Story by Debra McTaggart, Give 5 coordinator

After Phil Hyde, age 77, worked in private practice as a clinical psychologist for 43 years, he retired and was invited to move to Spain to be near his son’s family. “I want to take care of you in your old age,” his son said, “and it would be easier if you were in Spain.” So, Phil went to Spain. In just six weeks he figured out, “This is not for me. I don’t speak Spanish, and I miss my friends in Oklahoma City.” He realized he hadn’t prepared himself for retirement. He wondered what’s next that would give purpose and meaning to his life.
When he received an email announcing the Give 5 program hosted in Oklahoma City by Healthy Living OKC, a wellness center for people 50+ where he’s a member, it seemed perfect for him. “It is so miraculous and so touching to be able to go behind the scenes of nonprofit organizations to see what they do and how I can help. It is a dream come true – a godsend.”
Give 5 is an innovative program that launched this year in Oklahoma City that lets retirees (or near-retirees) see firsthand where the community needs are, and then helps them volunteer there. Give 5 holds classes with about 20 “students” who meet once a week for five weeks at Healthy Living OKC. They get on a bus at each meeting and visit with more than a dozen nonprofits to get a close look at organizations that serve people to “move the needle” in some way related to one of the biggest challenges in Oklahoma and Oklahoma City – mental health. The nonprofits explain their mission and pitch the opportunities they offer volunteers. In other words, Give 5 shows them the “why” and the “how” of volunteering, not just the “what” and “where.”
How Give 5 Gets Retirees to Volunteer
And the students, like Phil, often get hooked. In other cities where the program has been in place, hundreds have gone through the program and graduates end up volunteering 18 hours a month, on average.
Graduating from the program on April 18, Phil plans to volunteer with not just one, but five organizations who need his experience and expertise from all those years in private practice: Big Brothers Big Sisters, which matches volunteer mentors (Bigs) with children (Littles) who need help with self-esteem, decision-making, and other areas of life; Wings Special Needs Community, which works to enhance the lives of adults with developmental disabilities; Positive Tomorrows, a school and social services agency specifically for children and families experiencing homelessness to give kids stability and a quality education while giving their parents the support they need to create a better life; Family Builders, which works to stop the cycle of abuse and family violence by targeting the source of the abuse, the abuser, and providing him or her with tools for building healthy relationships, and TEEM (The Education and Employment Ministry) which is dedicated to breaking cycles of incarceration and poverty through education, personal development, and work readiness training.
Phil says, “I believe there is a place to use my listening and encouraging skills to help other people. For example, as a Big Brother I hope to interact with a young male in a way that I can help prevent him from getting derailed as he continues to grow up.”
Give 5 started in 2017 as the brainchild of Greg Burris, a former city manager of Springfield, Missouri and Cora Scott, director of public information and civic engagement for Springfield. The name Give 5 comes from conversations Burris had with retirees. When he’d asked if they’d like to volunteer, many said, “No,” thinking he wanted them to give 40-hours a week. Burris would respond: “How about five hours a month?” They’d always say: “Yes.”
Now Burris and Scott have expanded the Give 5 model to other communities. In Oklahoma City, Give 5 is hosted by Healthy Living OKC, a wellness center for age 50+ whose mission is to promote the health and wellbeing of adults age 50 and older by providing opportunities for physical activity, social engagement, and lifelong learning.
“We started the program in Oklahoma City in November 2021 by inviting more than 50 nonprofit organizations to an informational meeting,” said Debra McTaggart, the program’s coordinator for Healthy Living OKC, “and then early this year we began recruiting the volunteer participants. Our inaugural class began March 14 and graduation was April 18.”
Give 5’s McTaggart admits she failed at retirement; she retired two years ago and after cleaning out every closet at home—twice, she came into Healthy Living OKC to join and register for some activities like painting that she’d never had time to do in her past work life. A few days later when Healthy Living OKC learned of her professional background, they recruited her for their executive assistant position and then asked her to implement the Give 5 program.
“The program is awesome. I’ve followed the implementation process according to Burris and Scott, and it has worked like a charm. We found that the Give 5 program has been welcomed in Oklahoma City by our participating nonprofits. We recruit the talent for them, and they have a massive need for volunteers,” said McTaggart.
Key to the Give 5 program’s success is the volunteers matching their particular skills with the volunteer needs of nonprofits. Retirees who’ve gone through Give 5 don’t want to simply greet people at an event or send out mailings. They want to harness their experience and abilities for the greater good.
Put somewhat differently, volunteering is like dating — a search for the right match. Give 5 allows both parties to find the right fit.
As a result of learning about nonprofits in OKC during Give 5 program implementation, McTaggart, formerly a training developer and facilitator in her past career, has become a volunteer for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) herself. She has been trained to deliver one of NAMI’s many education programs that helps ensure everyone affected by mental illness can build better lives.
3 Reasons Behind Give 5
The Executive Director for the host organization of the Oklahoma City Give 5, Claire Dowers-Nichols provided an explanation for the three social and economic forces behind the need for a program like Give 5:
America’s population is aging, with some 10,000 boomers turning 65 every day. Many of them are skilled and knowledgeable, but clueless about local volunteer opportunities. Nonprofits increasingly need to tap into their talents to accomplish their mission. “We find [older] people aren’t really sure what they could be doing,” Dowers-Nichols says. “Learning about nonprofits and volunteering can help restore that sense of purpose and identity that gives meaning to life.”
Meaningful volunteering keeps retirees connected to the community — critical for staving off the health threats of social isolation and loneliness that so many retired people face. “When you retire, your community involvement frequently decreases. It’s easy to become isolated,” says Dowers-Nichols. “Over the last few years we have learned more about the dangers of social isolation and loneliness among older adults and the benefits of engagement and purpose.”
The Benefits for Local Nonprofits
Getting skilled volunteers also helps the nonprofits expand their efforts. That’s been the experience at TEEM. “The Give 5 program participants have been a huge help to TEEM, and it all started during the program itself,” says Matt Staples, TEEM Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator. “Having the class tour our building and sit down with our participants greatly impacted the people we serve because it showed someone cared about them. Then days later, the graduates that chose TEEM helped us reach our goal of providing over 1,300 cards and cookies to incarcerated women on Mother’s Day. They have served us multiple times, helping organize our clothing closet and much more! We are thankful to the civic matchmaking program that is Give 5 for introducing us to those wonderful volunteers!”
The Next Class
Another class will be conducted this year and four classes are planned for 2024. Class 2 begins for the Give 5 program on September 13. Those wanting to volunteer as well as nonprofits who’d like to participate can apply at: https://healthylivingokc.com/programs/the-give-5-program/ (coming soon www.Give5OKC.com).

Stay Active and Engaged: Senior Programs with the Metropolitan Library System
The Metropolitan Library System offers senior citizens a range of convenient services. From audiobooks on CDs, Playaway devices and eAudiobooks via hoopla and Libby, to assistive listening systems at Capitol Hill Library, there’s something for everyone. All branches are fully accessible, with ramps, parking and elevators at key locations like Belle Isle and Downtown. Seniors 65+ can also enjoy the Library By Mail program, delivering materials right to their doorstep. The library also offers large print versions of books. Service animals are welcome, and adult changing rooms are available at Belle Isle and Downtown. Sign up for a library card today and learn more at metrolibrary.org. Plus, stay engaged with these events at your local library.
Stay Active & Independent for Life (SAIL)
A program designed to increase muscle strength, range of motion and improve daily living activities, including chair exercises.
• Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at 10 a.m. at Choctaw Library
• Oct. 7 at 2:30 p.m., Oct. 9, 16, 21, 23, 28, 30 at 2 p.m. at Northwest Library
S.A.L.T. Council (Seniors and Law Enforcement Together)
Learn about the latest crimes and scams targeting seniors and how to protect yourself! This program is part of TRIAD, a collaborative effort between the sheriff’s office, local police departments and senior citizens to reduce and prevent crimes against seniors.
• Oct. 7 at 10 a.m. at Warr Acres Library
Tai Chi
Let’s get stronger together! Tai Chi improves balance, strengthens muscles and builds confidence to prevent falls. This low-impact, dance-like exercise can be done almost anywhere. Registration required; space is limited.
• Oct. 1, 3, 8, 10, 15, 17 at 10 a.m. at Belle Isle Library
• Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23 at 1 p.m. at Choctaw Library
Total Wellness
A free program by the Oklahoma City-County Health Department to help adults prevent diabetes and heart disease through weight loss and increased activity.
• Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at 5:15 p.m. at Midwest City Library
• Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 at 5:15 p.m. at Northwest Library
• Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at 9:30 a.m. at Del City Library
• Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 at 4:30 p.m. at Almonte Library
Alzheimer’s Support Group
The Alzheimer’s Association Caregiver Support Group provides a supportive community for caregivers, offering comfort, practical advice and a safe space to share experiences.
• Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. at Bethany Library

Dear Savvy Senior, Which vaccines are recommended for Medicare seniors this flu season? Just Turned 65

Dear Just Turned, There are actually three different types of vaccines seniors should consider getting this fall to protect against a repeat of last winter’s “tripledemic” of respiratory illnesses, which included flu, RSV and coronavirus. Here’s a rundown of the different vaccines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending and how they are covered by Medicare.
Senior-Specific Flu Shots For people age 65 and older, there are three flu vaccines (you only need one) that the CDC recommends over traditional flu shots.
These FDA-approved vaccines provide extra protection beyond what a standard flu shot does, which is important for older adults who have weaker immune defenses and have a greater risk of developing dangerous flu complications compared with younger, healthy adults. The three senior-specific options include the: Fluzone High-Dose Quadrivalent vaccine, which contains four times the amount of antigen as a regular flu shot does, creating a stronger immune response for better protection. Fluad Quadrivalent vaccine, which contains an added ingredient called adjuvant MF59 that also helps create a stronger immune response. FluBlok Quadrivalent vaccine, is a recombinant protein (egg-free) flu vaccine that contains three times the amount of antigen as compared with a regular flu shot.
There isn’t enough evidence yet to indicate whether one of these three vaccines provides superior protection over the other two for seniors.
As for side effects, you should know that the Fluzone High-Dose and Fluad vaccines can cause more of the mild side effects that can occur with a standard-dose flu shot, like pain or tenderness where you got the shot, muscle aches, headache or fatigue. While the side effects of Flublok tend to be a little less frequent.
All flu vaccines are covered 100 percent by Medicare Part B as long as your doctor, health clinic or pharmacy agrees not to charge you more than Medicare pays.
New RSV Vaccines Anyone age 60 and older, especially if you have any heart or lung conditions, diabetes, kidney or liver disorders that make you vulnerable to the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) should consider getting one of the new FDA approved RSV vaccines (either Arexvy or Abrysvo).
These vaccines, recommended by the CDC, will help protect older and immunocompromised adults from respiratory illness, which is responsible for 6,000 to 10,000 deaths and at least 60,000 hospitalizations each year in seniors 65 and older.
The new RSV vaccines are covered by Medicare (Part D) prescription drug plans.
Updated Covid Booster If you haven’t had a Covid-19 booster shot lately, you should consider getting one this fall. Even though the Covid public health emergency has ended and the number of cases has gone way down, it has been surging in recent months causing an increase in hospitalizations, especially among the elderly.
The updated Covid vaccine targets the XBB omicron subvariants that are some of the most dominate coronavirus variants circulating in the U.S. It will also provide protection against the EG.5 variant (Eris), which is closely related to the XBB.
Covid booster shots are covered 100 percent by Medicare Part B.
When and Where Most health officials agree that it’s safe to receive the flu and Covid booster at the same time. But because the RSV vaccines are new this year, many doctors are recommending a two-week window between an RSV shot and the flu and/or the COVID shots.
You can find all three vaccines at most pharmacies, medical clinics and health departments, or you can do a search at Vaccines.gov.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

mailto:csibleyinsures@gmail.com

With the lifesaving potential of a bone marrow transplant comes an anxious few weeks of waiting to see if the patient begins producing new cells. A hematology oncologist at OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center is the co-leader of a national clinical trial that could revolutionize the field with an imaging technique that provides an early look at a transplant’s likely success or failure.

The clinical trial represents more than 15 years of work by Jennifer Holter-Chakrabarty, M.D., a bone marrow transplant physician at Stephenson Cancer Center. Her research was launched in response to the tragic outcome of a patient with leukemia who received a bone marrow transplant. She cared for the patient until the point when laboratory and clinical diagnostic techniques available at the time were able to determine if the bone marrow had repopulated. The transplant failed and the patient eventually succumbed to an infection and died.
Holter-Chakrabarty was determined to find a way to see, soon after a transplant, whether the bone marrow is growing. “That was the state of the science at the time – we didn’t have the diagnostic capability of predicting if a transplant would be successful,” she said. “It was very upsetting to lose my patient because I couldn’t tell whether her cells where growing. I am hopeful that this clinical trial will let us know early on whether a transplant is working, so that we can take different steps to intervene if needed. Waiting four to six weeks is too long.”
Holter-Chakrabarty’s research trajectory began after reading a publication by scientists in the Netherlands who had used a new imaging agent called fluorothymidine (FLT) in positron emission tomography (PET) for solid tumors like breast and lung cancer. In that case, FLT imaging provided an excellent view of the bones but a poor look at the breasts and lungs. Holter-Chakrabarty realized that those researchers’ problem was her solution – an imaging agent that could light up the bones to reveal whether marrow was growing.
FLT’s potential is in how it differs from the current standard imaging agent, FDG (fluorodeoxyglucose). Because FDG is tied to glucose, when used for imaging, it recognizes any cell that is active, whether dividing or because of inflammation. However, the thymidine in FLT only distinguishes cells that that are dividing – the exact behavior of a bone marrow transplant that is working as intended.
Holter-Chakrabarty first tested FLT imaging in the laboratory, where it allowed her to see bone marrow repopulating in mice whose marrow had been irradiated. She then tested it in a small clinical trial in bone marrow transplant patients who were at low risk of failure because of the similarity of the donor’s marrow. Again, that trial demonstrated that FLT imaging could accurately predict early marrow growth, as well as the safety of FLT.
In the current trial, Holter-Chakrabarty is testing FLT imaging in patients whose type of bone marrow transplant puts them at a 10-12% chance of failure. In particular, the patients have undergone cord blood transplants, which use donated cells from a mother’s placenta, and haplo-identical transplants, which are matched by half, usually siblings or parents of the recipient. Patients will undergo imaging one day prior to transplant, at five to nine days after transplant, and again 28 days after. In another cohort, patients who are not producing new cells by day 24 will undergo a single FLT image to determine whether the transplant is delayed or has failed.
The trial also will allow Holter-Chakrabarty to study different biomarkers to learn more about why some transplant recipients are more at risk for failure than others.
“The more we know about the biology of the process, like understanding which proteins are in particular places and what types of modifications occur in the cells, the more we can be very direct and prescriptive about how we make changes to help the patient early on,” she said.
The clinical trial, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will enroll 50 patients at three centers: OU Health, Emory University and the University of Michigan. Holter-Chakrabarty’s colleagues at the two other sites lead the project with her. If successful, the trial will mark a major leap forward for bone marrow transplant physicians and the blood cancer patients they treat. Patients whose bone marrow transplants fail only have a 30% survival rate over three years. Moving closer to improving those odds is gratifying, Holter-Chakrabarty said.
“It has been very exciting to reach this point,” she said. “To be able to see bone marrow growing in a human while you’re doing the transplant is a first for our field. This trial is addressing the very problem I faced when I lost my patient all those years ago, and it will provide hope for our patients in the future.”

Story and photo by Darl DeVault, Contributing Editor

Faced with a challenge many artists would not be able to pull off, PJ Acker recently used her easily demonstrable talent and social grace to create an oil painting a young boy will cherish forever. In capturing the boy’s likeness while adding the photorealistic painting of his deceased father, she provided the family with a comparative study for the ages.
Working in her newly named Treehouse Studio, located upstairs of the Paseo Arts and Creativity Center (PACC) building, Acker was recently touched by a special commission.
Her narrative of what happened next is so direct it is largely unedited: “He doesn’t have a photo of his Daddy and him together,” A young woman named Leah whispered to me. She and her son, Brayden, were visiting my studio during a recent First Friday Art Gallery Walk. Brayden, 11 or 12 years old, seemed captivated by the process of the pencil sketch I was doing of another visitor. When I asked if he’d like his portrait sketched, he was shy but seemed very eager, nodding yes.
While Brayden was occupied with looking over the sketch I’d completed for him, Leah whispered to me, “If I supply a photo of his dad, could you paint a portrait of them together?”
I’ve done similar portraits for others, so I told her I’d love to try. Soon, our plan was made. As we visited, I discreetly snapped several photos of Brayden with my phone.
Over the following weeks, I chose from photos Leah emailed and developed a composition. After emailing a rough draft for her approval, I got to work. While it usually takes about two months to finish a portrait from start to finish, this project touched my heart and had my full attention. I completed the painting in three weeks. These kinds of projects make the years of study and practice pay off.
I form a connection with my portrait subjects while studying their faces and the tiny nuances of expression. I become energized, excited and eager to commit to canvas what I see and feel.
In one of our communications, Leah confessed to me she’d cried more than a few tears while watching the painting as it developed. While it’s common for me to feel connected to my subject during the hours of trying to capture its essence onto canvas, a process called ‘chasing the likeness,’ this one felt special to me.
Arriving to pick up his painting, Brayden entered my studio closely following his mother. His eyes immediately landed on the 11 by 14-inch portrait in oil on the center table.
He stared motionlessly at it from the doorway. When he didn’t move or speak for minutes that seemed an eternity, I silently sought out his mother’s eyes. She gently moved him toward the table. I lifted the painting into his hands. Remaining silent, his eyes never left the painting.
“He’s overwhelmed,” his mother told me, smiling.
We took a couple of photos together, Brayden, his painting and myself, before they left.
Ten minutes later, I received a text from Leah, “He hasn’t let go of the painting. He’s crying quietly in the backseat.”
Being a mother and grandmother herself, Acker understood a mother’s desire to give her son a link to his father.
Capturing common similarities of expression while portraying an ease of comfort between the two required a certain intuitiveness. Employing the power of photorealism while imagining “what would be” required imagination. Blending disparate images with different settings and lighting conditions required technical ability. Doing these things simultaneously defines the challenge and artform of this type of portraiture.
Sketching her first portraits in pencil and crayon, Acker recalls from her childhood, “I’ve always been fascinated with faces, with watching and studying people.”
Holding true to this, she chose nursing as her first vocation. Seven years later, she taught herself the skills needed to work as a technical typist at the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma. With a promotion to a position with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services Training Department, she worked with and scheduled mandatory workshops for social workers throughout Oklahoma.
After retiring, her passion for creating art reignited. Doggedly pursuing whichever technique or medium that called to her at the time, Acker acquired her education in art attending workshops across the country, as well as seminars and art courses locally at Rose State College and OCCC. Workshops with Philippe Faraut, a world-renowned sculptor, and Betty Pat Gatliff, past Forensic Reconstructive Sculptor for the State of Oklahoma, encouraged her love of portraiture and figurative art. She has created works in oil, acrylic, oil pastel, soft pastel, charcoal, watercolor, soft clay, and oil-based clay for bronze work.
For the last 25 years, Acker has worked as a professional artist in Oklahoma and has been a member of the Oklahoma Art Guild, Oklahoma Sculpture Society, Oklahoma Pastel Society and the Portrait Society of America. She cites John Singer Sargent, John Howard Sanden, Berthe Morisot and Philippe Faraut as her primary influences.
Her artistic passion continues to grow and develop as it chooses from her Treehouse studio. She blogs about works-in-progress and accepts commissions through her website www.pjackerart.com.
Visitors are welcome during her usual studio hours: Tue – Sat 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and 6 – 9 p.m. every month on Paseo’s First Friday Gallery Walk.
“What I paint or sculpt now is often more informed by what I feel than by what I see,” Acker said in an interview. “Capturing the essence of a person on canvas or clay has always been magical to me. Creating is the anchor that reminds me of who I am, from whom I come, and I’m happy to be able to share.”
The Paseo Arts Association hosts the PACC as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working since 1981 to develop the historic Paseo into a thriving arts district.
Oklahoma City’s only authentic arts district is known for its eclectic galleries attached to art studios, high-quality restaurants, bars, and many types of merchants. The walkable cultural area surrounding a curving street features Spanish Revival architecture with trees providing shade during its well-attended Arts Festival each May. The three-day event Memorial Day Weekend – May 28-30 this year usually adds 100 artist’s booths to what the 80 district resident artists offer.