The Tufts Public Health Society recently announced that it is collaborating with the Medford Senior Center to run a new program called Community Connections. The program aims to create relationships between Tufts students and the Medford senior community while combating isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The organization connects student callers to individuals at the Medford Senior Center.
Arielle Galinsky, a first-year who started the program, wrote in an email to the Daily that the idea came from her personal experience as a call coach to senior citizens at the height of the pandemic.
"In this role, I called 50-60 senior citizens weekly to check on their wellbeing and engage in thoughtful discussion," Galinsky said.
Galinsky expanded on her work as a call coach and explained how it inspired her to start this initiative.
“Through my experience, I learned the value of developing and maintaining intergenerational connections, especially during a time when there was (and continues to be) a high prevalence of social isolation for both senior citizens and teenagers alike," Galinsky said. "Having had such a positive experience myself, I wanted to spearhead a similar program upon arriving to Tufts for others to be immersed in."
Galinsky created the program to decrease loneliness and isolation in the senior community as well as in the Tufts community.
She added that being on the board of the Tufts Public Health Society gave her the platform to do so, especially since the program is focused around feelings of loneliness and isolation, which is considered a public health issue.
“The program was ultimately designed and created to build a bridge between the Tufts student body and one of the university’s host communities, as well as actively combat feelings of isolation for all those involved,” Galinsky said.
Arlene Carroll, volunteer and community outreach manager of the Medford Council on Aging, expressed enthusiasm for Community Connections. The Medford Council on Aging also collaborates with other Tufts programs, including Tufts Zoom Book Club, Public Harmony, the FOCUS pre-orientation program and a community outreach assistance program through the Tufts Graduate Student Association, according to Carroll.
Carroll added that the council feels fortunate to be close to Tufts, in both proximity and connectivity.
According to Galinsky, Community Connections hopes to create intergenerational bonds between Medford senior citizens and Tufts students and use respectful conversation as a tool for combating social isolation.
Galinsky said that all Tufts undergraduates are eligible to sign up for the program, in which they are matched with a member of the Medford Senior Center.
“Members of the Medford Senior Community are currently signing up to be called by a student on a rolling basis,"Galinsky said. "Thus, as the names of interested residents are received, they are allocated and matched with a student volunteer based on the order in which the volunteers signed up."
According to Galinsky, student volunteers are responsible for calling their Medford senior match at least once a week to engage in discussion.
“The student should be prepared to provide resources and redirect the senior if further assistance is required,” Galinsky said. “The students will also be required to take notes on the conversations, which will be forwarded to Medford Senior Center so they can better understand their strengths and weaknesses.”
Because of an overwhelmingly large number of responses from the student body and a lack of demand from the senior center, it is currently unknown whether all students will receive matches. However, Galinsky noted that there are a number of similar activities offered for students looking to engage in the senior community. Students also have the option to join the “Geek Squad” to help senior citizens with questions about technology.
Alexandra Shapiro, a member of the Tufts Public Health Society, has volunteered to participate in the program.
“I’m most excited to make a connection with an elderly member of the community and brighten their day," Shapiro, a first-year, wrote in an email to the Daily. "I will engage with my senior in thoughtful discussion by letting them lead the discussion topics and learning more about their interests."
Shapiro explained that she chose to volunteer with Community Connections because public health is a topic that is important to her.
“Everyone I know is experiencing loneliness during this pandemic [and] it is especially difficult for elderly members of the community who can’t leave the house right now," Shapiro said. "Volunteering to call a senior is something so easy that I can do to help make a senior’s day and ease some of the loneliness we are all facing right now.”
Editor’s note: Arielle Galinsky is a contributing writer at The Tufts Daily. Arielle was not involved in the writing or editing of this article.
