Have you ever gone hungry?  I mean so hungry that it hurts?  I would bet you haven’t and that when you say “I’m starving” you really don’t know what it feels like or perhaps what that phrase really means.  And that my friend is a blessing and my hope for you is that you never go hungry. However this year alone 35.5 million AMERICAN’S go hungry every day and what’s even more frightening is with the change in economy those who are going hungry could be your next door neighbor.

So what can you do?  Feed a family this Thanksgiving holiday.   Bringing Hope to the Table is a program that Kroger Food is hosting where they are selling recyclable bags- the proceeds go to feeding the hungry. Grocery stores across the country are making it easier than ever to help out. Stores have prepackaged bags of food that you can purchase for as little as $10.00 and they take care of the actual donation of food. To find a program for your specific city try searching on Google for these “phrases”

Food Drives 2009                         Canned Food Drives

Thanksgiving Food Donations        Food Bank Donation

Remember anything you do small or large will make a large impact.  The statistics are staggering, and we can make a difference.  

For 1 in 8 people in our country, hunger is a reality.

• 35 million Americans don’t know where they will get their next meal. 
• 9 million of them are children.
• 3 million of them are senior citizens.
• 36% of these households have one or more working adults.
• 42% of these households are in rural and suburban areas.

What if this holiday season you consider donating to your favorite charity. Instead of giving gifts to friends, family and co-workers I guarantee the person/charity that receives your donation really needs it…and more importantly will appreciate it. Over the next few weeks I will be gathering donation suggestions and posting them. If you have a suggestions please send them my way via Twitter, Email, LinkedIn or comment to the blog today! 

In honor of Friday the 13^th I thought we could celebrate it by celebrating why older workers will substantially benefit any business.  

1.    Everything can be improved: Experienced workers take pride in their work.

2.    You get what you expect: Older workers stay on task until it is completed.

3.    Pleasure in the job put perfection in the work: Older workers have a knack for paying attention to detail.

4.    Finally being old pays off: Older workers have many years of experience

5.    Only those who do nothing make no mistakes: Older Workers make excellent mentors and role models

6.    Act the part and you will become the part: The older worker is not afraid to voice his opinions

7.    Concentration is the secret of strength: Less likely to play office politics.

8.    The best vision is insight: They can be left unsupervised more often and get the job done efficiently.

9.    Just go out there and do what you’ve got to do: Willing to stay over and work until the job is completed. 

10. Quality is everyone’s responsibility: Older Workers often know where problems may occur and how to prevent it

11. Only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it: Older employees are able to take things in stride and find workable solutions without “losing it.” 

12. Built in Training Department:  Older workers can easily train younger workers and encourage their progress.

13. We all have ability. The difference is how we use it : Usually they only have to be told once how to do a job.

You have the power to change; Hire an Older Worker!

Today I read an article about how older workers have unrealistic expectations of the job market. I found the article to be extremely misleading; the article was talking about the interview process not about getting a job. Really the job market has changed a whole lot in the last 15 years so it’s hard to have ANY expectations because who knows what to expect. Never fear I a resource for you from our friends over at the AARP Foundation.

In the current economy, it’s all the more important to know what kind of job you are suited for before applying. So before you rush out in a panic to find a job let’s at least find out what type of occupation that’s best suited for YOU that’s where the AARP Foundation WorkSearch Assessment System comes in to rescue YOU.

The assessment’s goal is to help you determine your job interests and work skills so that they can match you with the best possible job.  When you are finished the assessment will give you possible job matches based on where you live. And those job matches come right from WiserWorker.com Pretty Nifty!

It’s a no-brainer no cost solution to helping you create expectations both you and an employer can live with!  Check it out!

5.3 million people in the United States are living with Alzheimer’s.

10 million baby boomers will develop Alzheimer’s disease - that’s one out of eight according to the Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures.

Did you know?

Smoking after age 65 increases your chances of developing Alzheimer’s by 79%?

Obesity in midlife makes you 3 ½ times more likely to experience Alzheimer’s?

Diabetes makes you twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s?

Genetics account for only 25% of Alzheimer’s cases?

Chronic stress may quadruple your risk?

Act now to prevent and delay Alzheimer’s disease

Exercise at a moderate pace-for at least 30 minutes five times per week.  

Build muscle to pump up your brain-moderate levels of weight and resistance training not only increase muscle mass, they maintain cognitive health.  

Think movement- for opportunities to walk, bend, stretch, and lift your way to vitality.

Maintain consistent levels of insulin and blood sugar. Eat several small meals throughout the day. Avoid packaged, refined, and processed foods. Emphasize fruits and vegetables across the color spectrum to maximize protective anti-oxidants and vitamins.

Drink tea daily. Green, white, and oolong teas are particularly brain-healthy. Drinking 2-4 cups daily has proven benefits.

Set aside time each day to learn something new - read a good book, study a foreign language, play a musical instrument.

Practice the 5 W’s - observe and report like a crime detective. Keep a Who, What, Where, When, and Why list of your daily experiences.

Solve riddles and work puzzles - brain teasers and strategy games provide great mental exercise and build your capacity to form and retain cognitive associations.

Stay connected - We are social creatures, and the most connected fare better on tests of memory and cognition.

Wear a helmet - and limit distractions. A National Institute of Health study suggests head trauma at any point in life significantly increases your risk of Alzheimer’s.

Avoid toxins - Among the most preventable risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease are smoking and heavy drinking.

Source: alz.org

It’s sad but so many of troops overseas never get any care packages, I know this because my sister has served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and she has shared that so many just don’t get the postage love as she calls it. So we did our part and always sent many extras so she could share with others. It’s what we as a family could do; so we did, but the question today is what can you do? 

I was inspired by an article I read over Veterans Day.  It was about some Atlanta residents of the King Bridge Retirement Center made care package boxes for the Marines in Afghanistan. They spent Veteran’s Day remembering the fallen of wars past and as a remembrance they dedicated the day to making boxes for the Marines that contained magazines, books, thank-you cards, a cap, energy bars, Moon Pies, hot sauce, wipes, hot chocolate, candy, gum and toilet tissue.

This got me thinking….what if this holiday season we each consider donating to your favorite charity. Instead of giving gifts to friends, family and co-workers I guarantee the person/charity that receives your donation really needs it…and more importantly will appreciate it. Over the next few weeks I will be gathering donation suggestions and posting them. If you have a suggestions please send them my way via Twitter, Email, LinkedIn or comment to the blog today!  

So that brings me back to postage love:

If you want to send some postage love to a soldier overseas here are some ways you can get started.

USO.org  Quick and Easy Option.  You donate money they build the box

Operation Shoe Box  Founded in 2003 in an effort to send support, snacks and much needed personal care items to our troops deployed outside of the USA

Operation Love Box Simple information so you can assemble a box and they provide you with a soldier in need.

Any Soldier You select one or more Soldiers from the Where to Send page. You will notice the Soldier’s address includes the line, “ATTN: Any Soldier^® the Soldiers are volunteers for this effort, they will see the “Attn” line, and will put your letters and packages into the hands of Soldiers who don’t get much or any mail. This effort is 110% voluntary.

A complete list of items that you can send in your care package

Wednesday, November 11 is Veterans Day.  It is a day where we get to show appreciation to our veterans and active military personnel.

Veterans Day was originally called Armistice Day. It was first celebrated on the anniversary of WWI.  The term was changed to Veterans Day in 1947 to include the soldiers of WWII.

In light of the recent tragedy at Ft. Hood, this Veterans Day takes on a more poignant meaning.  We must never forget those brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedom here and abroad.

On this Veterans Day, take a moment to give thanks to our soldiers and their families.  If you would like to do more, please contact the USO.

Baby Boomer and Older Workers are surfing the web and STOP the presses they spend more time online than the average teenager. Your grandparents use the internet for more than email cute picture of their grandkids. It’s time we start looking at this demographic as a major player. Let’s face it they’re not going off into retirement and playing golf and sipping on martinis. However they may be using the internet to make reservations at the club for only the best tee time.

So what exactly are they doing?  Well……..everything shopping, communicating and well socializing with their friends! When they’re not surfing the web for the latest information they’re befriending people on Face book, tweeting the latest rage on Twitter and following the latest trends on blogs.

Baby Boomers and Older Workers:

Regularly use email 94%

Look up health and medical information 71%

Keep up to date on the latest news 70%

Are spending your inheritance on online gaming 47% (You better keep working!)

Managing their finances and banking 59%

Hitting the latest sales as they shop online 71% (highest % among any generational group)

Looking for work on WiserWorker.com

So the lesson here is that you better be taking this demographic seriously and learn from them as they want to teach you what they know!

Source: Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).

Reading exercises your mind and makes your brain more flexible.

Continue to enhance their lives.

Regular readers have a proven ability to focus.

Readers who frequently read have a higher ability to learning and retain knowledge.

Peaceful reading reduces stress levels

You will improve your concentration and focus while enjoying a good book.

People who read often increased their vocabulary

The more you read, the more knowledgeable you become.

Reading gives you the opportunity to learn about other cultures and places of the world

You always have something to talk about and you will be able to share your knowledge with others perhaps you can curl up with a good book and read to a loved one.

And finally the best reason to read more?  I found an excellent deal at Borders AARP members can take advantage of instant discounts when they display their AARP card or if they use the code for AARP members when ordering online. These offers last until November 16, 2009, don’t let this opportunity to explore a good book pass by without you!

This morning I was reading okay watching the news and I came across the following article: “Over 50, and zero job offers”.  Okay that’s just silly; yes the job market is tough I give you that however; you need to remember this:  As an older worker have something that other applicant’s lack…..EXPERIENCE.

Your only obstacle is connecting with employers who are ready and willing to hire YOU. Get started today by creating the right resume, connecting on the social media sites that will get your connected and of course visit WiserWorker.com the only site for older workers!

Functional Resume usually starts with summary of qualifications to put emphasis on skills particular areas of focus. Examples might include: customer service, word processing, computers, accounting, data archiving, office, telephone reception and problem solving. Rather than listing specific details, the job seeker lists responsibilities and achievements under the three main highlighted areas. The employment history is simply listed underneath the functional areas followed by education, training and other complimentary sections.

LinkedIn exists to help you make better use of your professional network or create a network.  Their mission is to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. Jump right in and create a account and make sure you select that you are looking for a job. You will be amazed at how many people seek you out because you are qualified.

WiserWorker.com YOU already know the most valuable resource online helping older workers get back in the workforce. WiserWorker.com is dedicated to providing quality employment opportunities and resources to people just like you.  

Good Luck!

The conversation is the same…..why do Baby Boomers stay in the workforce or why do they go back. Well the most common answer isn’t the real reason MONEY. Believe it or not baby boomer doesn’t return or stay for the all mighty dollar, sure it helps but it isn’t the main motivator.

For the Love of the Game - Yes folks Baby Boomers like what they are doing, and quite often they miss the work environment when they are absent, baby boomers like to be part of the team. It’s often their identity and without it they are lost!

Chance to see and be seen – That’s right often Baby Boomers stay in the work force as a way to socialize and interact with the public at large. It some cases this is the baby boomers only way to be part of a social setting.

A busy mind is a GOOD mind - Baby Boomers often look at the workplace a method of exercising the brain and challenging the mind.  They fear that if they stop their mind will also over time stop.

So what does this all mean?  That Baby Boomers are here to stay at least for the short run, and it’s okay because they lend a helpful hand in the workplace and help the younger generations learn!