THE 50+ NETWORK FOR CREATIVE ENGAGEMENT
BACKGROUND
By 2020, individuals age 50 and older will make up 39% of
the total population of the Eastern Shore of Maryland (this percentage
represents tens of thousands of people). As a result of the Shore's
amenities, retirees are migrating to our communities. These socially
responsible & physically active adults are gold mines of innovation, creativity
and mentoring. They are redefining retirement and their greatest legacies
are yet to come.
Nationally, in 2006, the oldest of the
78 million baby boomers started turning 60, and everyday since 8,000 more reach
that milestone. They represent the largest, healthiest, longest lived, and
best educated generation in American History! They join an already active
senior population in their 70's & 80's.
Aging has gotten a bad reputation, often
associated with mental & physical deterioration, and "retirement" likewise has
been associated with a sedentary lifestyle. Well not anymore! The
50+ crowd, whether retired or planning for retirement, is casting off the
negative images: embarking on new ventures & encore careers; filling our
continuing education classrooms; exercising; volunteering; and becoming actively
involved in civic engagement.
