We Are the Give-Back Generation

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Kudos to us! The trademark of our age group has become generosity. New research shows seniors contribute significantly to their friends, family, and society in meaningful ways, making us the “Give-Back Generation.” It’s another brilliant reason to love your age.

Our community support is priceless.
Each week, 19% of Canadian seniors spend between five and 14 hours volunteering for a worthy cause. Over half of them help a younger friend or family member with daily chores or household responsibilities while 29% help with child care. Many of us remain in the workforce with paying jobs. In fact, 9.4% of Canada’s seniors work full time. And we’re still forking out dough to younger friends and family, with 21% of seniors giving more than $1,000 in the past six months, and 11% providing over $4,000 in financial support.

Let’s challenge the status quo: age is just a number.
According to Canada’s 2016 census, there are 5.9 million Canadians over age 65, representing 16.9% of the country’s total population. Despite this aging population, ageism is widespread. The Revera Report on Ageism shows 63% of seniors 66 years of age and older say they have been treated unfairly or differently because of their age. We must challenge this status quo. Aging should be viewed with optimism, and older adults should be seen as the vibrant and valued contributors to society that we are.

With age comes influence and responsibility.
After decades of honing our crafts, it’s no surprise seniors hold high-ranking positions in many industries. People over the age of 65 are leaders in politics—think Marc Garneau, Carolyn Bennett, Hazel McCallion—and CEOs and top business leaders like the CEO of Bank of Montreal and the former CEO of TD Bank Group along with others like the President and CEO of Business Council of Canada. Seniors are acting up a storm (see William Shatner, Donald Sutherland, and Alex Trebek). And while activists and authors such as David Suzuki and Margaret Atwood are bettering our planet, artists like James Cameron, Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, and The Guess Who are rockin’ their golden years on stage.

Canadians rely heavily on seniors.
Seniors have raised, supported, and shaped our communities and country. And we’re eager to share our pearls of wisdom. When reflecting on the best piece of advice from seniors, the results paint a positive picture: words of encouragement to live life to the fullest and be happy; the value of family; and the importance of being smart with money. Most of us are optimistic about aging. After all, we know that age is just a number.

Here’s more inspiration to love your age.
We asked our readers to nominate individuals who embrace their age. Visit everythingzoomer.com/loveyourage to read their inspiring stories and vote for the winners of our contest.