Summary Points
- Meeting the needs of an aging population.
The centrality of the question asks, who are we, why do we meet and how can we address some of the needs of senior African descendant men? The broader answer to that central question would be fellowship.
Since we are a diverse community of senior (predominately) African descendant men from different areas of the social, political, professional and economic spectrum, we occupy a unique position in the American demographic.
Our present moderator/founder with the urging by the CEO of QLS as visionaries discussed and crafted a forum for the express purpose of developing a fellowship to meet the needs of an aging population of men. Since its inception, this forum would eventually evolve to not only addressing issuing surrounding general health but –
- Sharing thoughts and ideas on family and community.
- Providing information and assistance on issues of guidance, general health, medical and scientific advice, and counseling on the importance of exercise.
- Diet, nutrition, and its importance in the maintenance of a sense of wellbeing.
- Investigating politics (keeping the adrenaline going*).
- Arts – exploring the American classical form called
- Science – keeping abreast of unfolding information on cognitive maintenance and decline and the relationship to COVID19 (STAY TUNED)
- Discussing issues on economics, education, and impoverishment.
- Highlight historical legacy and democracy.
- Games – Bingo, Trivia contests, Name that Tune.
- Potluck and catered meals during the holiday season.
- Support of businesses through luncheon engagements.
- Engaging in debates and discussions on current events and how all the above preceding impact our present condition in a structured American society and culture. Although we can be highly partisan on some issues, our positions are respected and challenged when necessary, because of the diverse nature of our group.
- The men’s group takes seasonal field trips focusing on culture, education, and entertainment.
- Engage in community outreach in the form of providing scholarship assistance for students accepted at HBCUs.
- Dispensing information to assist in the socialization of young family members as well as being their guardians in this delicate period.
- The membership from time to time will invite guest speakers, entertainers et al, to instruct and enlighten our group.
Engaging in this unique process of fellowship has allowed many of us to realize a vision emerging. We realize that this process can be further duplicated as a model serving others in similar circumstances, perhaps to extract a purpose in their lives. As we are still in the process of development and growth, we try to motivate one another as encouragement for family and friends.
What would this look like in real-time? A short anecdotal experience may illustrate how this may impact those around us and others again, in similar circumstances. We, as a group, were off-campus in one of the local restaurants just spending a day out to have lunch. The energy from the optics (older men having lunch as a group experience) so impressed two younger men who after engaging some of us in conversation, offered to pay for our entire meal and wouldn’t take no for an answer! We sat, ate, and engaged each other in conversation and all of us to a person was moved by this encounter.
Using this and similar experiences as motivation we have not allowed the presence of the latest hiccup to stop us from going forward. We’re now engaged in Zoom video conferencing to stay connected as we continue to evolve with strong character befitting healthy and social protocols.
Learn more about meeting the needs of our senior population, please visit the QLS website https://www.qualitylivingservices.org/.
Read more about the QLS Men’s Healthy Living Group at https://www.qualitylivingservices.org/mens-healthy-living.
Author: Dr. Adeyemi Toure and the Quality Living Services (QLS) Men’s Healthy Living Group
