Work and Purpose

“New ways to find purpose…”

Life can take many directions after age 50. Some 27% of Village members are working or actively seeking meaningful employment while others are retiring, caring for aging parents, or seeking purpose in new ways. We call these years of transition Life 3.0 and a committee of volunteers has been developing programs and activities to provide peer companionship, fresh perspectives, and new ideas.

Ageless Innovators:

Chicago’s first multi-generational co-mentoring program established in partnership with Chicago Innovation.

Innovation for the Ages:

An annual event presented by The Village Chicago and Chicago Innovation with panels of entrepreneurs and business leaders discussing how they reinvented themselves for the changing employment landscape.

Volunteerism:

Village members are active volunteers, helping one another and also sharing their time and expertise with other nonprofits and civic institutions. All told, over 80% of Village members are volunteers and often lead one another to new ways to find purpose.

Intergenerational Activities:

The Village is committed to age inclusion and brings people of all ages together in a variety of contexts. The Bridging Generations Young Professionals Board is a group of young adults who are fostering meaningful connections among people of all ages through social gatherings and volunteering.

Lifelong Learning:

Learning is essential to many members’ well-being. Our educational activities ranges from the practical (MAC Tutor, one-on-one financial and Medicare planning); to the thoughtful (Great Books, Gems of the Art Institute, Tiny Theaters); to the just plain fun (wine tastings, genealogy).

Monthly program calendar
Connecting Generations
Be a volunteer