AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Older people are often vulnerable to loneliness. Meanwhile, young people are facing a mental health crisis. That's according to the U.S. Surgeon General. And that's why some organizations are pairing older people with younger people for the benefit of both. Ashley Milne-Tyte reports.
ASHLEY MILNE-TYTE, BYLINE: Andrea Levitt is 82. Angelo Williams is 16. They first met at a cookies and tea event in New York City. Andrea recalls feeling down that day.
ANDREA LEVITT: I remember being at the table with Angelo, and he was so funny. It completely got me out of my depression. And the best thing - I'm a big basketball fan, and Angelo likes basketball. Do you remember that, Angelo?
ANGELO WILLIAMS: Yeah. Every year, like, for a few months I play basketball. So we really actually connected over a lot of things.
MILNE-TYTE: Today they're on Zoom, but they met in person through a nonprofit organization called Dorot. It's the Hebrew word for generations. Andrea says the organization has been especially valuable to her since the day her son, who used to live locally, announced...
LEVITT: Mom, we're moving to Milwaukee. And that was tough - still is.
MILNE-TYTE: She lives alone, and suddenly became more isolated. She misses her family, her grandsons. So she says it's been great to meet teenagers like Angelo.
LEVITT: I find that I have things in common with them, and we can have some really good discussions.
MILNE-TYTE: Donna Butts is executive director of Generations United, which works to make society less segregated by age. She says efforts to set up the young and old are much needed, in part because the U.S.' demographics are changing.
DONNA BUTTS: Older adults are more likely to be white, and younger people are more likely to be of color. And if we don't connect them and they don't learn to invest in each other and care about each other, it doesn't bode well for us.
MILNE-TYTE: That caring relationship can grow online as well as in person. Dana Griffin launched her intergenerational service, Eldera, just as COVID hit in 2020. With Eldera, older adults meet for weekly mentoring sessions over Zoom with kids from 6 to 17 years old. She says some of the mentors don't get out much. They've reported that when they have virtual dates with their mentees...
DANA GRIFFIN: They shower. They brush their hair. They get dressed up. They tidy up. And then once they start feeling like they're valuable to a kid, they start leaving the house more if they're able to.
MILNE-TYTE: But these pairings aren't just about making older people feel valued. Griffin says the benefits go both ways. She says kids need a sympathetic, non-judgmental ear, someone other than their parents. She says Eldera's data shows the teens who keep their mentor relationships into college spend more time talking to those older adults than ever.
GRIFFIN: They really need to talk about everything, from the roommate to campus life to majors through dating.
MILNE-TYTE: Initially, Angelo Williams thought getting to know people in their 70s, 80s and 90s was mostly about him helping them. But after meeting Andrea Levitt and others, he's discovered something.
WILLIAMS: You get to learn a lot about somebody else and also, like, keep their stories with you. And you can even learn from their experiences, and you can get, like, really great advice.
MILNE-TYTE: Even when you do support different teams. Andrea's got her eye on Milwaukee these days.
LEVITT: Angelo, I look forward to seeing you soon. I know how busy you are.
WILLIAMS: Yeah. Me, too.
LEVITT: And please root for the Bucks. I know you're a Knick fan, but, you know.
WILLIAMS: Oh, man. I will have to say I hope the Knicks have this year.
MILNE-TYTE: They hope to go to a game together this season. For NPR News, I'm Ashley Milne-Tyte.
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