MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A group focused on helping seniors thrive in their golden years is looking for others to join the fold. Officials with the Area Agency on Aging want other recent retirees to lend their time and talents to big projects. People are living longer and one of the challenges is maintaining the quality of life.

This week members of the Area Agency on Aging South Alabama Regional Planning Commission are holding their annual Legacy Leadership Institute. This consists of three days of sessions for recently retired professionals to learn about ways they can contribute to efforts to help other seniors. It’s nearly two-dozens seniors who want to take leadership roles and put their skills and expertise to use. Today they’ll be at USA’s campus hearing from faculty about the issues facing older adults and tomorrow they’ll learn about some of the differences other retired professionals have made.

“We have a really large mission and we can’t do it just with staff, so they become not only advocates in the community and let people know about the services that are available but they expand our mission and we don’t always know what projects they’ll do,” said Area Agency on Aging Director Julie McGee. “Sometimes they bring skills that we don’t even have internally we may not have the expertise they sometimes have the skills you need to sort of jump-start activities. Some previous members of the Legacy Leadership institute have helped organize senior expos, others have put together programs for people with dementia and Alzheimer’s, and another started a senior center on Dauphin Island Parkway. They become ambassadors for the Area Agency on Aging, they’re always looking for other seniors who need help with figuring out benefits or others who want to help. For more information, head to this link.