On May 4, I get to be the luncheon speaker at LifeQuest of Arkansas. I can’t wait to hear what I have to say.
I already know one of my lines: “Happy birthday to you!”
I will be trying to educate, enlighten and entertain on the topic of cruciverbalism, aka crossword puzzling.
Co-founded in 1981, by 11 diverse religious congregations, as Shepherd’s Center of Little Rock, LifeQuest is entering its fourth decade of helping older adults “remain independent.”
Second Presbyterian Church in Little Rock is LQ’s headquarters and campus. I was an elder at SPC during its earliest years. I’ve watched it grow and prosper.
(I should clarify: There is no age requirement. Participants range from 20-something to 90-something. The average age is 70-something. Its primary program, after all, takes place in the middle of the work week.)
LQ proclaims “the value in serving others and the inner reward that provides to the volunteer.”
In the words of a song, “Who am I to disagree?”
On a year-round basis, LQ provides programs and services, all administered by volunteers, which include:
• Caring Wheels: offering one-on-one transportation to medical appointments.
• Computer Comfort: providing basic help for PC and Mac users.
• Handy Hands: assisting with “minor home repairs.”
• We Care: initiating “letters and calls of concern or congratulations.”
LQ also sponsors a Parkinson’s Support Group.
Four times a year LQ offers “Adventures in Learning.” It’s “like an open university, with no tests or homework.”
These are eight-week sessions with classes on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (although this year one starts at 8:30).
Classes are held at SPC, 600 Pleasant Valley Dr., Little Rock Ark. 72227.
A broad range of topics are covered: from health to financial management to media and politics; from history to hobbies to art and travel. All taught by volunteers.
The current semester, which began in April and runs through May, includes Beginning Spanish and Advanced Spanish, Behind the Headlines and a study of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
Also offered are Watercolor Instruction, ‘Tis a Puzzlement (led by guess who), Herb Gardening and Bridge, Scrabble and Mah-Jong for Fun (separate sessions, you don’t have to play them simultaneously), and more.
Adventures in Learning is intended “to provide adults with continuing education, stimulating discussion, fun and fellowship.” It’s accomplishing that purpose. I’ve watched it do so.
“We are so fortunate,” says Ann Leek, LQ’s executive director, “to have a wealth of excellent volunteer presenters and instructors from all fields – professionals and hobbyists alike.”
I am one of the hobbyists. These volunteers tell Leek that “they have fun, too, by having such attentive ‘students’ in their classes.”
High quality students? You bet. And LQ’s no slouch when it comes to quantity either.
In 2010 there were 1,752 registrations for classes, with students from 50 zip codes.
Registration is a dirt-cheap $45. On Wednesdays they’ll throw in lunch, plus a speaker, for $7 a pop.
If you have questions, e-mail them to info@lifequestofarkansas.org.
Vic Fleming is a district court judge in Little Rock, Ark., where he also teaches at the William H. Bowen School of Law. Contact him at vicfleming@att.net.