SHAG (Sustainable Housing for the Ageless Generation) celebrated three decades of service and honored four seniors who defy age by making an impact in their community during an inaugural awards program at the Sullivan Community Center in Tukwila on Thursday, May 30.
The SHAG launched the program to recognize difference makers and dispel society’s negative views on ageism. The SHAG I Am Ageless Awards also served as a fundraiser for the SHAG Community Life Foundation, which helps residents sustain their independent lifestyles at SHAG’s living communities by connecting them with services, support and resources.
The recipients were:
SHAG Ageless Award:
• Amy Nikaitani, a 95-year-old working artist, Japantown historian and golfer who resides at The Terrace in Seattle’s International District.
SHAG Community Builder Award
• Writer, blogger and photographer Loren Bliss, 79, and a resident of Conservatory Place, Tacoma.
• Betty Lou Gaeng, 92, a writer, historian, storyteller and organizer who formerly resided at Alderwood Court, Lynnwood.
• Organizer, writer, fundraiser and artist Diane Radischat, 70, and a resident of Arrowhead Gardens, West Seattle.
Washington State Housing Finance Commission Executive Director Kim Herman spoke at the event.
SHAG operates 30 rental apartment communities serving nearly 6,000 people in the Puget Sound region. It is the largest nonprofit operator of senior affordable housing in Washington and the sixth-biggest in the nation.
The number of Washington State residents 65 and older is expected to double by 2040, becoming one-fifth of the state’s population.
Research shows older adults with negative feelings about aging may live 7½ years less than those whose outlooks are positive, according to the World Health Organization. Ageism has been shown to cause cardiovascular stress, decrease individuals’ belief in their abilities and lower productivity. The WHO notes that children as young as 4 are aware of their culture’s age stereotypes, which usually center on declining capacities and dependency.
“Society continues to perpetuate these mistaken and destructive attitudes despite the fact older adults have more wisdom and experience than any other generation,” said Jay Woolford, executive director of SHAG, a nonprofit affordable senior housing organization founded in 1988. “As we enter our fourth decade, we are committed to fighting damaging clichés by showcasing the talents and contributions of our residents. We established these awards with that goal.”
As part of its focus on changing perceptions, SHAG has been renamed Sustainable Housing for the Ageless Generation. It was originally called Senior Housing Assistance Group.
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