It’s a house of tiny miracles located on a boulevard called Victory where the old and lonely come to turn back the clock to a time when they danced and laughed, and tomorrow was something they looked forward to, not feared.
ONEgeneration has been in the corner of seniors living in the Valley for more than 45 years, fighting for their rights to be heard and respected, and watching over them. Now, coming out of the pandemic, it faces one of its toughest challenges.
How do you beat loneliness and isolation?
“We’re seeing the impact the pandemic had on isolation and loneliness, especially with seniors,” said Jenna Hauss, president and CEO of the non-profit organization that partners with the city of Los Angeles’ Department of Aging to bring seniors the services and programs they need — and deserve.
“There was so much isolation that went on, and the mental health impact was really, really devastating,” she said.
The pandemic may be over, but the after shocks are still coming.
ONE serve’s more than 5,000 seniors now, and that number will only grow as the Baby Boom generation retires and people live longer. To meet that demand, ONE must be proactive, Hauss said.
This week, it expanded its services to the Wilkinson Senior Center in Northridge so more seniors in the Northeast Valley could gain access to its “intergenerational programs, home-based case management, information and referral services, transportation assistance, and nutrition and recreational activities,” she said.
That’s a mouthful, but what it means is this: the fight is on to reach more seniors in the Valley with those tiny miracles ONE offers to beat loneliness and isolation.
“Never shoot pool with a guy named Einstein.”
I wrote that lead on a column more than 40 years ago after stopping by the Reseda Multipurpose Center to check out a new, non-profit organization calling itself ONEgeneration. The feedback had been good, but the jury was still out.
My plan was to have…
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