Neuza Guerreiro de Carvalho: “I am 90 years old and had stayed in my apartment alone since March cooking, cleaning and working. It was a very lonely period. Then the campaign #IamOverSixty appeared in the media, and as a local director of Aging2.0, I was invited to join it. I was asked to do a TV commercial for iFood (a delivery App), calling attention to the needs of older adults.” “This got a lot of people who are 60 years and older excited to read my blog about daily life, the books I read and the classes I lecture. They were also eager to learn how to use digital tools to communicate. I am also pleased that my appearance on TV raised awareness for my live digital course about how to write one’s personal history (Memorias Contadas) and helped me to gain dozens of new subscribers.” This campaign is like a wave: starting small, it has grown with more and more people connecting and passing on the message. It has helped people like Neuza Guerreiro de Carvalho feel better about themselves and encouraged them to move forward, feel loved and listened to. This campaign is gradually reaching other cities and states through its work and engagement of other Aging2.0 local Chapters (such as Ribeirao Preto and Rio).

Alena has a physiotherapist appointment. She recently injured her ankle and isn't able to walk on the cobblestone streets that surround her home in Jeseník, Czech Republic. In a city that has no public transport she simply opens the Oscar Senior app and orders a taxi. The convenient 15-minute ride saves her from further injury and pain. When the taxi arrives, she greets her driver, Havel, with a smile and hello. Knowing the driver’s name makes Alena feel comfortable. During the ride she tells Havel all about her holiday season, including how proud she was to have learned to use the new tablet her son gave her for Christmas. Alena says: "I never thought I would say this, but I am so grateful for technology. I remember the days when I needed to use the car service from the municipality. I had to order it at least 24 hours in advance. Now I just open the app, see who will pick me up and a taxi arrives.”

Amrita Narain started teaching cooking over 25 years ago, but as a full-time working mother she decided to take a break. Now retired, she reignited her passion for teaching when she heard about Diaspo. She is now instructing people who share her passion for food through online classes. Teaching gave her something to do during the pandemic when the lockdowns began. Her recipes aren’t from any cookbooks—they are unique to her family, gathered through letters from her mother and sister over 30 years ago. Sharing these recipes, especially with the younger generations, fills her with gratitude and pride—it allows her to pass on the belonging and identity of her Indian heritage. Amrita recently spoke to a 17-year-old participant of her online cooking class on Southern Indian cuisine. He told her: “Growing up in London, we dress British and speak British and when we eat Indian food it often tastes like fast food. Learning how my grandmother in Chennai was cooking gives me the sensation of the culture that I come from.” Amrita is one of Diaspo’s three dozen senior private chefs, each of whom are from different cultural backgrounds. The community continues to grow each month and the fact Amrita is earning extra money from teaching these classes is icing on the cake.

Carmen closes her pharmacy at half past eight. Her store is located in the centre of Barcelona, so she has many people to attend to all day long. She also helps people from the neighbourhood, both the ones who have lived there for their whole life and the ones who just moved in. She is alert and attentive and keeps an eye on the dynamics of her elderly - and most regular - customers. Carmen watches for changes in their routine such as their behaviour or appearance. If Señora Millan Ortiz, who comes in every week to pick up her medicine, has not done so by Friday, Carmen will raise the alarm. Her internal ‘radar' tells her something might be wrong with Señora Millan Oritz. It could be that her neighbor has fallen at home and might be lying on the floor because, at 86 years of age and living alone, she might not be able to get up or call for help. Carmen can mobilise her community to help. Carmen has made a commitment to keep an eye on neighbors like Señora Millan Ortiz. Like many thousands of other residents of Barcelona, she is a member of the Radars network.

Darien and Teddy live in Comox, a small island town of 15,000 residents located off the coast of British Columbia (BC), Canada. Through the United Way’s “Safe Seniors, Strong Communities” initiative, Darien and Teddy have their groceries delivered, receive hot meals three times a week and enjoy regular check-in conversations by phone. Due to their existing health conditions, it would be extremely difficult for them to have access to these necessities if it weren’t for the Safe Seniors program. Teddy expresses deep gratitude for the volunteers who assist the couple with great care and empathy—and especially appreciates that the grocery and meal drop-offs help them to maintain a sense of independence while remaining safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Darien looks forward to the check-in phone calls and depends on them for a sense of routine and connection. These interactions make it far less frightening to stay physically distant. They hope that when help is no longer required they will be able to remain friends with the volunteers who assist them.

On a quiet Thursday morning Anne Moreau—a mail carrier for the French postal service La Poste—followed her route through the streets of Saint Suliac. As Anne stopped in front of the home of 85-year-old Valerie Dubois, she prepared to deliver more than just the post: she was there to provide friendship. Through the Veiller Sur Mes Parents (Watch Over My Parents) program, older adults like Valerie are visited regularly by postal workers to ensure they are healthy and happy. Anne visits Valarie often, doing more than just dropping off mail. She chats with Valerie over coffee and cake, sends parcels to Valarie’s daughter, performs small tasks around the house and even picks up prescriptions. After the two finished their conversation and said their goodbyes, Anne sent a short report to Valerie’s daughter in Paris. The message “Your mother is very well” with a photo of the cake they had shared was enough to assure Valerie’s daughter that her mother was in good hands.

Louisa is a 65-year-old makeup artist who was introduced to LATA 65 by her daughter. Louisa had been interested in urban art for a while, so when her daughter discovered a street art workshop specifically for older adults she was excited to sign up. Not only was it a way to learn a new art technique, it was an opportunity to fight age stereotypes by exploring an art form that is often associated with ‘the younger generation’. LATA 65 works to crush those stereotypes. According to Luisa, “Lata means ‘can’ and 65 refers to people’s age. It also means that you have the nerve to take a can of paint and spray a message on a public wall. I have seen so many older people in these LATA 65 sessions who are my age or much older. When they begin to paint, their faces light up.” Louisa’s group, the Graffiti Grandmothers, showcase their art all over Lisbon, Portugal. Louisa shares the lessons she has learned from this experience to those around her. “I tell my grandchildren that the only way to learn is to practice. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something at your age and that you’re less because you are old. On the contrary, you are more.”

It is 6 p.m. in Rome, Italy. Windows and doors begin to open as the Rome Historical Center neighborhood prepares for what the natives call “antiviral flash mobs.” People of all ages gather on terraces and balconies to join their voices and instruments in song—the perfect way to express their love of Italian music and sense of community despite the strict COVID-19 lockdowns. This evening, 70-year-old Laura plays the Italian song “Volare” on her violin while her neighbor Roberto accompanies her on his bass guitar. And it’s not just the neighborhood that benefits from these informal musical collaborations. Videos like the one shared by Maruizio Marchini’s wife of him singing “Nessun Dorma” have been seen be millions across the world. Despite the lockdown, people across Italy have found a way to come together as a community by joining their voices and musical instruments— proving that social distancing doesn’t mean social isolation.

“There are so many people who are looking the wrong way. It is time to look forward to when things will get better. And they will. Never doubt it: tomorrow will be a good day.” With these words, Captain Tom Moore hoped to support those struggling on their own while combating loneliness. Seeing his wife Pamela in a care home inspired him to start the Captain Tom Foundation. He said he visited her every day for five years until she died of dementia in 2006. “One day she said, ‘If you didn’t come and see me, I would be very lonely’”—this is a memory that struck a point in Mr. Moore’s heart. “Some residents of the care home never had a visitor and must have been very lonely. That’s what my foundation is for, to help lonely people and people in difficulties, not just old people.” Being optimistic, whatever the trouble or grief , is a message that Captain Tom Moore, who has recently been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, wants to pass on to everyone in the world.