Waukesha retirement group works to inspire learning, curb loneliness
Retirement group works to curb loneliness
Combating loneliness and depression in their golden years, a Waukesha County senior citizen group is looking to add more members.
HARTLAND, Wis. - Combating loneliness and depression in their golden years, a Waukesha County senior citizen group is looking to add more members.
What we know:
In the basement of the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Hartland, a group of seniors is learning about a culture thousands of miles away. But it’s more than just a taste of Mexico.
Michael Whiteley is a board member and teacher with the group, Learning in Retirement of Waukesha County Inc. The group offers classes on topics like history, travel, science and more.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX LOCAL Mobile app for iOS or Android
"We usually have about 20–30 people in each class," Whitely said. "We offer about 30 classes each spring and fall across topics from health and wellness to personal development."
The COVID-19 pandemic cut attendance in half. There are currently 200 members.
Dig deeper:
Whitely fears those who didn’t return could be lost to another type of health crisis; a CDC study last year found one-third of adults 65 and older feel lonely, while nearly one-fourth are considered socially isolated.
"We talk about the trouble of loneliness – the effect that it has on people’s mental health," Whitely said. "We’d like to get the word out that this is an activity open to all seniors."
Learning in Retirement of Waukesha County has a fundraiser on Tuesday, April 29, at the Culvers on Capitol Drive in Brookfield. The group hopes to raise money for outreach to get more people out of their houses and into class.
10% of sales between 4-7 p.m. will be donated to the organization.
SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News
The only requirement? A life-long thirst for knowledge.
Local perspective:
When member Sharon Kraklow retired in 2017, she asked herself "what now?"
"This keeps me active socially and getting out of the house and seeing people – it gives a lot of structure to my week," Kraklow said. "This keeps me active socially and getting out of the house and seeing people – it gives a lot of structure to my week. I think if you’re in Milwaukee, it’s easier to find other activities to do. There’s a lot of things that are going on. In Waukesha County, there aren’t as many."
The Source: The information in this post was produced by FOX6 News.