Why should Arizona or Florida be the meccas for enjoying one’s senior years? 

We have incredibly beautiful areas in the Upper Midwest that people don’t want to leave . . . One such place is Bayfield, Wisconsin, a picturesque village on the North Shore of Wisconsin overlooking the Chequamegon Bay and The Apostle Islands. As you can see from the picture above, it’s right out of Norman Rockwell’s studio.

A very cool group of neighbors sees Bayfield as a destination for a lifetime.  They have formed CORE Community Resources, which is empowering seniors in the Bayfield area to remain independent and involved in their community. 

CORE has a definite "changing aging" vision:

To create a community that becomes a national example of how neighbors can help seniors
live and thrive and benefit their community.

CORE is an example of a new movement where people are joining together to shape their future and "age in community."  Another local example is Mill City Commons, which Ecumen helped spawn in Minneapolis. 

CORE  volunteers provide transportation; a wide array of educational and speaker series; a store called ENCORE, wellness programs, home repair, navigation and links to health care services, and more.

The Upper Midwest has some of the most beautiful places to age, but it’s going to take groups of people to make them aging friendly.  Kudos to CORE for seeing the possibilities in aging and what they could mean for the future vitality of a community.