My Nonprofit Reviews

One of my fondest memories as a young father was reading a large pile of books to my daughter each night before she went to bed. Before long she was reading them to me, and now she is reading many of the same books to our granddaughter.

Reading has played an outsized role in my life and career. As a boy I taught my two youngest brothers how to read - they became voracious readers. And during my 52 years in broadcast journalism as a correspondent, manager and university professor, I wrote and read millions of words - I cannot imagine being unable to read, write or speak my language fluently.

When I retired at the end of 2011, I sought out opportunities to share my love of reading and writing and, if possible, to recapture the joy I had experienced those many years ago with my brothers and daughter. I discovered the JCA Heyman Interages Center. With its mission of placing senior volunteers in Montgomery County Public Schools to help young learners with reading, writing and math it was a perfect fit.

Over the last decade I have found my involvement with Interages so rewarding it has steadily increased each year. I have volunteered in virtually all of its programs at more than a dozen different schools and libraries:
“Read Aloud” for pre-K and kindergarten students;
“Grandreaders” for both first and second graders;
“Intergenerational Bridges” with both middle and high schoolers in ESOL classes;
“Dialogues Across the Ages” with high school juniors and seniors;
“Career Days” at elementary and middle schools;
“Job Readiness Mentoring” with high school students;
“Summer Grandreaders” at Montgomery County Public Libraries;
“Rockin’ Readers Book Clubs” with middle school students; and
“Beauty in Aging” with AP Photography high school classes.

In every one of these Interages programs, my fellow volunteers and I - there are some 250 of us - help young people strengthen their academic and cultural literacy. At the same time Interages provides the growing number of us retiring baby boomers with a most fulfilling outlet for the knowledge and skills we’ve accumulated over our lifetimes. Many of us volunteers were educators, and Interages allows us to remain active in education. My fellow volunteers are highly-educated, multi-talented, and well-traveled with diverse heritages and backgrounds. In addition, we Interages volunteers have collected a gigantic library of life stories to share with the future citizens of Montgomery County. And Interages has provided all of us volunteers with a second family - we all enjoy seeing each other and comparing notes and family photos throughout the school year. Indeed, we often gather outside of Interages and have developed great and lasting friendships.

Speaking of gatherings, JCA also holds an annual 50+ Jobs Fair, at which I have served for many years as a resume reviewer. The fair is just another wonderful way the Jewish Council for the Aging helps us seniors thrive. I encourage you to come join us.

Bill Torrey, Gaithersburg, MD

I wish to applaud JCA’s Interages program, for which I have volunteered since my retirement. It brings young people and seniors together in a wide variety of programs to the great educational and cultural benefit of both young and old. In Montgomery County, MD, Interages has played an important role in helping youngsters from our growing immigrant population improve their language and social skills. I also volunteer for JCA’s annual 50+ Employment Expo, which provides helpful guidance to seniors wishing to enter (or re-enter) the job market. JCA is an A+ organization.