The Rev. Dr. Jill Ver Steeg, CEO Evergreen Commons, started her talk by telling of touring Evergreen in 2021 when she was considering applying for the job. She saw people exercising, connecting with each other, creating in the woodshop, volunteering to help each other, taking classes, performing, and many other activities. She thought that his was a place where people were flourishing and she was excited to be a part. She observed that our society often glorifies youth, but older citizens have the possibility to make a difference.

 

The first third of life is the learning phase and is from birth through formal education. The second third is called framework and is when career and relationships are formed. The third third is the finish stage and can be all about giving back to society from the experiences of a lifetime. When all aspects of your life are good it is defined as flourishing. Currently, there are 10,000 people a day who turn 65-years-old in the USA.

 

Evergreen Commons started 40 years ago by giving older residents who had never been on a boat in Lake Macatawa pontoon boat rides. It progressed from there to purchasing the current buildings for programs. Currently the senior center is 70,000 square feet and the day center is 12,000 square feet. Both locations provide services for the 4500 members who come primarily from Ottawa and Allegan counties. The day center provides respite care with therapy tailored to each individual.  There are many programs offered such as the Parkinsons exercise program that is based on the latest research into delaying the effects of the disease.

 

Currently Jill and her staff are evaluating the facility use, hours available, possible expansion, and bringing in more partners.

 

The dream is to create a "Blue Zone" in Western Michigan. These are areas in the world where people live longer than anywhere else in the world. Currently there is only one Blue Zone in North America. The way Evergreen describes this mission is by saying "we disrupt the way people age".