(upbeat music) - Next on "You Oughta Know", this New Jersey organization is helping women take back their power.

A Pennsylvania man proves there's no age limit to following your dreams.

And a look at a community-based program that's allowing seniors to regain their independence.

(upbeat music) Welcome to "You Oughta Know".

I'm Shirley Min.

Americans are living longer, so navigating new challenges is now part of maintaining your independence while you age, and Penn's Village is there to help.

(bright music) - I love the people.

They're bright, they love growing older.

We all have great stories to tell.

You know, we have great history, and we share that.

And it's fun to be with people my own age who are happy to be alive and thrilled to be moving forward.

I had been sick for a long time, and my daughter wanted to get me out of the house.

She discovered Penn's Village through a neighbor, and he told her that they had a companion program.

She could get me a companion to come visit with me once a week.

We started to take walks, and we started to sit in Rittenhouse Square, and that's how I got out and started to move around.

On Mondays and Thursdays, I started to play Mahjong.

So here I had been sitting in the house for years.

I had a walk from my house at 20th and Spruce to 12th and Locust.

I was invigorated by the walk, and then the Mahjong games, and suddenly I began to feel alive.

- Mahjong.

- Huh, nice.

And that's how it started.

Now I'm out every day.

I'm really active.

I go to art class once a week.

I do everything.

- The first village was formed in Beacon Hill in Boston.

The community with a lot of folks aging, not wanting to move from their beloved community, and they got together and said, what can we do to support each other so we could remain in our own homes?

And that started what we called the village movement.

A similar undertaking happened here in Society Hill.

A group of people got together, they knew about the village concept, and said let's see what we can do here.

The basic concept is helping people age in place.

They're grassroots, they're neighborhood based.

We're connected through a national body called the Village to Village Network, and is a resource to all of us.

- I've been a member of Penn's Village for about six years, and when I retired, I wanted to find something that would be a volunteer activity.

So I thought that would be a good fit for me.

- [Jane] If it's something we can offer, we put it out to our volunteers who have signed up to do that, and we deliver.

- We provide people with social and educational programs that are helpful in their life as they age in place.

- Do you think I want to get us both hanged for murder?

- [Mark] The theater program is one of our programs that we do.

It's a dramatic read.

- The trouble with you is that you are so damnably stupid!

- [Mark] It provides an activity for the actors, and it also provides an activity for the audience.

And it's one of those come and have fun social activities that people can participate in as an actor, but members can also enjoy as an audience member.

(all clapping) (bright music) - [Jane] I call 'em workshops, some people call them programs.

There are opportunities to hear speakers on current topics, on technology, on the arts, and lots on health.

And we're not afraid to approach topics that have to do with aging.

- You know, most people do not look at their daily diet and say, and count up the milligrams of calcium and say, I've got enough.

What I find most rewarding is that I'm able to contribute at a level that represents, you know, some of my past work experience.

I like challenging my brain as part of my retirement repertoire.

So you know, I sort of collect resources and like to try to answer questions and solve problems.

- I organize the walking group, manage the health and wellness blog.

That was where the walking group came from that I was reading about how the benefits of walking for older people.

Anything that is beneficial to us, and it could be something as simple as the importance of laughing.

I'm in my 70s, I didn't expect to be meeting lots of new friends, and I have, really good friends that I've met through Penn's Village.

We have a lot in common and a lot to share.

(Sandra laughs) - It just takes interest in wanting to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

What will happen if I'm alone and I need a ride to the doctor?

What will happen, as it did during the pandemic, when I am isolated?

How do I become a member so I can participate in all these wonderful Zoom programs?

There's different levels.

I'm at the contributor level, and for that, I can attend all the programs and two free services a year.

That not only was I able to contribute and add value to an organization based on my own interest and skills, but I gained skills.

So I gave a lot, and I give a lot of time, but I got a lot back, too.

(soft music) - Oh, this is wonderful.

- Getting older doesn't mean you can't follow your dreams.

Upon retirement from the post office, James Fullan decided to swing for the fences.

(upbeat music) - One, two three!

- Baseball!

- Entering into it, I would tell my family and friends, I just wanna play baseball.

- When student athletes come to our program, we ask 'em what their goals are, and his goal was come here, get his degree, and play collegiate baseball.

- And if anything comes of it, it could be something I can teach somebody or inspire somebody.

1984, I graduated from Bishop Egan High School, and I started a family right away, went into the military.

I was over in Germany in the army for two years and then when I got out, I got into the post office and then I was taking classes at night, and I remember walking on a campus and they had a game going on.

I was about 20, 21 years old.

And I just said it could have been, and that's really cool what they're doing, and you know, good for these guys and all.

And then it just fades away.

And then 36, 37 years later, I retire.

But I wanted to get back in the ball, because my grandkids started playing and the juices got flowing again.

So I started talking about it, like wouldn't it be really cool if I went back to school, and maybe played ball?

And then that June, I'm playing in a league, and I had a heart attack.

So then I had to recover from that.

And then everyone said, "It's a shame that you can't do it now."

And I said, "Oh no, this is gonna get me more inspiration to do this."

(bright music) Initially I would contact schools, and they gracefully and gently said that this isn't for you.

And then I started getting responses, "Well, we could really use a scorekeeper."

And then I was like, you know what?

I'm done cold calling, I'm done emailing, I'm just gonna show up and talk to somebody.

I attended a game at Montgomery County Community College, and I talked to one of the assistant coaches and he shook his head, and he said, "Yeah, there's only one thing that's gonna hold you back."

I'm like, oh now what's gonna hold me back?

And he said, "That's you."

And then I was like, this is my school.

This is where I want to be.

- So we had conversations, and our coaches did a wonderful job kind of bringing Jim in and recruiting him in a sense to be part of the team.

So it was a surprise, but he still had to make the team.

- So I enrolled, and then it was like an eight week tryout in the fall, and I actually got hurt that year, because here I'm recovering from a heart attack, and then I had torn part of my ACL, and then broke my finger taking a fastball during that bet.

This is ridiculous.

So then I remember telling my sister, and she said, "If you don't do this, you have to live with it, so just make sure you're right with it."

So I got through the fall, and then I was talking to my coach, and I said, "I have to go to school full time now if I'm gonna be on the spring roster, and if I'm not gonna make it, just let me know.

No hard feelings."

I said, "I don't want to be looking at one of those windows during class and seeing you guys practice."

And he said, "I'll see you in the spring."

So spring of '23 rolls around, and my first at bat where I went to pinch hit, I hit a line drive down the third base line, and I thought I had a double.

I'm rounding first, and it was fouled by like a couple inches.

It's a lot of work, going to school every day, then you have practice every day, it was quite a challenge.

And then when we entered into the spring of '24, if there's one thing I need, I need a hit.

You're limited with your at bat.

So it turned out my last college at bat is when I hit a bases loaded line to left and scored two runs.

What a way to end it.

For my personal goal, I wanted to get a hit, and I wanted to get on the dean's list, so I was able to get both.

It's a great moment that creates memories that will last forever.

It's the experience and the life lessons that you learn, and it's a little emotional actually.

- My dad is an inspiration to lots of friends and family.

It doesn't matter how old you are, you can follow your dreams and have fun.

- Do you know someone over 50 who decided to follow their dreams?

Tell us about them, and we may feature their story on "You Oughta Know".

A critical tool for law enforcement helped New Castle County police officers safely locate an 89-year-old with dementia who wandered off.

They found her pretty quickly because she was enrolled in Project Lifesaver.

(soft music) For 15 years, the New Castle County Police Department has partnered with Project Lifesaver, a program that helps officers quickly locate adults and children who might wander because of a cognitive disorder like dementia or autism.

- A pre-programmed transmitter that has a radio frequency specific to their loved one that they can wear 24/7.

And if they were to go missing again, we will respond out with the equipment to help locate their loved one.

- [Shirley] Officers use this handheld antenna to locate the individual.

- [Kristen] If you were out in a a wooded area, it may start out as a very faint signal, but as you get closer, that chirping is gonna get louder.

- [Shirley] Master Corporal Kristin Hester says Project Lifesaver uses radio frequency because it's more reliable than GPS when it comes to signal strength.

- We're always looking for new ways to help safeguard and keep the community safe.

- There is a cost to the program, but New Castle County PD can help families who can't afford it.

Project Lifesaver also partners with law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania, and New Jersey as well.

Well, some say knowledge is power, and for women learning self-defense, that saying runs true.

We checked out Strike It Strong, a South Jersey nonprofit, which empowers women with confidence.

(upbeat music) - Nancy and I co-founded Strike It Strong because we wanted to do some kind of women's empowerment, and raise money for women at risk.

Part of our mission with Strike Get Strong is empowerment, enlightenment, education, charity, a comradery.

- [Nancy] One of the reasons why we were both so excited about having Jamie Miller be a part of this is- - Find your base.

Good.

- She really matches the the message that we want to be able to send out to women.

That some women, as they're taking these self-defense workshops, they're discovering something about themselves.

- [Jamie] When I got introduced to the ladies at Strike It Strong, I just felt honored that they trust me to teach their self-defense classes, and helping women to find their confidence, to find their worthiness, and to just to remind them that they're strong.

- [Shirley] Jamie has evolved from an abuse victim to a mixed martial arts champion.

She's now on a quest to teach other women how to defend themselves.

- All the things I had gone through and then walking into that fight as the underdog, and I ended up knocking out their champion in the fourth round.

It just validated everything that I questioned about myself.

Like you know, am I strong?

Am I worthy?

- [Sportscaster] Wow, just like that, lightning flash.

- When you know how to defend yourself, that cultivates confidence.

Perpetrators look for the weak person.

My instruction is rooted in situational awareness, boundary setting, threat recognition.

I believe that once you're empowered through understanding how to defend yourself, you're more likely to carry out these skills that you've learned - [Shirley] Each instructor at Strike It Strong encourages women to always be aware of their surroundings.

- Okay, so be aware of your surroundings, right?

If you do things like wear headphones, understand you might not hear somebody coming at you, right?

- [Jamie] Teaching them to get to a safe place without being harmed.

It's important to incorporate and remember a lot of these smaller fundamentals, like establishing a strong base, - Getting that one foot in front of me.

- [Jane] We talk about verbal commands, which I think is really powerful for women, because we feel like we don't have a voice in a lot of situations.

- The class is great.

Just makes you feel a little more confident for the unknown.

- I work in Center City Philadelphia.

I feel like it prepared me with the proper tools to protect myself.

- [Nancy] There is really something magical that happens when you put a group of women together in a room, and we're hoping that that's what people will experience when they come to these workshops.

Either they made a new connection, or it put points them in the direction of where they wanna go next.

- Here are the top five defense tips.

Be aware of your surroundings.

Trust your instincts.

Practice your skills.

Stand tall.

Keep your space with strangers.

The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival kicks off next week.

Not too long ago, I sat down with PAAFF's executive director to get the scoop on this year's theme and what festival goers can expect.

Nani Shin, thank you so much for taking time to meet with us.

- Absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you for making the time.

- As executive director of the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, tell me about the organization and its mission.

- Sure.

Yes, so our organization is really creating the space, a safe space, for all creatives in the Asian community, and I think that is what really helps us to show our own heritage, and our stories from our own perspective.

And so that is really our mission.

(soft music) Of course we lead with film and video, since we are a film festival.

But to really expand in that scope of storytelling, 'cause there's so many ways of sharing our stories and that is through, you know, whether it's performing arts, whether it is culinary arts, or even poetry, and however you are able to express your own story, that's what we wanna create space for.

(bright music) - And it's exciting because Asian content is exploding across many different platforms.

And so this is such a great opportunity to have these films being featured front and center.

What's this year's theme for the festival?

- This year, our theme is reflections, and I think it's really fitting, everything that you just mentioned in terms of where we are in, you know, cinema, and even just, really, media in general, how our narrative has really shifted over time.

And so reflection for us is looking at where we have been, and in order for us to move forward, it's important that we pause to look at how we have evolved over time.

- Talk to me about the programming that festival goers can expect this year.

- Our programming team is just really thoughtful about how they curate the content.

Obviously, like I said, we lead with films, so we have submissions from all over the world.

We have several Philadelphia premieres, which we're very proud of and excited about.

But even in terms of these events and discussions that we'll be having, we're fortunate we're having a lot of the filmmakers join us this year, so it will really allow us to dig deeper.

So, you know, enjoy the film, really think through what that film is telling in terms of their story, but then we get the opportunity to speak with the filmmaker, and maybe even some of our community partners that we brought on board to really enhance that conversation.

So that again, back to the theme of reflections, that we're really going to dig deeper than just, you know, entertaining our audience.

- The festival runs from November 7th through the 17th and I'll be moderating a panel discussion on the closing night of the festival at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Sunday, November 17th at 5:00 PM.

You can buy your tickets at PAAFF.org.

You don't need a ticket to catch Apple TV's thriller "Disclaimer".

Patrick Stoner sat down with the director and the star of the show to learn more about it.

(tense music) - [Narrator] They say the destiny knocks at the door.

That is not true.

(singer vocalizing) Destiny doesn't knock on any door.

It crashes in without permission, and grabs you mercilessly by your soul.

- [Patrick] This is a series created by people who have succeeded admirably in films.

Alfonso Cuaron has gotten an Oscar for being a director.

Cate Blanchett, of course, has gotten an Oscar for being an actress.

This is a psychological thriller about a woman who's hiding things, but what is the truth?

- By setting your own agenda aside, and being alive to having your own point of view challenged.

I think truth is a collective understanding that is made up of many, many different perspectives.

And that sort of truth being that the hub of the the wheel spokes in "Disclaimer", I think was really foundational in the experience of watching it.

- We're constructing, and truths depend on our perception of reality.

And the way that we interpret perception of reality is through narratives.

The narratives that we create of different things.

Science is a narrative of an understanding of certain facts, and certain phenomenon, that they are sometimes turning into numbers and formulas and stuff.

But that's another way of elaborating a digital narrative.

- Even visually, we can't be sure of what's going on.

- I think that if you see it for the second time, everything is revealed.

We are not withholding information and the thing is that we are allowing ourselves to be carried away by our own judgment of the situation.

And so that is tainting every single scene that we're seeing, even the way in which each narrative line is stalled.

- To what extent was it a temptation, and a pleasure to have a guy like Alfonso wants you to do this very complex part?

- And a very complex part, and a very complex series.

I knew it was going to be, it was all about the audience and it was all about what response that we were hoping to elicit in an audience.

And, of course, Alfonso's a director that I've long wanted to work with.

Bringing sort of a hybrid between cinema and serialized storytelling.

You know- - It really is.

- I found it really amazing.

Amazing opportunity.

- Thank you both very much.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you.

- It's a pleasure to be in the presence of such talent.

- Oh come again.

(both laugh) - On November 5th, the country heads to the polls.

First time voters and future voters shared their views on this election with WHYY's Pathways to Media Careers' youth correspondents.

Here's what they had to say.

- I'm voting because I really, really care about my city, and I care about my future, and I've spent a very long time wishing I could do something, but not really having the means to do it 'cause I can't actually vote, and now I can.

So I'm very excited, - I'm planning to vote to show the world that even young people have a say in what goes on in this world.

And I am looking to find my way, and trying to have a say in how to fix the world, especially in a lot of areas.

- I'm voting because I wanna make a difference in our democracy, and I know that young people often feel disenfranchised, often feel like their voices aren't heard, and I'm just trying to get out there and vote, because I know that my voice matters.

(bright music) - My hope for this election is that, first and formally, that this will be the first time in history that we actually have a female president.

That is, like, that would be really, really cool if we have like the first time in actual history since George Washington, we have a female president, and also because it's good 'cause she's also black, and she will be our black first female president.

- I would like my voice to be heard, although I can't vote directly on time, like, I feel like 16 would be a good voting age, so that people are just becoming independent, and that they're not just saying what their parents want them to say, but also that you, like, we have voices, too, as young people.

Like, I personally have my beliefs, and I know who I would wanna vote for, so why can't I?

- My hope for the 2024 election is that whichever candidate wins, I hope that they actually go through with the good plans that could actually benefit the country and the economy, 'cause oftentimes politicians lie about what they're gonna do and they don't actually do it, or some hold back and actually do worse.

(bright music) - I'm registering to vote 'cause I see that there are a lot of things in my government that I'm unhappy about, and that I would like to change, and now, well I actually can't register to vote in this election, but when I do vote, I'm excited to be able to change them and actually like make some sort of a difference.

- Some changes I would like to see in Philadelphia is the drug addiction problem we have, and the homeless issues we have.

I would like to see less homeless people on the streets and so there would just be less crime as well.

- Other people should vote because voting directly affects you and other people around you, and it affects the jobs you get in the future, the houses you could get, the loans you could get, the rights you have.

- Other youth should vote because your voice matters at any age.

It matters more now than it has ever mattered.

The youth vote has the capacity to sway this election, but as long as we don't get out there and vote, our democracy is gonna be represented by these aging, out of touch people, who we hate to see in political positions.

So if you're a young person and you want to see change in our democracy, vote, because together our voice matters.

- Alright, that is our show.

Thank you so much for watching, and we hope to see you next week.

Goodnight everyone.

(bright music)