Fargo, N.D., is known for cold winters and a population descended from Scandinavian and German immigrants. The town is 94 percent white and it’s an aging community–one in five residents is over age 55.But Fargo–actually a part of the bigger Fargo-Moorhead metro area that straddles North Dakota and Minnesota–isn’t a stranger to diversity. The town has seen an influx of about 3,700 refugees over the past 10 years from more than 40 war-torn countries as part of a federal resettlement program that helps immigrants start new lives here.The immigrants come from countries like Iraq and Somalia, Bosnia and–most recently–Burundi. Most often, they arrive with little knowledge of English, let alone how to apply for a job, food stamps or a driver’s license.

The influx of immigrants has had a profound impact on the life of Michelle McRae, a college professor who retired in 2001 but soon found herself at the helm of a non-profit group working to smooth the integration of Fargo-Moorhead’s newcomers.

McRae has grown the organization, Giving+Learning, into a volunteer operation of more than 500 people. The group started by doing English language tutoring, but has expanded to help refugees get their GEDs, pass driver’s license exams and find employment. Along the way, McRae has learned life-changing lessons about breaking down social barriers across age, culture, race and ethnicity.

“We are pretty much a white community and out of the mainstream, so the changes have caused some tensions,” she notes. “But if you are helping someone and sitting across the kitchen table tutoring that person in English, it’s difficult not to recognize that it’s another human being. The connections have been very positive.”

McRae’s work has just been recognized with a 2008 Purpose Prize. The award, given annually by the Encore Careers campaign–recognizes trailblazers who have demonstrated creative and effective work tackling social problems. This year, the winners were chosen from 1,000 nominees; six winners will receive $100,000 prizes, with another nine recipients getting $10,000 awards.

The Purpose Prize, now in its third year, was created to promote and encourage civic engagement among baby boomers. Along with McRae, this year’s winners include an inventor designing agricultural equipment for sustainable third world agriculture, an ex-marketing executive who started an organization to help keep young ex-offenders out of prison and the creator of a group that promotes green technology as a revitalization tool for rural African-American communities in South Carolina.

McRae had retired in 2001 from her first career teaching college-level English and French at age 64. Her plan was to travel and find a volunteer activity. But friends recruited her to lead Giving+Learning, which was a small pilot program at the time focused on language tutoring.

Many of Fargo-Moorhead’s new residents arrive there with few possessions and come from countries torn by poverty, civil war and religious and ethnic persecution. Some have no formal schooling, but others are highly skilled professionals with doctoral degrees.

The locals, meanwhile, wondered why “these new Americans didn’t stay in their own country, don’t speak English, and are putting so much pressure on our health and school and welfare systems,” McRae says.

Giving+Learning has played a key role in changing those attitudes.

At the outset, McRae had three over-50 volunteer language tutors, but quickly realized that the newcomers also needed help in other areas, like filling out job applications, earning driver’s licenses, even shopping for groceries

Giving+Learning has been a big hit in the community–the volunteer core has grown to 500, and serves 600 immigrant arrivals at any given time. The program also has expanded to two additional nearby communities, and works with more than 400 resource agencies to provide services to the newcomers.

“It’s such a simple concept, so doable and uncomplicated,” McRae says. “You bring together the gifts and wisdom of our oldest generation with the needs of our newest citizens. It’s a win-win situation.”

“Doing something small, in my view, is the best way to start making a difference,” she adds. “We’re not connected to any government or official agency, so we can make this very simple–no focus groups, no endless meetings, no bureaucracy. If a new American needs help now, we’ll start immediately. No forms or applications required.”

Resources

WATCH: Video on Michelle McRae at PurposePrize.org

RetirementRevised archive on encore careers.

Read the stories of all the 2008 Purpose Prize winners.

Nominate someone you know for the 2009 award.

Encore career fellowships: read about a new program that creates paid fellowships aimed at sparking encore career transitions.

Read my post on President-elect Obama’s call to service and the boomer generation at The Huffington Post.

Tags | encore career