Dear Elder Leaders,
Thank you for the valuable work you are doing in the world to grow, support and engage elders in these challenging times.
Thank you to those of you who participated in the initial webinars on Rites of Passage for Elders in January and May 2022, in which we had conversations about the need and the process for broadening and promoting Passageways to Elderhood. And welcome to those new to the Passageways to Elderhood Alliance (PEAL).
This is an invitation for you and/or your organization to participate in the next phase of the PEAL initiative. Organizations and Elder Leaders who are PEAL members will have the opportunity to share learnings and co-create needed programming for elders around the country and the world. We are bringing together organizations and individuals who offer elder programs so that they can collaborate and be co-promoted on a collective website. This effort will increase the reach of participating individuals and organizations as well as make it easier for more people of all ages to find their passageway to Elderhood.
We also welcome individual elders and elders in training who would like to help us take PEAL to the next level so that we can make elder programming more accessible. If you are interested in being on the planning team please let us know and fill in this Volunteer FORM.
We hope you will join us in co-creating this exciting evolutionary next step for the organizations and individuals providing pathways and programs for Elders as we grow into a national movement.
To let us know how PEAL can support you and how you want to engage please fill out this FORM.
Our next steps will include: co-creating public webinars, launching this website, participating together in the Parliament of World Religions in August 2023, and co-designing a collaborative alliance working under a nonprofit fiscal sponsor.
A dedicated team of Elders have been meeting to find a pathway forward. Team members have included Constance Washburn, Elders Action Network (EAN) and the Work That Reconnects Network, Jerome Kerner, Emeritus Co-chair at Sage-ing International (SI), Raines Cohen, Aging in Community, Rick Moody, Author of Aging: Concepts and Controversies, Ron Pevny, Director of the Center for Conscious Eldering, and Wende Love, Purpose Guide™. We are supported by younger Brie Costello, Purpose Guide, and Elder in Training.
We hold a vision of a culture that honors elders, where they are initiated into the roles of Elderhood and are valued for their contributions towards a thriving future for all. Further, we envision readily available, regenerative, multicultural, and multi-generational programs and community rituals that honor, celebrate and support elders as they travel the many pathways to elderhood.
To realize the vision of an elder-honoring society, we are growing an alliance of organizations and individuals who are offering meaningful and conscious passageways to elderhood. This Alliance, working together, will support each other to develop needed programming and to outreach to a wider audience making passageways to elderhood more accessible for all.
The Committee has been working on building lists and maps of elder programs, potential partner organizations and elder movement leaders. Thanks to Ron Pevny, Raines Cohen, Anne Adams and Rick Moody we have mapped many organizations already. Get a peek at our work in progress at our pre-launch website: www.ElderPassageways.org.
The committee is organizing a series of joint activities to launch the Passageways to Elderhood Alliance and support the visibility and outreach of all participating organizations.
- Webinar series on Passageways to Elderhood in the Fall of 2023 that highlights partner organizations and individuals offering Elder Passageways.
- Invitation to participate in a PEAL booth at the Parliament of World Religions August 14-18, 2023 in Chicago.
- Expand the PEAL membership. To build a more inclusive community we will continue to outreach to more Elder groups and grow our database.
- A working team of Alliance members will work to define Pathways to Elderhood Alliance structures and agreements. Your input is essential.
We’d love to have you join us for this first small step in June so you can learn more and see how you and your organization can be involved.
Invitation to participate in upcoming PEAL activities
Please use THIS LINK to register your interest in any of the below activities.
Passageways to Elderhood - Webinar Series
In conjunction with partner Elders Action Network, we will offer a Passageways to Elderhood webinar series. The Webinars will highlight individuals and organizations who are currently offering elder development programs and doing Rites of Passage for Elders. The conversation will also articulate the need for Elders in our culture and the possible passageways to Elderhood available.
We need people who are interested in presenting and helping to co-design this webinar series and we are looking for funding for the execution of the series.
Passageways to Elderhood Alliance - representation at the Parliament of the World Religions Conference - (POWR) Aug 14-18 2023 Chicago -
We invite Passageways to Elderhood Alliance members to join a booth at the Parliament of the World Religions as a place to promote our programs and build relationships with religious organizations that also serve elders.
Ongoing PEA Member Engagement
Again if you are interested in research and outreach, fundraising, or website development, please let us know as we need help with compiling our database and outreaching to more Elders nationwide.
Please fill in the form to RSVP or express interest.
