In just about a month, AgeSpan board members, staff, volunteers, partners and supporters will gather for one of my favorite days of the year: the AgeSpan annual luncheon.
It’s our opportunity to come together to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year and look forward to the work we continue to do together to create a future where everyone can choose to live and age well, in communities that support them.
This year, we’ll be honoring five incredible older adults from the Merrimack Valley and North Shore with Inspiring Lifelong Learning Awards. Lifelong learning is about more than classes or degrees. It’s about curiosity, resilience and continuing to grow at every stage of life.
Our honorees come from a variety of backgrounds and have pursued knowledge and skills in different ways – but all show us that learning can help improve our lives and the lives of those around us.
Our five Inspiring Lifelong Learning honorees are:
Greater Haverhill: Jose F. Estrada
Greater Lawrence: Jacoba Olivera
Greater Lowell: Robert P. Kinsman
Greater Newburyport: Diane Ellyane Klein
North Shore: John Hamilton
I’d like to invite you to join us at the AgeSpan annual luncheon on Nov. 14 at the beautiful Blue Ocean Event Center in Salisbury. In addition to celebrating our Inspiring Lifelong Learning honorees, the event will feature a delicious lunch, opportunities to connect with AgeSpan staff, volunteers, and partners, and a keynote presentation by Dr. Lane A. Glenn, president of Northern Essex Community College, who reminds us:
“The world is filled with endless things to know and to learn, and there’s absolutely no reason that anyone at any age should feel that they need to stop learning.”
Tickets to our annual luncheon are available on our website: www.agespan.org/upcoming-events/. I hope you’ll join us as we honor these remarkable individuals and celebrate the work that we do.
Are you caring for an older adult or need help finding healthy aging resources? Our experienced staff is available to help. Visit us online at www.agespan.org. You can also call 800-892-0890 or email info@agespan.org.
Joan Hatem-Roy is the chief executive officer of AgeSpan, which serves Andover, Groveland, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Marblehead, Methuen and North Andover.