Addressing Hunger & Social Isolation Amongst
Older New Yorkers
Introduction
Life Story Club is thrilled to provide an update on our ongoing partnership with Citymeals on Wheels as we work together to offer nutritious meals and social connection to improve the health and well-being of older New Yorkers across the city.
Our mutually beneficial partnership is helping reduce loneliness and social isolation amongst an especially vulnerable population – homebound older adults
Tapping into Citymeals’ robust network of more than 30 community partners has helped us reach and connect with more older adults in need of support
Since our last report, we added 43 new members for a total of 97 through thanks to our partnership. During this process, our conversion rate jumped to 68% while our participant satisfaction score is 86, which is especially high
We’ve expanded our language offerings to include Cantonese and Mandarin, grown our partnerships with community-based organizations, and prioritized homebound older New Yorkers who are at increased risk for loneliness and isolation.
Q1 at a Glance 97 68% 86 total members through our partnership conversion rate participant satisfaction score
2 new language offeringsCantonese & Mandarin
Expanding and Refining Our Reach
Thanks to our successful partnership with Citymeals, we’re in the process of adding six more clubs. As we work to offer more clubs across the city, we’re also connecting with more community partners, with the goal of adding partnerships with eight to ten community-based organizations by September The goal is greater sustainability and scalability across our programming
We recently began partnering with the New York Foundation for Senior Citizens and Bay Ridge Center and Bay Ridge Neighborhood NORC, using the trust that these community-based organizations have fostered to help increase referrals to local Life Story Clubs
Life Story Club is prioritizing residents who face physical barriers and rarely leave their homes These members are at significantly greater risk for isolation and loneliness leading to a host of negative health outcomes. Life Story Club is offering this population regular community support to help reduce loneliness and isolation.
We continue to grow and strengthen our partnerships with the following organizations, providing updated toolkits and training to recruit new members: “There’s an openness, you know, when we get on Zoom. We are directed, but we are not limited in the manner in which we express whatever it is we want to express.”
Brian,
Heights and Hills Life Story Club Member
Referral Impact
Community-based case managers, under the Citymeals’ home-delivered meals program, have helped refer 143 older New Yorkers to local Life Story Clubs and report significant improvements in members’ overall health and well-being Citymeals’ trusted role in communities across the city continues to be a powerful tool to help us reach more older New Yorkers in need of complementary social support, in addition to nutrition services
“...this program had a major impact on the clients that participated. They connected and formed relationships that they wouldn’t otherwise have had. I think what made it successful and maintained participation was the fact that Life Story Club called the participants rather than relying on them to remember the group and navigate joining the group on their own. Thank you for the collaboration and the impact on our clients.”
– Cathy Gormley, LMSW Director of Programs, Heights and Hills
Key Metrics & Outcomes
Life Story Club continues to evaluate our programming, conducting surveys of our members at intake, three-months, and six-months We also survey case managers to measure our training, their comfortability with referrals, and their understanding of Life Story Club. Taken together, this information helps us gauge our impact, what is working, and what needs adjustment Overall, we have especially strong feedback from Life Story Club members.
“I enjoy the idea of meeting people, talking to people, telling my story. If something I've been through could help somebody else, wonderful. And some of their stories make me feel like I'm not the only one that went through a hard time.”
Lori, Sunnyside/Selfhelp Story Club Member
Member satisfaction score (above 80 is considered excellent)
saw an improvement in their social connectivity 47% 85% of club members experienced a decrease in their UCLA loneliness scores
felt their Life Story Club provided them with a sense of community
saw an improvement in their mood after attending their club 92% 96%
felt they were supported by their club
In-PersonGatherings andCommunity-Building
As part of our 10 club partnership, each club gathers for an in-person celebration. A recent gathering for a Citymeals’ club in Staten Island – which included English and Spanish language clubs – served as a powerful example of the effectiveness of our ongoing partnership
Members met at Beso Restaurant, which provided a Spanish tapas menu and bilingual staff who served members their meals Life Story Club members received certificates and a demonstration of the Life Story Library so that they could find recordings of their stories Many members enjoyed meeting in-person and emphasized the value that the club has brought them:
“I just moved to Staten Island six months ago from a shelter in the Bronx. This program has made me feel more connected to a community on Staten Island and I enjoyed meeting other people from Staten Island at our lunch. It was something exciting to look forward to.” – Robert
“Estar en este grupo me ha ayudado a sentirme menos solo y abandonado. Para mí, este grupo es un verdadero oasis, un espacio donde puedo compartir mi vida y aprender de los demás. Con el tiempo, se ha convertido en mi familia. Es mi familia. Me siento profundamente bendecido por formar parte de este grupo.” – Jose
Life Story Library & Digital Storytelling
We continue to grow our Life Story Library, which serves as a digital archive of stories shared by members It’s a resource that our storytellers can share with friends, family, and future generations
So far, the Citymeals’ Life Story Library is home to 21 recorded stories. The stories have been shared 30 times by club members, with 87 audio plays. We find that documenting members’ experiences provides a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment, knowing that their stories will live on
Life Story Library
One of our Citymeals + Life Story Club members from Heights & Hills shared her video story with
“...my phone wouldn’t stop ringing! My story went viral in the family! Everyone was calling, saying how they were so inspired. For three days my phone was ringing!” – Donna
We look forward to continuing to build the Life Story Library to include more clubs and more stories from members
Check out one of our our Life Story Library pages here:
Member Stories & Testimonials
We’re proud of the growing membership of Life Story Club and want to share profiles of some of our new members and the impact that Life Story Club has had on their lives
Meet Brian, Heights and Hills Life Story Club
Brian grew up in Trinidad and Tobago By his mid-30’s he had two children and a well-paying job in human relations, but he felt stuck “I never saw myself as being just that,” he recalls His sister had emigrated to New Jersey, and whenever he visited, he saw opportunities for personal development that didn’t exist back home. Brian saved up eight weeks of vacation for a longer exploratory visit and shortly thereafter moved to New York. “Those early years were truly challenging,” he admits, but, "I never regretted the adventure." He has now lived in Brooklyn for 36 years.
When Brian first arrived in New York, he had to start over He took the GED and got certified as a proofreader Soon he was working 12-14 hours a day on the graveyard shift for various financial firms Working nights paid better, and the long hours allowed him to send money home to his family but left little time for other pursuits. “I did those hours for seven years before I began to see what else was outside during daylight hours.”
Brian’s life outside of work revolved around his church, where he immediately felt at home among the largely West Indian community and was mentored by older members of the congregation
“That has been my rock for the last 36 years,” he says with deep appreciation Brian’s late wife Jean was also active in the church Brian and Jean first met in Trinidad and reconnected in New York They married in 1990, and shortly after that Jean was diagnosed with breast cancer, a seismic event that fundamentally reshaped both their lives Jean left her job to advocate for breast cancer survivors full-time “She lived for the people,” says Brian. “Our telephone here, I never really answered it because that was her hotline.” Brian complemented Jean’s work by urging male companions of cancer survivors to actively engage in their loved ones’ care, a role that did not come naturally to many West Indian men Brian and Jean continued this “two-pronged attack” until Jean was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s twelve years ago
Jean passed away in 2022, and Brian is currently writing a book about his experiences as a caregiver Even this difficult journey is framed in gratitude The book is titled “Thanks for the Memories,” and Brian has given Jean co-author credit He hopes it will celebrate and inspire others who care for loved ones as they age. Brian also remains deeply involved in his church community, where he is now himself an elder and mentor. Some young men return years later to thank the man they still respectfully address as ‘Mr. [last name - redacted for privacy].’ “They actually shake my hand and say thank you for the time you put into shaping my life so that I would not necessarily follow what I saw on the corner or on the television,” Brian says with satisfaction “Those are the things that I’m more appreciative of than actual financial rewards”
When Brian found out about Life Story Club, he was drawn in by the emphasis on wellness, which is also a focus of his church, and he appreciates the opportunity to share freely about things he doesn’t discuss with anyone else “Our stories are our life experiences,” he reflects, “and they weren’t intended for us to go to the grave with If we don’t share those things, then we are not providing a legacy for other people to be able to understand the road that we walked There has to be a connection between what was and what is in terms of life”
Meet Carmen, CASC Life Story Club
“If I didn’t have my family, my life would have no meaning. Those are my roots, and I have to look after them”
Carmen moved to Brooklyn from Guajataca, a tiny barrio in Quebradillas, Puerto Rico, in 1956 at the age of twelve. She never finished high school and got married at fifteen. By the time she was nineteen, she had three children Now 81, she is the proud grandmother of nine “When you have a grandchild, you go back and remember when you had your own child And that is so exciting and brings so much joy Having a grandchild is a great blessing from God”
Carmen was a stay-at-home mom when her kids were very young, but as soon as they were old enough to attend school, she took a job in a hospital kitchen preparing drinks for patients on liquid diets Her life always revolved around caring for others, and she extended that care to other newly arrived Puerto Ricans adjusting to life in New York where both the climate and society could be cold and unfamiliar She was a tenacious advocate When her children were assigned to a school with a bad reputation, she went to the Department of Education on her own to demand they be allowed to attend a better one. The Chancellor was astonished that this young mother was representing herself and ultimately gave in.
Carmen liked the life she had made for herself in Brooklyn, but when one of her daughters bought a home in Staten Island, she followed so that she could help raise her grandchildren and the new baby because childcare was prohibitively expensive Staten Island took some getting used to, but she likes it now She has a cozy one-bedroom apartment in a NYCHA housing development for seniors and enjoys reading and cooking traditional dishes like pollo guisado with techniques she learned from watching her mother Carmen used to visit her father in Puerto Rico every year, but he passed away 22 years ago After that, she continued to visit her older brother, but he died too, and she feels estranged from her surviving sisters after years of living apart. Her children are juggling all the responsibilities and obligations she once had, so Carmen tries to remain active and not be a burden. Her biggest challenge is loneliness Finding out about Life Story Club was therefore “like the answer to a prayer”
“I received a call, and I really liked that someone cared about me,” she says “When you are alone, in prayer you ask for someone to come and talk to you, because it’s sad to be alone We old people need to have company” Carmen is careful not to make other commitments on Wednesdays so as not to miss the club “I like to hear other people’s stories It gives you comfort to know that you’re not the only one going through the problem And that gives you a feeling of relief It makes you feel calmer I’m not the only one who’s suffering There are thousands, millions of elderly people like me”
Carmen appreciates the trust that has formed in the group after months of sharing stories on a weekly basis and can’t wait to meet the people whose voices she has come to know so well. On the morning of the club’s first in-person gathering, she can hardly contain her excitement. “It’s been a month since I got everything ready,” she giggles. “Waiting for today, thank God!”
Meet Lori, Sunnyside/Selfhelp Story Club
Lori lives in Whitestone, Queens, 21 blocks from where she grew up At 66, she’s confined to a wheelchair with impaired vision and hearing, but her stories reveal an enduring independent streak Her first boyfriend was a 6’4” Black man who operated one of the rides at the Adventurers Inn amusement park in Flushing where Lori and her best friend used to hang out as teenagers Sidney was respectful and always made sure Lori got home safely since she was experimenting with alcohol and marijuana, but her parents and white, working class neighborhood couldn’t see past the color of his skin. “That taught me never to judge people,” says Lori. “Don’t judge the outside. And to this day, I never have.”
Lori credits two things with making her who she is: her parents’ dysfunctional relationship, and being diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of eight. She vowed never to be like her mother, whom she perceived as cold and uncaring, and her hospitalization after her first seizure triggered a life-long struggle with anxiety and inspired her to go into special education She “always felt different” because of her disability “So as I got older,” she explains, “I decided I wanted to work with handicapped kids” Her first job involved working with infants with medical complications in an early intervention program, and from there she transferred to teaching at her daughter’s nursery school. When her daughter moved on, Lori switched to teaching two-year-olds at their Hebrew school, a job she kept until retirement.
Lori’s daughter Shoshana is the most important relationship in her life Lori and her ex-husband spent six years trying to get pregnant before pursuing adoption, and they picked up Shoshana at the hospital when she was only three days old Shoshana pulled away during her teen years, and was deeply upset when Lori announced that she wanted a divorce While in college, Shoshana tracked down her birth mother, and Lori, whose disabilities were becoming more severe at that time, was terrified that she would lose her daughter to this new relationship Lori tearfully confessed this fear to Shoshana, but Shoshana immediately reassured her. “Until the day I die,” she said, “you will always be my mom.” Their relationship has been much stronger ever since.
Lori’s tone becomes bitter when she discusses her marriage and physical decline Lori grew up Jewish, but Judaism hadn’t defined her identity Her ex’s family, by contrast, was Orthodox, so Lori dutifully kept a Kosher household and adhered to stricter rules for years only to discover that her husband and in-laws had been violating them all along Meanwhile, her health was rapidly deteriorating Vertigo combined with arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, and erratic blood pressure led to a series of falls and finally landed her in a wheelchair After a lifetime of doing everything for everyone, Lori now depends on home health aides to help her get through the day
“One of the things I love about Life Story Club is the camaraderie of understanding,” she says “I've had a lot of people come in here who say to me, I don't understand why you're angry Why are you bitter? I'm 66 years old I have a hearing aid I have cataracts I have diabetes I can't eat everything I want to eat. I have to have health aides come in to help me, where I used to do everything myself. So, being on the phone with Life Story Club and hearing other people with their stories, they're going through the same thing. The camaraderie of understanding and not being questioned goes a long way.”
Next Steps & Future Initiatives
Life Story Club has seen tremendous progress in the last six months thanks to the support of Citymeals Through our partnership, we’ve been able to start to scale our successful model, partnering with community-based caseworkers to identify older New Yorkers in need of Life Story Club’s community and connection.
We continue to focus on scaling, with a goal to recruit members for ten new clubs across the city and offer more languages and more culturally relevant programming based on the needs of our members Our latest outreach has included a multilingual flier to pair with home delivered meals to encourage homebound meal recipients to join a club (see our Addendum)
A key success of our expansion has been data collection and we will further refine our data collection and impact measurements to identify areas for growth and investment The results from our feedback surveys are extremely encouraging – a Net Promoter Score of 86, with many participants emphasizing that their weekly meetings have reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation. And the case managers we work with have reported that Life Story Club’s ease of accessibility makes it especially valuable as they prescribe our clubs to their clients, who can call in from home and find the community and connection they need
After seeing the success of many in-person gatherings, we’ll be offering more this summer Many members emphasize that after several months of phone calls, seeing the people they have developed relationships with in-person brings them a greater feeling of belonging
Conclusion & Call to Action
Life Story Club is deeply grateful to Citymeals for this ongoing partnership as we start to see our impact grow The years of trust Citymeals has built in communities across the city cannot be replicated and because of that we have been able to come into members’ homes with greater ease because of the credible Citymeals on Wheels name
Acknowledging the challenges on the horizon for social services, we believe that together Citymeals and Life Story Club can provide a more comprehensive suite of services that acknowledges the physical and mental health needs of older New Yorkers to provide more holistic support. Because of our mission alignment, community caseworkers successfully identify Citymeals’ meal recipients who benefit from both weekly meals and weekly connection. As a result, we amplify our impact.
As we look ahead through the rest of this year and into 2026, we are focused on scaling our program to reach more older New Yorkers We know there are thousands of older New Yorkers in need of community and connection, who do not have advocates Many are homebound or face language or health barriers We want to reach them and with the support of Citymeals, we believe we can continue to expand into the homes of older New Yorkers in every borough and provide the social infrastructure that does not exist
We look forward to continuing to work with the exceptional Citymeals team and to sharing in opportunities for more collaboration to improve the health and well-being of older New Yorkers across the city.
Addendum
Life Story Club x Citymeals on Wheels x Selfhelp Recruitment Brochure
