Mendelson Is Top Elder Advocate
By .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS | Share
Del.icio.us
Mae Mendelson
A longtime advocate of bringing young and old together, Mae Mendelson of Kailua has been named Social Worker of the Year for Gerontology by the Hawaii chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
“It’s a wonderful surprise, and it’s nice to be recognized,” admitted Mendelson, who will be honored Friday by her peers at a chapter luncheon. “I’m very proud of being a social worker. It’s not a profession, it’s a calling that you must have a passion for.
“Social workers are working very hard to make Hawaii a better place.”
Count Mendelson among those hard workers. She’s on the national board for the AARP and proud of the strides it’s made for America’s graying population. She’s an adjunct professor at Hawaii Pacific University, teaching a class in program design for human services. “It keeps me grounded with the kids,” she explained.
She’s also past president of the state AARP and former executive director of the Kailua-based Hawaii Intergenerational Network, which brings elders and keiki together for fun, tutoring and activities. She led, and still mentors, delegates to the Millennium Young People’s Congress and World Congress of Youth, both multinational opportunities linking youths in friendship and service.
“It makes me feel good when students from Hawaii, who have never been off the island, come back and now want to do peace work,” she said. One of her delegates has joined the Peace Corps, for example. Another started a non-profit in Africa. Related to the congresses, the Kingdom of Morocco has honored Mendelson for strengthening its bond with Hawaii.
For a girl whose childhood included time at two Japanese detention centers during World War II, Mendelson now channels her passion into linking elders here with preschoolers in Japan.A partnership between Chaminade University and a Tokyo college will soon bring Japanese students here to look at how Hawaii does intergenerational exchange.
Hawaii’s happy ohana concept isn’t perfect, however, and Mendelson said it’s not always true that island families interact often and well.
“We’re finding that even here, older people are isolated.” For many of these citizens - the lonely retirees who may be bored and feel useless - she recommends staying active through AARP or another kind of purposeful job. “We have an obligation to give back to our community, to leave a legacy and to help the next generation.
“Besides, staying involved is good for your health.”
Mendelson has a master of social work degree and a Ph.D. in the philosophy of social welfare. She is also married to new retiree Gil Mendelson, with whom she shares three children and three grandchildren. All but one daughter live on the mainland.
And do the Mendelson generations interact? “I try to be as hands-on as I can,” she answered, “making time for visits during my AARP trips.”
E-mail this story | Print this page | Comments (0) | Archive | RSS
Most Recent Comment(s):
