Lillian Embick, Community Activist at Age 75
AgeVenture News Service
Lillian Embick, age 75, of Fort Wayne, Indiana spent four of her earliest years in an orphanage. The only highlights of her time there were occasional trips to the circus and various community events. Lillian vowed then that some day she would brighten the lives of residents that had to live in institutions.
As an adult, Lillian became a Red Cross volunteer, visiting nursing homes to play the piano, direct sing-a-longs, and provide entertainment for the residents. It was from these experiences that Lillian created the Audiences Unlimited Program, fulfilling her early dream.
Audience Unlimited is a non-profit organization that coordinates cultural and entertainment resources for people who reside in nursing and retirement homes and low-income senior apartment complexes. Today, the organization annually serves more than 92,000 people with in-facility programming and community outings. Audiences Unlimited recently began a program for people who are bedridden or paralyzed. Oftentimes, as the performers harmonize, they notice a tears of joy from patients.
Lillian serves as the volunteer Executive Director, coordinating grants, fund raising and record keeping. To date, she has logged more than 58,000 volunteer hours, arranged 29,000 programs and served 1 million residents.
Indiana Congressman Mark Souder nominated Lillian for the BlueCross BlueShield Ageless Heroes program which honors outstanding seniors, says BlueCross BlueShield CEO, Scott Serota. The lives of these Ageless Heroes, says Serota, serve as an inspiration to all generations. The Ageless Heroes Awards Program was created in 1998 to celebrate the spirit and vitality of the nation's seniors and to showcase Blue Cross and Blue Shield's commitment to healthy aging.
Photo Credit: BlueCross BlueShield Association.
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