Last year, Jeanne Stanwood of Kaua’i flew to Washington, D.C. to accept for Hawai’i the National Prime Time Award, given to a select group of 50 older Americans who have made their communities a better place through continued employment. This
Last year, Jeanne Stanwood of Kaua’i flew to Washington, D.C. to accept for Hawai’i the National Prime Time Award, given to a select group of 50 older Americans who have made their communities a better place through continued employment.
This year, Stanwood hopes to find that special Hawai’i resident to make the same trip for an award banquet in Washington in September. The event is sponsored by Green Thumb Inc., an advocate for older workers.
“The event is very worthwhile,” Stanwood said. “It is a way to recognize the value of seniors, who are much more vigorous than those of past generations. They continue to make contributions to society.”
This year’s event recognizes outstanding older workers and employers of older workers.
The award program focuses national attention on the fastest-growing segment of the nation’s population – senior citizens.
Green Thumb, a national not-for-profit organization based in Arlington, Va. and founded in 1965, is touted as America’s leader in older-worker training, employment and community service.
The organization’s mission is to strengthen families, communities and the nation by providing older and disadvantaged people with opportunities to learn, work and serve others.
The awards program honors and recognizes older workers from each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Hawaii’s winner last year, Stanwood runs the Foster Grandparent Program with the state Department of Social Services. She recruits, trains and places and supervises senior citizens who serve students at schools with special needs.
In addition to organizing excursions and social events for senior volunteers, Stanwood keeps a protective eye on their health.
Stanwood spent 26 years as a state social worker before retiring in 1981 to take care of her ailing husband. She later became a consultant to the Kaua’i County Office of Elderly Affairs, starting a program to care for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
She developed an educational program, helped patients and caretakers, established a support group and created a resource file.
In other endeavors, she was hired by Medical Personnel Pool to reestablish the company’s business on Kaua’i, worked as an employment specialist with the U.S. Department of Labor and as a community aide for the county.
In her private life, Stanwood, a cancer survivor, enjoys flowers, travels and reads extensively.
This year’s search for award recipients nationwide is being done in conjunction with federal agencies (Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration, Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration on Aging, Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration) and the American Legion.
Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net
