Older Californians Month 2020: Make Your Mark!

Every day, older adults contribute to the vitality of California as volunteers, employees, employers, parents, grandparents, mentors, artists, advocates, friends, and more. Older adults offer their time, talents, and experience to the benefit of us all.

With millions of Californians now sheltering in place, older adults in every community are once again demonstrating their unique sense of purpose, sense of history, and sense of service—making your mark on all of those around them.

Join the Make Your Mark Campaign to celebrate everything older Californians are doing to keep our communities safe and healthy—and to help all of our neighbors stay connected!

Every May for the past 57 years, Americans have recognized the contributions of seniors during Older Americans Month. This year California will celebrate Older Californians Month by highlighting how older adults are making your mark during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the Governor’s Proclamation for Older Californians Month here!

There are so many ways to do this. CDA will be posting videos of older adults across the state sharing their COVID-19 contributions and self-care tips. We encourage you to do the same on social media. Don’t forget to tag on Facebook: @CaliforniaAging and Twitter: @CalAging so we can share your posts!

Make Your Own Video: If you’re an older adult, take a selfie video and share all the ways that you are making your mark while also staying home to save lives.

Make Your Mark sample video: https://youtu.be/QkxdRc8FRl8

Make A Video or Record an Interview with an Older Adult: Interview an older adult in your life about how they are making their mark during COVID19 and post the video or photos with written quotes to your social media accounts.

Write a Blog Post or Article: If you’re an older adult, author a blog or article about your own or other older adults’ experiences during COVID-19. For the younger folks, check in with the older adults in your life and share all the ways they are making their mark during COVID-19. Ask them for advice and share this with your audience. Post photos or videos to accompany your article.

Organize a Virtual Meet-Up: Get your community together and share stories, resources, and self-care tips. Use the opportunity to lift spirits, be in community, and celebrate and learn from one another.

Make Art: Draw, paint, sculpt or write about your experiences. It’s a great time to focus on your talents, whether you’re picking up a new hobby, are already a pro, or are somewhere in between. Organize a virtual "gallery" showcase with your friends and family.

• Keep it simple - Use your smart devices (phones or tablets) to capture video.
• Use the camera app - After opening the camera app on your phone, select video mode. If you are by yourself, switch to the front-facing camera to record a selfie video.
• Orientation - Turn your camera or phone horizontally while filming.
• Length - Keep the video clips under one minute so the file is not too large to send.
• Framing - Don’t have your phone too close to your face. Make sure you can see your whole face and some of your torso on the screen.
• Light - Turn on the lights so we can see you.
• Sound - Film in a quiet location so we can hear your voice.