The Need and Opportunity

The Need

It is well documented that elderly who feel socially connected and have social interaction are at least three times as likely to report very good or excellent health compared to those who are least connected, regardless of their actual level of social connectedness (see Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection by John T. Cacioppo, W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition, August 10, 2009).  Human connectedness, particularly for the elderly, is integrated with physical and mental health.  And in a youth-centered, technologically sophisticated environment like San Francisco where the driving cultural values elevate the “newest,” the aging population becomes increasingly hidden.  Accentuating this is that socially isolated elders are further marginalized as independent living becomes increasingly untenable.

There also exists a different kind of isolation in San Francisco that LBFE seeks to alleviate.  This social isolation is the isolation that exists between generations.  We seek to counteract the “growing social-capital deficit” that is often inherent in fast-paced cultural environments like San Francisco (see Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert D. Putnum, Simon & Schuster; 1st edition, August 7, 2001).  There exists an opportunity for the young professional population of San Francisco to be positively impacted through LBFE programs as not only volunteers who help deliver services but also as beneficiaries of intentional intergenerational engagement.

The most significant need for LBFE to be increasingly successful in providing social connectedness for the elderly is increasing its volunteer corps.  The largest factor, aside from financial resources, that limits LBFE in fulfilling its mission is the amount of volunteers available to visit with elders. 

The Opportunity

Through LBFE programs, young professionals and isolated elderly can connect in meaningful ways to the benefit of both.  And unlike most senior service organizations, LBFE is designed specifically for interpersonal connectivity.  The LBFE motto, “flowers before bread” expresses the operating philosophy that sustenance from food is not what keeps the human spirit alive: we need human contact and joy to have the passion to continue to live and prosper.  In an environment that increasingly isolates generations from one another, LBFE stands in the gap and provides life-giving experiences for intergenerational interaction.

The opportunity for elders is that through a facilitated social interaction they gain an important avenue for health.  Social connection improves health through both an alleviation of loneliness and the availability of an advocate who can assist in simple tasks that helps maintain independence.  In addition to this, elders are able to share their lives (and history) with a young person and through that feel appreciated and gain an elevated sense of self-worth.  And through the social connection with a young professional person, the elder also gains an important advocate culturally as the young volunteer becomes more familiar with the unique issues faced by the elderly in our society.

The opportunity for young professional people is a broadened perspective that can only come from intergenerational engagement of this kind.  Young professionals will also gain a broader connectedness with the San Francisco community and the gratification of making a significant impact in the life of an elder.  Not only this but volunteers gain a greater understanding of social issues elders face and through that become advocates of the elderly in their respective social spheres.