At 97 years-old, Edmund Benson has devoted his "retirement" to running a nonprofit that serves at-risk youth and elders with tools and skills for holding space around meaningful issues, group discussion, reflection, connection, and positive choices. When they reached retirement age, Florida businessman Edmund F. Benson and his wife Susan declined to rest on their laurels. Instead, the energetic and service-committed couple in some ways just began (again) their service journeys during their golden years. They established the ARISE Foundation in 1986, a global skills-teaching program for at-risk youth. The Foundation has had a remarkable history and impact, from its initial focus on environmental education for young people to now addressing a range of needs for the young, the elderly, and many populations in between.
After spending over thirty years developing life skills programs for at-risk youth, Benson soon realized that people over 60 also needed specific life skills to successfully navigate their non-working years, remaining relevant with their grandchildren, achieving happiness without a career or job as center stage, and much more. So he embarked on a new quest and spent almost two years researching the material specifically to conduct group discussions with seniors on 1,000+ topics. He developed a new program called “Constructive Aging,” consisting of guided group discussions that inspire the 60+ generations to live positive, vibrant lives and to improve with age.
Join us in conversation with a remarkable changemaker and can-do positivity elder nearing a century of life!
