As Western celebrates its 120th birthday, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at WMU invites you to join the fun by supporting a cause near and dear to our heart – well-being. Intellectual discovery, personal growth, and social relationships are instrumental to cultivating a sense of well-being for everyone, especially aging adults who, as time passes, may not be as connected as they once were. Loneliness and isolation can have dramatically negative impacts on one’s overall health, especially among those aged 50+. OLLI at WMU is designed specifically for seniors who are beginning a new chapter of their lives and looking for ways to find a sense of belonging while expanding their horizons at the same time. We are a thriving community of mature lifelong learners who are committed to seeking knowledge, engaging in cultural experiences, and making meaningful connections through the courses, trips, events, and volunteering opportunities OLLI at WMU offers.
Help Us Foster Connection
Isolation during the pandemic took a toll on everyone, and our members have expressed how much they missed seeing their OLLI friends in person. We are raising funds to help us host fun and exciting “pop-up” engagement events designed to provide our members the opportunity to reconnect, encourage building new friendships, and cultivate a stronger sense of belonging within our lifelong learning community. These events can range from small and simple social events such as an ice cream social to larger-scale, more elaborate gatherings, such as a private screening at the cinema.
Can We Count on Your Support?
Every dollar raised during this short fundraiser will be used toward supporting these engagement events, and any amount helps. For example, we'd like to treat our members to a movie night – your donation of $10 secures a seat for one OLLI member, $20 could provide tickets for two, and $120 would help make sure we had popcorn for everyone! Our goal is to raise $5,000 for a fund to support these types of social engagement events, which would help us fund 3 to 5 such events annually.