on Facebook and suddenly—our acts of kindness exploded!  In just 2 days—over 1,200 people had viewed the video and many of those commented on what they planned to do to keep the acts of kindness going.  Friends from near and far have since contacted me asking for the list of all 50 acts and how they could duplicate them for their own birthday celebrations.

My family still hosted a fabulous KINDNESS-themed party to celebrate my birthday and instead of presents, many of the attendees shared what bit of charity they had shared that week in celebration of my birthday. It was a wonderful way to extend the acts of kindness long after my birthday celebration was over.

Numerous studies confirm that selflessness decreases stress levels and lengthens your lifespan- I guess I better get busy planning the 100 acts of kindness for my 100th birthday!

 

 

 

 

He was stationed in Papua, New Guinea near the Coral Sea, the site of many epic battles in 1942, and John Hubert, 97, has been able to share his stories in a powerful way, thanks to tech prowess he’s gained by taking computer classes offered by San Antonio Oasis and the City of San Antonio.

“Mr. Hubert proudly wears his WWII cap to the ‘Intro to Computers’ classes he takes through our Connections program,” says Brenda Schmachtenberger, executive director of San Antonio Oasis. “Like many of the countless other older adults who take these technology classes, he’s using his skills to do everyday things like paying bills online and he’s also making a difference by serving others in the community.”

One of the skills that Hubert learned through Oasis Connections classes was how to use Google Earth software, which allowed him to give his classmates and instructor a virtual tour of exactly where he was stationed so many years ago.

“Older adults across the country who grew up in the age before the internet are improving their confidence in using technology through Oasis Connections digital literacy classes designed just for them,” says Amy VanDeVelde, Technology Education Manager at The Oasis Institute, a national education organization that promotes healthy aging through lifelong learning, active lifestyles and volunteer engagement. “Many older adults perceive technology as a barrier, but by taking our classes, we know that technology can be a powerful tool to fight social isolation and allow continued independence and engagement.”

To date, over 120,000 older adults in 120 locations across the country have enrolled in Connections classes, which cover a variety of topics, including instruction on personal computers and the internet, Facebook, tablets and smartphones. The curriculum is updated regularly and available in Spanish.

Veterans across the Oasis network making an impact through Oasis

Hubert is not the only U.S. veteran making important connections through Oasis programs.

Volunteer Connections instructor Eddie Dextraze shares a similar story about a “wow” moment that took place in one of his Oasis classes at the Broward County Library in Hollywood, Florida.

“I looked up and noticed this man in the class who seemed overcome with emotion,” he recalls. “Naturally, I went over to see if I could help and then discovered what he was doing. He was a veteran of World War II and had been a prisoner of war in Germany. All that time, he’d never been back to that town and here he was, thanks to learning this new technology, able to stand right in front of the place he’d been imprisoned, right there on the street at the front door. Everyone in the class was moved as he shared the moment with us. It was really something.”

Things are about to heat up for Pam Muhlenkamp, but she’s ready.

As an Oasis-CLAIM Medicare counseling volunteer, Pam is prepared for a steady stream of older adults who will come to Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital in St. Louis, during Medicare Open Enrollment, which starts October 15 and lasts through December 7. They’ll be in search of help navigating a process that has a lot of moving parts. Pam is happy to be that friendly face to walk them through their options.

“There are so many things to know and so many decisions to make, especially if you are signing up for the first time,” says Pam. “I worked with a medical physicians group in software for nearly 30 years, and came to know a lot about Medicare. I like to solve problems, so I thought this would be a good fit.”

Pam, who also spends a lot of time with her grandchildren, and sings in a church choir, is looking forward to her fourth year as a Medicare counselor.

“One of the most common concerns people have is figuring out how they can make sure their expensive medicines will be covered,” she says.

Last year, Pam’s tenacity and know-how with the system made all the difference for a local woman whose sister signed up late for Medicare and misunderstood how her marketplace coverage fit into the equation. Thanks to Pam, the woman was finally able to help her sister get the coverage she needed, her penalty fees were waived and some refunds for costs incurred while she wasn’t covered will be recouped, at least in part.

Changes to watch for in 2019

Medicare counselors like Pam are trained regularly to be kept abreast of changes that happen from year to year with Medicare coverage. There are a number of things to know for 2019:

• Donut Hole Closing: An expensive element of the Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit requires enrollees with high prescription costs to pay more for their medicines after they reach a certain level of spending in one year. This creates a coverage gap – also called the “donut hole.” After a beneficiary’s out-of-pocket spending reaches a second threshold, they enter catastrophic coverage and pay substantially less. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the donut hole was scheduled to close in 2020. But the spending bill Congress passed in March will close the donut hole for brand-name drugs in 2019. The gap will close for generic drugs in 2020.

• Therapy Cap Gone: Beneficiaries of original Medicare won’t have to pay the full cost of outpatient physical, speech or occupational therapy because Congress permanently repealed the cap that has historically limited coverage of those services.

• Better Information: Medicare is updating the handbook it sends to beneficiaries every fall. It will include checklists and flowcharts to make it easier to decide on coverage. The online Medicare Plan Finder tool will be easier to use and an improved “coverage wizard” will help enrollees compare out-of-pocket costs and coverage options between original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.

• More Telemedicine: Medicare is steadily broadening the availability of telehealth programs that let patients confer with a doctor or nurse via telephone or the internet. In 2019, it will begin covering telehealth services for people with end-stage renal disease or during treatment for a stroke.

• Lifestyle Support: Beginning in January, Medicare Advantage plans have the option to cover meals delivered to the home, transportation to the doctor’s office and even safety features in the home such as bathroom grab bars and wheelchair ramps. To be covered, a medical provider will have to recommend benefits such as home-safety improvements and prepared meals.

• In-Home Help: Medicare Advantage plans also will have the option to pay for assistance from home health aides, who can help beneficiaries with their daily activities including dressing, eating and personal care. These benefits represent a revised and broader definition of the traditional requirement that Medicare services must be primarily health related.

• Plan Test Drives: New regulations will let people try an Advantage plan for up to three months and, if they aren’t satisfied, they can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or choose to enroll in original Medicare. Congress required this flexibility in the 21st Century Cures Act, designed to accelerate innovation in health care.

Effective starting in 2019, the Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period will run from January 1 – March 31 every year. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll have a one-time opportunity to do the following:

• Switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan
• Drop your Medicare Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare, Part A and Part B
• Sign up for a stand-alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan (if you return to Original Medicare). Most Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage already. Usually you can’t enroll in a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug plan if you already have a Medicare Advantage plan, but there are some situations where you can. Call your Medicare Advantage plan if you have questions.
• Drop your stand-alone Medicare Part D Prescription Drug

Oasis Medicare help is available in the St. Louis area

Our offices offer free and confidential help with Medicare questions. This unbiased counseling is provided by knowledgeable, state-certified Oasis volunteer insurance counselors and is a good option for individuals with first-time Medicare enrollment, claims assistance and plan changes.

To get help over the phone, call (800) 390-3330 (Missouri) or (618) 463-7182 (Illinois). To schedule a one-on-one appointment, call (314) 362-7587 (Missouri) or (800) 392-0936 (Illinois).

The State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) provide free, in-depth, one-on-one insurance counseling and assistance in all 50 states.

For more information, visit www.medicare.gov/.