Champions of Caring

04/25/2026

Bringing generations together creates stronger communities and workplaces.

Younger voices bring new ideas.
Older generations bring lived experience.

Together, they create something better.

04/24/2026

My parents taught me:
Because we are here—we have a responsibility.

Responsibility to each other.
Responsibility to future generations.

We are strongest when we act together.

Younger & older – people of all ages coming together to share their knowledge, skills, and beliefs

04/23/2026

As Global Intergeneration Week continues, we look to the younger generations to share the impact of intergenerational collaboration on their everyday lives. Alison shares the influence that connecting with a senior during an Intergenerational Cafe has had on her life. Now 4 years and a thousand miles later, these relationship leave an impact like no other!

04/22/2026

Today we focus on connection.
Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”
During COVID, people across generations experienced deep isolation and loneliness. It became clear just how much we need one another.
In response, Champions of Caring partnered with Temple University psychology professor, Dr. Tania Giovannetti, to create intergenerational cafés—bringing people ages 18 to 95 together in meaningful conversation and shared experience.
What we’ve seen is powerful:
    •    These cafés help dismantle ageism—for both younger and older generations
    •    They foster more inclusive, compassionate, and connected communities
    •    They enhance the physical and emotional well-being of everyone involved
Connection isn’t just meaningful—it’s essential.
And when we create spaces to come together, we all benefit.

04/22/2026

I often think about something my grandmother told me:
“They took everything from me—but they could not take who I am, my values, and my dignity.”

Every generation has something to teach.
Every person has dignity that must be respected.

In the intergenerational cafés at OLLI, I see this every day—people listening and learning from one another.

That’s how we challenge ageism.

04/21/2026

As we begin , I’ve been thinking about where this work began for me.

I didn’t learn about intergenerational connection from a program or a book.
I learned it at my family table.

As the daughter of Holocaust survivors, I grew up understanding that stories are not just meant to be remembered—they are meant to be carried forward.

My parents didn’t just share their experiences.
They shared responsibility.

That responsibility continues to guide my work today—through Champions of Caring and my involvement with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Temple University.

I’m proud to be part of this global movement.

04/19/2026

L’dor V’dor—from generation to generation.
My parents taught me that remembering is not passive.
Remembering honors the past.
Not forgetting means taking responsibility for the future.
Legacy is not just what we inherit.
It’s what we choose to carry forward.
We remember.
We act.
We carry it forward.

04/18/2026

Memory alone is not enough.
What we do with that memory—that’s what matters.
Through Champions of Caring, I’ve seen what happens when young people are given the tools to lead with kindness and courage.
 
Compassion becomes action.
Kindness becomes something we practice.
That is how we honor the past.
💙 How are you carrying these values forward?

04/18/2026

“Mir zenen do.”
We are here.
And because we are here—we have a responsibility.
To remember.
To speak out.
To stand up against hatred and indifference.
Being here is not something to take for granted.
It is something to live up to.

04/16/2026

This week we observe Yom HaShoah.
A mother comforting children in the Łódź Ghetto.
A father carrying his cousin through a death march.
A grandmother holding onto dignity in Auschwitz.
These are the stories I grew up with.
And over time, I came to understand:
They are not just memories.
They are instructions.
 
Instructions on how to live.
How to lead.
How to choose humanity—even in the darkest moments.


Photo Credit:
The United Nations
The Guardian
Yad Vashem

04/16/2026

04/16/2026

Growing up, I heard this often:
“Be a mensch.”
Be kind.
Be someone others can count on.
Stand up when it matters.
Kindness is not something we practice only when life is easy.
It’s a choice we make—especially when it’s hard.
That lesson has stayed with me my entire life.
What does being a mensch mean to you?