Women Over 70: Aging Reimagined

Founder and Executive Director Donna V. Werner’s humanitarian journey began in 2016, when she attended a conference in Toronto, Canada, as an international delegate from the United States. There, she met a gentleman from Kenya who had recently started a school and invited Donna to help support the children. She traveled to Kenya in June 2017 to see the needs firsthand. Upon returning she noted, “I am no longer the same person. Visiting Kenya changed me.”Donna soon established a 501(c)(3): Dorcas Destiny International. DDI has since grown from one relationship with one school into an organization with Kenyan staff and programs serving communities in several parts of the country. Today, DDI coordinates daily feeding for more than 700 children and also provides educational enrichment, social work and home visits, scholarships, and emergency assistance.DDI's scholarship program helps students continue into high school, with the larger vision of helping young people not only complete secondary education but have the opportunity to pursue university, vocational training, and productive futures.One of DDI’s most significant next steps is the development of Beloved Destiny Children’s Home in Lodwar, Turkana County where DDI currently supports 36 vulnerable children, many who experience life on the streets, hunger, abandonment, or severe family hardship. The vision is to establish a safe, stable home while working with local authorities and families toward education, care, family tracing, and reunification whenever possible.What began with one invitation to visit one school has become a growing international ministry—and Donna continues to ask others to find their place in the story.Dorcas Destiny International (DDI) is a thriving nonprofit providing tangible support to children and women in Kenya, East Africa, since June 2017. DDI serves hundreds of children and families living in extreme poverty through daily nutrition, education, scholarships, crisis assistance, community development, and other programs designed to create lasting impact.Website: https://DorcasDestinyIntl.org. You can reach Donna directly by calling her at 773-505-3378 or via email at [email protected] TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSOR, AARP ILLINOIS a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security and stronger communities. VisitAARP.org/IL to learn more.

What can we learn from older adults who maintain remarkable memory and cognitive health well into their 80s and beyond? Dr. Emily Rogalski invites us into the fascinating science of SuperAgers—adults over 80 whose memory performance is comparable to people 20–30 years younger. As leader of the SuperAging Research Initiative at the University of Chicago,Dr. Rogalski and her team study what allows some people to age remarkably well. She explains emerging findings in accessible language, including intriguing differences between women and men, and explores the protective factors that may contribute to exceptional cognitive health. She also talks about the interplay of genetics, lifestyle, environment, and brain biology—and what SuperAgers may teach us about healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease.Connect with EmilyEmail: [email protected]; [email protected] SuperAging Research InitiativeTHANKS TO OUR PLATINUM SPONSOR, AARP ILLINOIS a nonprofit,nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older tochoose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members inIllinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security andstronger communities. Visit AARP.org/IL to learn more.

At 93, Glennette Tilley Turner is still following stories—and still making history visible. For nearly 50 years, Glennette has researched and shared the stories of freedom seekers who traveled the Illinois Underground Railroad, illuminating a largely overlooked chapter of our nation’s history. An innovative educator, author, historian, consultant, speaker, and tour guide, she has brought these stories to audiences of all ages and has earned recognition from universities, historical societies, lawmakers, and artists. But Glennette’s work is about more than the past. By uncovering stories that have too often gone unmentioned in textbooks and classrooms, she invites us to see history—and ourselves—with fresh eyes. Glennette says she is “loving aging,” cherishing connections with old friends while continuing to make new ones. Her latest creative venture? Writing a Kwanzaa skit featuring an imaginary dinner party hosted by Harriet Tubman. Glennette reminds us that courage has no expiration date.“It’s never too late or you’re never unqualified to be courageous.” - Glennette TurnerConnect with GlennetteEmail [email protected]: glennette Tilley turner biography - SearchSelected Books by Glennette A Man Called Horse: John Horse and the Black Seminole Underground Railroad (2021) The Gift of Freedom: How Harriet Tubman Rescued Her Brothers. (2026) The Underground Railroad in Illinois (2001)Thanks to Women Over 70s platinum sponsor, AARP Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security, and stronger communities. Visit [email protected] to learn more.

Retirement has afforded Ann Stanford, age 75, “unbelievable luxury—the space and freedom to let things bubble up.” She savors this time to reflect on how she really wants to live and what it means to become fully herself. Always a writer, a former mentor to adult learners, and now a spiritual companion, Ann is committed to “telling my own truths”—and helping others express theirs. Psychoanalysis and contemplative practice have opened the door to “profound spiritual experiences,” helping Ann move beyond a difficult childhood and later struggles with depression and addiction. She is deeply grateful for the “mooring” provided by family and community, as well as for the space that silence and solitude have given her to listen inward. Ann lives by a simple but powerful maxim: “Don’t be afraid of the demons. Trust other people to help you. The answers are in you.”"If ever I lose my intellectual and physical functioning, I pray I will still have a place inside myself that welcomes me." - Ann StanfordConnect with Ann: [email protected] to our Platinum Sponsor, AARP Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security, and stronger communities. Visit AARP.org/IL to learn more.Shining the Light on the Age-Wise Collective: Adriane Berg, host of the podcast, Ageless Traveler—stories from people 50+ who never want to stop traveling. https://agelesstraveler.com/podcasts/

At 89, Cynthia Goren is navigating a profound new chapter. Since the death of her husband last October after 67 years of marriage, she has become more aware of her own mortality—and more determined to live meaningfully. For Cynthia, that means continuing to learn, staying engaged in the things she loves, and, above all, helping others.“People need favors,” she says. “Physical help, someone to listen to their stories.” Listening and helping have been threads throughout Cynthia’s life.A lifelong learner and teacher, Cynthia traces her love of learning to her parents. Teaching became a natural extension of her curiosity: she taught English in elementary school and literature at community college, delighting in explaining ideas and sharing what she was discovering. Even today, learning remains an essential part of who she is.Cynthia’s Jewish faith and traditions have also shaped her sense of responsibility to others. Wanting to pass those traditions on to her children and grandchildren, she wrote Tales from a Jewish Grandmother: A Book of “Bubbe Meises,” using stories, food, Jewish education, family life, and humor to preserve a heritage she treasures.Now she is turning to another family story: the life of her father, who grew up in a shtetl before coming to the United States at age nine. Using handwritten notes he left behind, Cynthia is transforming his memories into historical fiction—preserving one generation’s story for those who come after.Her compassion has extended beyond her family. Trained as a para-chaplain, Cynthia met weekly with older adults in a nursing home, using conversations about the Sabbath to create a space where people could talk openly about sadness, loss, and the realities of their lives.Cynthia’s story reminds us that meaningful living doesn’t require standing still when life changes. It can mean adapting, remaining curious, listening deeply, preserving the stories that matter—and continuing to ask, “How can I help?”“Helping others is the Jewish way of life.” - Cynthia GorenConnect with Cynthia:Book: Tales from a Jewish Grandmother: A Book of “Bubbe MeisesEmail: [email protected] to our Platinum Sponsor, AARP Illinois, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With nearly 1.7 million members in Illinois, AARP volunteers advocate for better health, financial security, and stronger communities. Visit AARP.org/IL to learn more.