Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly to give rose pins on Oct. 1, International Day of the Elder

MINNEAPOLIS - Sept. 12, 2013 - PRLog -- The Minneapolis/St. Paul Chapter of Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly will celebrate International Day of Older Persons on Tuesday, Oct. 1 by distributing free rose lapel pins in several locations throughout the Twin Cities. The lapel pins are intended to serve as a reminder for people of all ages to appreciate elders in our families and in our communities.

Friends of the Elderly staff members and volunteers will give out the silk rose lapel pins from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the following locations:

· The Nicollet Ave. and 6^th St. intersection in Minneapolis
· The Hennepin Ave. and Lake St. intersection in Minneapolis
· The Victoria St. and Grand Ave. intersection in St. Paul
· The 5^th St. W. and Market St. intersection in St. Paul

“International Day of Older Persons is the one day we have set aside to honor the contributions that elders have made – and are making – in our lives,” said Greg Voss, Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly’s Executive Director. “Too often, we take older persons for granted and they become invisible to us. By appreciating the elders around us, we celebrate and benefit from the many gifts they possess – wisdom, humor, experience, energy and friendship.”

In 1990, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared that, around the world, each October 1 would be known as International Day of Older Persons. It was a recognition of the “need for innovative and effective international co-operating in the field of aging” so that all countries can respond to the needs of an aging population.

Those needs are becoming even more pronounced as the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age. Minnesota ranks second in the nation for longevity, and is home to a higher proportion of elders than many other states.

“In Hennepin and Ramsey counties, 49%-50% of elders live alone, and many are isolated and lonely. We hope that, by wearing a rose, or seeing the rose on someone else, people will be inspired to take that extra step to befriend and show appreciation to an elder.” said Voss.

Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly has provided one-on-one companionship services and social activities for isolated and lonely older adults in the Twin Cities for more than 40 years. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Friends of the Elderly has been recognized by the Charities Review Council for meeting its 27 Accountability Standards. More information about Friends of the Elderly can be found at littlebrothersmn.org (http://www.littlebrothersmn.org/) or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LittleBrothersMN.

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