Sustainable Communities

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* Source - http://Japanfs.org

I was reading recently about the The Nippon Active Life Club , a Japanese non-profit organization, that focuses on issues we'll face with an aging society. One of those issues is that seniors today and in the future are more interested in leading fulfilling lives, contributing and utilizing the life skills they've developed to leave a legacy. Organizations like these help their members contribute to their community by making the connection between volunteers and need in a wide array of arenas. What is unique about the organization I mentioned above is that they offer what they call "a time - dollar system" where volunteers earn "points" for every hour they volunteer, and those points can then be redeemed through the organization for a variety of benefits or services. Interestingly volunteers are not limited to working with established organizations, but are also encouraged to helping people take care of their gardens, or with household chores, caregiving, providing transportation to someone who can no longer drive, or simply spending time with people who are lonely or housebound.