MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures Honor Eight Nonprofit and Public Sector Organizations with 2009 Encore Opportunity Awards
Published 11-17-09
Submitted by MetLife Foundation
To honor organizations that are making it easier for experienced workers to transition into encore careers - paid jobs that offer meaning and the chance to make a social impact - Civic Ventures and MetLife Foundation today announced the winners of the 2009 Encore Opportunity Awards: eight nonprofit and public sector organizations that are tapping encore talent to serve the common good.
"For those in midlife and beyond, looking for a job these days is often a do-it-yourself project made all the worse by exhaustion, isolation, and high unemployment," said Phyllis N. Segal, vice president of Civic Ventures, a think tank on boomers, work and social purpose. "But some nonprofit and public sector organizations are hiring and retaining people over 50 to meet community needs - and doing so in an exemplary fashion."
Spread across the country, the 2009 Encore Opportunity Award winners are engaging people over 50 in creative ways to protect public safety, build low-income housing, teach job skills, preserve the environment, even save dying Native American languages. A summary of the winners is below, and fuller descriptions - along with insights about their strategies - are included here.
"This year's Encore Opportunity Award winners are innovative, adaptable and smart - and clearly recognize the need to take advantage of the windfall of talented older Americans," said Dennis White, CEO and president of MetLife Foundation. "These trailblazing employers can serve as a model for others to follow."
While layoffs and hiring freezes remain the norm in most industries, experts still project talent shortages in some health care, education, nonprofit and government jobs. Meanwhile, surveys show that millions of boomers want to find encore careers where they can give back and have an impact.
The 2009 winners - which exemplify how employers can help experienced workers find encore careers "“ are:
In 2007, MetLife Foundation and Civic Ventures first honored nonprofit and public sector employers with what was then called the BreakThrough Awards. The inaugural winners similarly exhibited successful strategies for finding, hiring and maximizing workers over 50.
About Civic Ventures (www.encore.org)
Civic Ventures is a national think tank on boomers, work and social purpose.
About MetLife Foundation
MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on its long-standing tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. The Foundation has been involved in a variety of aging-related initiatives addressing issues of caregiving, intergenerational activities, mental fitness, health and wellness programs and civic involvement. More information about the Foundation is available at www.metlife.org.
MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife to carry on its long-standing tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement. MetLife and MetLife Foundation have invested more than $15 million for Alzheimer's research and public information programs, including $10 million through the Awards for Medical Research program. Working with the Alzheimer's Association, the Foundation has supported caregiving videos, resources for the Hispanic community and the Safe Return identification program, which addresses the problem of senior wandering. The Foundation has expanded its focus on aging issues, including helping people remain physically and mentally fit and remaining engaged in the community. It also supports programs addressing issues of caregiving, intergenerational activities and volunteer opportunities. Grants support health, education, and civic and cultural programs. More information about MetLife Foundation is available at www.metlife.org.
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