My encore work is a dream project I am calling Burgeoning Communities.
The project is aimed at creating an environment where “youngish seniors”, who still need to work, join forces with the people in a “challenged neighborhood” and with an “anchor institution” (such as a developer of retired senior living communities) to begin the rebuilding process by growing commerce, establishing safety, expanding beauty and unfolding sacred spaces.
This would be considered an emergency remedy for an inner-city neighborhood that has reached out for help. It would attract new residents who have 30-40 years of experience in finding and creating meaningful work to a community that has reached out for help. These new residents have a need and will commit to an opportunity to build a new home and community. This provides a safe haven, a place of good food and socialization and a center for education and healing.
All this began in 2008 when the Great Recession brought incredible financial loss for me and my family. Forty years as a design/builder and construction manager seemed of little benefit in my search for meaningful work. Feeling baffled with the lack of ingenuity of employment agencies to utilize my skills, I started my own. Typically employment agency clients never know one another. In mine, we would gather in meetings to share experiences, knowledge, resources, connections. Through this interaction we would gain strength, self-esteem and confidence, and were able to meet with employers who had not advertised a position, but would hire because of our presence and determination.
Since then, my wife and I found work as live-in co-managers of an independent living community for retired seniors. It creates an environment where retired seniors, some of whom have experienced overwhelming losses of their own, have been able to recover and, in many cases, have an age reversal experience. It’s a 24/5 job, leaving time for family and my Burgeoning Communities project, which is in the formative stages.
What the world should know is that older workers are the wise elders of the community, aware that there is an unlimited amount of work to be done and unlimited amount of resources to be shared, but not wasted or abused. Older workers can demonstrate that, when done in the spirit of service, it’s not work, it’s worship.