April 6, 2020 | From Classic Chicago Magazine: “The coronavirus crisis is proving that The Village concept really works and really serves people. Our members, committees, and staff are all coming up with creative, potent ways of staying connected and helping one another. If there was doubt in anyone’s mind that the sense of belonging to one another matters, something like this totally erases that doubt.” —Karen Terry, Board President, The Village Chicago.

At this time of deep isolation and loneliness, sometimes all you need is a phone call. What if you multiplied that by 500? And kept each one fresh and full of feeling. The Village accepted that challenge and met it with aplomb.”

Click here to read the full article.

March 25, 2020 | The Village Chicago has teamed up with Cubii (Fitness Cubed), the maker of the Cubii Jr compact seated elliptical, to enable Village members to stay active without leaving their homes.

The Village Chicago is a member-to-member network of friendship, engagement, and services for Chicagoans who are over 50. The Village has taken on a critical role in helping its members stay connected, positive, and active as public health worries have forced Chicago residents to remain at home.

Cubii’s ellipticals help users stay active and gain mobility through low-impact exercise without changing their routines or even leaving the couch—a feature that makes their products safe and convenient for Village members. Click here to read the full press release.

March 6, 2020 | Caring for a spouse, family member or friend with memory loss is a demanding task. The Village Chicago—the city’s premiere social and educational network for people over 50, and Artis Senior Living—which specializes in compassionate, individualized care, have teamed up to offer a ten-week support group led by veteran facilitator Bruce Hunt, who is himself a care partner for his wife. The series will be based on Dr. Edward Shaw’s best-selling guide, The Dementia Care Partner’s Workbook.

The Care Partners Support Group will host a free information session on Wednesday, March 11, from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at The Village Chicago Office (2502 N Clark St).
The ten-week program will be held each Wednesday beginning on March 25th. Participant cost is $50 for the series and includes a copy of The Dementia Care Partner’s Workbook; the cost for individuals who have the book is $25.

November 8, 2019 | From NextAvenue.org: “Ageless Innovators is Chicago’s first intergenerational co-mentoring program. It was created by Chicago Innovation, a community of entrepreneurs and business professionals, and The Village Chicago, a community of older adults who are often retired, but remain active locally. The Retirement Research Foundation helps fund the program.

To date, 25 co-mentoring pairs have formed. Avery Stone Fish, the program’s manager, says the goal is to double that number next year and keep Ageless Innovators going as long as possible.” Click here to read the full article.

February 1, 2019 | On January 22, 2019 The Village presented the third in its Longevity Series of symposia with renowned thought leader, social entrepreneur, and author Marc Freedman.

In conversation with Village members Dianne Campbell and Tom Kuczmarski, Freedman discussed his new book, How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations, which explores how mentoring the next generation can forge a legacy that lives beyond us. Click here to view the full discussion.

February 15, 2019 | The second in our Longevity Symposium Series, members and guests enjoyed a lively discussion from a panel of trailblazers who are harnessing virtual and augmented reality to improve quality of life and health. Panelists included Neelum T. Aggarwal, M.D.; Carrie Shaw, CEO, Embodied Labs; MingTang, RA University of Cincinnati; and Emily Phelps, a medical student of Rush University Medical School.  Click here to view the full discussion.

October 25, 2018 | was the first in a series of public events on Navigating the New Longevity. This series is part of The Village’s commitment to supporting the growth and well-being of people over 50. The speaker, Dr. S. Jay Olshansky, Professor of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago and one of 12 scholars in The MacArthur Research Network on an Aging Society discussed new developments in aging science that lead him (and fellow researchers) to believe we’re on the verge of a breakthrough that could slow biological aging for most people. Click here to see his very entertaining talk.

May 2, 2018 | From ABC7 News: Loyola’s 98-year-old men’s basketball team chaplain Sister Jean was recognized for not letting age get in the way of her life’s work.

Sister Jean received the first ever Trailblazer Award from the group The Village Chicago.

Executive Director Dianne Campbell described Sister Jean as the “North Star” for everyone who wants to “maximize the dividend of a long life.”

It’s only appropriate that Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt be the first to receive this award, since she was the person who inspired it. Click here to read the article and view footage of Sister Jean receiving her award.

June 7, 2017 | From Kaiser Health News: Earlier this year, 30 senior citizens convened in a living room to talk about growing older and needing more help. “Who will be my allies as I go through this process,“ they asked.The Chicago get-together, organized by The Village Chicago, a membership community of adults 50 and older  offers some “I’m in the same boat” guidance. Dianne Campbell, Founding Executive Director of The Village Chicago, sums it up: “People are realizing they don’t have to go through difficult situations alone and it’s OK to ask for help.”
Click here to read the article.