Impact Report 2024
Connection is key to healthy aging.
Our Growth
Donors, supporters, friends, and fans of Life Story Club, thank yo for all that you have done this year to support our work to strengthen community and connection for older New Yorkers
My name is Jennifer Wong and I’m the new interim Executive Director of Life Story Club. It’s an honor to join this impressive organization that has been a leader and champion of the healt and well-being of older adults in New York City
As a longtime researcher and advocate in the aging and disability space, I’m deeply aware of the need for resources tha support older adults and help reduce the social isolation that is built into our culture as we age
Seeing Life Story Club’s growth – and with great familiarity with founder Lily Zhou – I’m excited to join the passionate team at Life Story Club to help continue this pressing work
The country is facing demographics that demand our attention. By 2050, the number of people over the age of 65 will increase by nearly 50% to 82 million Knowing this shift is on the horizon, we must do more to create infrastructure that provides connection and community to older adults
Isolation and loneliness are not just a problem for older adults, we’re seeing these issues affect all generations Americans lack places, people, and organizations where they can connect The mandate is clear – we must create them
My priority is to help this phenomenal team build and grow Life Story Club in more communities in New York City to reach more people and provide an outlet for social support. By doing this, we improve older adults’ overall health and well-being.
We want to make these clubs easy to form and run We can do that through greater investment in our people and greater investment in partnerships New York City is home to some amazing organizations This year, we fostered several new partnerships to expand our reach across the city
Attached you’ll find our Impact Report for 2024 with Life Story Club’s accomplishments and goals for the future Thank you for all that you do
Jennifer Wong, PhD Interim Executive Director, Life Story Club
2024 Snapshot
An overview of Life Story Club’s growth and accomplishments this year.
TotalMembers NewMembers
29
12
Clubs Events
4
Languages Represented English,Cantonese, Mandarin,Spanish
16 Super Storytellers Memberswhohave joined100timesormore
2 Staten Island Brooklyn Queens Manhattan The Bronx East Harlem
1
10
3
4
5
We are proud to support social clubs in each of the five boroughs In 2025, we will focus on creating a larger footprint to increase social connection and belonging among older New Yorkers
Partnerships & Programming
In 2024, Life Story Club prioritized partnerships to increase awareness about our unique offering and expand our reach. We focused on organizations that provide nutrition assistance, health care, and housing support. In many cases, the people these organizations serve are also in need of social connection and community and we leverage this to reach more people.
Citymeals on Wheels
Citymeals on Wheels provides homebound older New Yorkers with daily and weekly meals. The organization not only nourishes older adults, but the delivery is often the only social interaction recipients get all day
We’re proud to work with Citymeals to make their clients aware of Life Story Clubs in their community where they can get regular social connections, and we look forward to expanding this partnership in 2025.
StoryRx Project
StoryRx Project is a partnership between Life Story Club and three hospital systems in which we encourage health care professionals and clinicians to “socially prescribe” Life Story Club to older adults they identify as struggling with loneliness or isolation
We’re focused on creating a patient referral process with health providers to reach more older adults in need of support.
We have received 140 referrals so far and 108 of those have been placed in a Life Story Club
“I just had a conversation with a patient and we talked about the deep loneliness that she was experiencing. There’s a lack of intimacy in relationships that came up. Sometimes you have people around, but the quality of interaction was not safe enough for her to share what she’s really feeling.
I sat in on [our] Life Story Club and they had been together for over three years. The Life Story Club facilitators are able to read the virtual room and are really good about bringing people in. There were conversations I really would not have expected people who didn’t know each other outside of Zoom to be able to go into, where they were able to share really difficult parts of their lives.”
Dr Minova Ceide,
Associate Professor of Geriatric Medicine
shares a patient case study with Montefiore’s team of Geriatricians
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities
Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities are a great resource and partner to reach older New Yorkers. We’re proud to work with a network of community based organizations that provide affordable housing to seniors in New York City By connecting with the staff and social workers at these organizations, we can help raise awareness about Life Story Club’s unique offerings
We also recently hosted an event with the NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA), which provides affordable housing for low and moderate income New Yorkers. More than 500,000 New Yorkers live in a NYCHA building, and through NYCHA we can reach more people who may be in need of social engagement and community.
Investing In Our Facilitators
Life Story Club’s facilitators play an instrumental role as they lead groups through our unique storytelling curriculum. Facilitators’ skilled listening allows them to ask questions that encourage conversation while making participants feel welcome and safe
Our facilitators ensure each member of Life Story Club feels seen and heard, and that they leave each meeting with a plan to return Facilitators often develop close bonds with many members and frequently receive invitations to major life milestones like birthdays, performances, and funerals
Train the Trainers
To ensure we can scale Life Story Club to offer this level of support in more clubs across the city, we will begin expanding our training for facilitators, training our trainers to ensure a cohesive program built around the inclusive style and culture that Life Story Club has fostered
We currently provide group facilitation training and mental health first aid training to facilitators, and we’ve created a space where facilitators can come together to share tips and effective prompts Many of our facilitators rely on this group of peers to help inform their regular club meetings
Being a Life Story Club facilitator has enriched my life. As I think of new questions to pose to my clubs, I often ask myself, ‘What do I need to hear today?’ I might ask for stories about courage, or forgiveness, or closure, and always come away feeling inspired. For instance, last week I faced a tricky personal decision, and so I asked my clubs, ‘Can you share a story about a time you trusted your gut?’ One woman in her nineties shared about breaking off an engagement to a man whom everyone adored; another in her eighties spoke of sitting at a segregated Woolworth's counter in Jackson, Mississippi, facing slurs and outrage.
They took risks, and felt proud of those decisions in hindsight. At the end of the meeting, my decision was clear, and I felt ready to take on the world! Additionally, participants bring history to life, from Woodstock to fallout shelters to the end of World War II, and allow me to see this present moment as it may look from the future. It's also refreshing to witness the undivided attention that participants give each other in this age of fractured focus. I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to hear stories full of humor, heart and wisdom, all week long, and to feel a loving connection with so many special people.”
– Esther de Rothschild, Facilitator & Program Designer
Health Threat of Loneliness & Social Isolation
In 2023, the Surgeon General sounded the alarm on what he called an “epidemic of loneliness and social isolation” in America.
For older adults, isolation and lack of regular social engagement is especially prevalent and has serious health consequences But the Surgeon General offers solutions, the first of which is to strengthen social infrastructure to create environments that promote connection and invest in institutions that bring people together
This is precisely what Life Story Club does: regular meetings in communities across the city built around peer-driven storytelling and led by a trained facilitator We are creating a system to support older adults, meet them where they are, and foster community
HealthConsequencesofLoneliness
1/3 of older adults report feeling lonely
The mortality risk of loneliness is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day
Loneliness is associated with higher rates of depression
50% increased risk of dementia
30% increased risk of cardiovascular diseases
Social isolation amongst older adults accounts for $6.7 billion in excess Medicare spending
Health Benefits of Life Story Club
Life Story Club conducts regular surveys of our members to measure our program’s effectiveness Members report reduced feelings of loneliness and an enhanced feeling of community
70% 95%
92%
Feel supported by their Life Story Club
Feel Life Story Club gives them a sense of community
“Ifyoumeetweekafterweek foralengthoftime,thefamily thingkindofsetsin.You becomeafamily.Youdon’t havetobebornintoafamily... I’mverycomfortablehere.”
ArthurS.
Membersince2020,winnerof SuperStorytellerAward
“Thiskeepsmealive…waiting everyweekforFridaykeepsme alive.Ihavesomanystoriesto share!Iwishthereweretwo Fridaysaweek.”
RagaaM Membersince2020
Saw decreases in their UCLA Loneliness score (3-item scale) in just 3 months
93% Experienced mood improvement
BeforeIjoinedtheclub,Iwouldkeeptomyself andselfisolate.Joiningtheclubhasbroughtme outofmyshell.I’mnotsomeonewhotalksmuch atall.Sincejoining,IfeelmorewantedandIfeel goodaboutmyself.Ienjoythefacilitator,and thegroupmembers.Itmakesmefeelextremely happyandI’mgratefultobepartofit.It’shelped mealotwithmymentalhealthaswell.
YvonneT. Newmember2024
“Ihavecometobelievethat everythingwedo,whereverwedoit, isvaluableandmeaningful.Because IamahumanbeingandIdidthem.”
Clyde Memberwhorecentlypassedawayreflecting onwhathelearnedfromLifeStoryClub
Thank You to Our Partners
At Life Story Club, our mission to foster meaningful connections and preserve the rich life stories of older adults wouldn’t be possible without the unwavering support of our partners From providing funding to sharing resources and expertise, your contributions are at the heart of our impact. Together, we’ve empowered countless older adults to find their voices, build communities, and create lasting legacies in our Life Story Library.
Thank you for believing in our vision and for being an essential part of this journey. With your continued partnership, we look forward to making an even greater difference in the lives of those we serve
Board & Advisory
Members of Life Story Club’s Board and Advisory Board provide guidance and support to help advance our mission to bring connection and community to more older adults.
LilyZhou Founder LifeStoryClub
JohnDamonti RetiredPresident BristolMyersSquibb Foundation
StephanieShivers ChiefInnovation OfficerCaringKind
Dr.MirnovaCeide AssistantProfessor GeriatricMedicine MontefioreEinstein
NancyFarrell RetiredChief Administrative Officer WeillCornell Physicians
MichaelP.Hoffman ChairmanEmeritus ChangingOurWorld
SheilaMarcelo Ohaiai, FounderofCarecom
Dr.Jessica Zwerling Director MontefioreCenter ofExcellencefor Alzheimer’sDisease
ElanaKeiffer DirectorCenter forHealthyAging NewYorkAcademy ofMedicine
AnnAdenbaum BoardMember MedicareRights Center
Dr.ArdeshirHashmi EndowedChair GeriatricInnovation ClevelandClinic
MiltonSpeid ExecutiveDirector VCInclude
SupriyaKumar Candidorg
KarenTaylor SelfHelpCommunity Services
SaibaSabherwal HeartbeatHealth
Tajreena Tabassoom SeachangeCapital Partners
ZainabAslam ChartisGroup
SabineHouben PaulHastings
Thank You to Our Board & Advisory Board Members
Life Story Club could not and would not exist without your support, influence, and expertise You have served as valued counsel, cheerleaders, advocates, and so much more and it is thanks to your help that Life Story Club has seen great growth and success this year
As we set our sights on 2025, we express our deepest gratitude to you. This effort has not been easy, but it is important. There is a growing need for resources and infrastructure to support older New Yorkers and older adults in general.
As early supporters of Life Story Club, you play an integral role in helping us reach more older adults and influence policy that will create a better future for older adults in New York City and across the country.
Thank you, we look forward to our continued collaboration
Life Story Club team
