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The Latest from CoGenerate

7 Insights from an Age-Diverse Duo Running an Age-Diverse Fellowship

7 Insights from an Age-Diverse Duo Running an Age-Diverse Fellowship

When we first began planning the CoGen Voices Fellowship, we knew we'd face a few challenges. The group of 21 community changemakers was intentionally diverse — by age (15 to 81!), race, location, work, experience, and more. We'd have to meet many different needs and...

Explore These 10 Simple Ways to Cogenerate

Explore These 10 Simple Ways to Cogenerate

At CoGenerate, we believe in the power of cogeneration: a strategy to bring older and younger people together to forge bonds across differences, combat polarization and ageism, and help solve today’s toughest problems. If you’re involved or interested in cogeneration,...

Event Recording: A CoGen Conversation About Grandfamilies

Event Recording: A CoGen Conversation About Grandfamilies

https://youtu.be/OedAsZVTm9U?si=q20TIH8zuwPEhE0a Today in the US, more than 2.4 million children whose parents are unable to care for them live in grandfamilies, where they are raised by grandparents or other loved ones. Until recently, their experiences have been all...

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James Conroy

Ignatian Volunteer Corps (IVC)
Purpose Prize Fellow 2007

Matching older volunteers with nonprofits in the Jesuit spirit of service.

Jim Conroy was a Jesuit priest in Wernersville, Pennsylvania, when a recent retiree expressed interest in participating in the community service experiences that the church had provided for his son. Conroy recognized an opportunity to connect retirees with nonprofit organizations working to address the concerns of low-income people. Along with another, now-deceased, priest, Conroy launched the Ignatian Volunteer Corps in 1995. The program integrates Jesuit principles of service, reflection, and education by developing partnerships with community nonprofit organizations and working together to ensure volunteers over 50 years old the opportunity to serve the poor while having a meaningful learning and life experience. In turn, volunteers commit to a consistent, dependable schedule to build strong bridges with the people being served and deliver high-quality service. Today more than 250 Ignatian Volunteer Corps members in 12 regional programs nationwide provide more than 176,000 hours of service, valued at almost $3 million annually, and four of five volunteers continue from year to year.