‘Baby Boomers’ not giving up their joie de vivre thanks to ONEgeneration

It’s a house of tiny miracles located on a boulevard called Victory where the old and lonely come to turn back the clock to a time when they danced and laughed, and tomorrow was something they looked forward to, not feared.

ONEgeneration has been in the corner of seniors living in the Valley for more than 45 years, fighting for their rights to be heard and respected, and watching over them. Now, coming out of the pandemic, it faces one of its toughest challenges.

How do you beat loneliness and isolation?

“We’re seeing the impact the pandemic had on isolation and loneliness, especially with seniors,” said Jenna Hauss, president and CEO of the non-profit organization that partners with the city of Los Angeles’ Department of Aging to bring seniors the services and programs they need — and deserve.

“There was so much isolation that went on, and the mental health impact was really, really devastating,” she said.

The pandemic may be over, but the after shocks are still coming.

ONE serve’s more than 5,000 seniors now, and that number will only grow as the Baby Boom generation retires and people live longer. To meet that demand, ONE must be proactive, Hauss said.

This week, it expanded its services to the Wilkinson Senior Center in Northridge so more seniors in the Northeast Valley could gain access to its “intergenerational programs, home-based case management, information and referral services, transportation assistance, and nutrition and recreational activities,” she said.

That’s a mouthful, but what it means is this: the fight is on to reach more seniors in the Valley with those tiny miracles ONE offers to beat loneliness and isolation.

“Never shoot pool with a guy named Einstein.”

I wrote that lead on a column more than 40 years ago after stopping by the Reseda Multipurpose Center to check out a new, non-profit organization calling itself ONEgeneration. The feedback had been good, but the jury was still out.

My plan was to have a $1 hot lunch with a roomful of seniors to see how things were going since ONE arrived. Was it better or the same?

I got there early and most of the seniors, mainly women, were still in yoga and arts and crafts classes, keeping their minds and bodies sharp. Sign up sheets to see a social worker were scattered on the front counter.

“You want to shoot a couple of games of pool while you’re waiting?” said a voice from over my shoulder. Really? They had a pool hall in a senior center? Sure, I said.

Three of the men shooting pool were widowers whose lives had revolved around sitting on the couch all day watching TV and missing their wives. Two were still married and their wives wanted them out of the house for a few hours everyday for “me time.”

It was going to take a lot more than a $1 hot lunch to get these men interested in a senior center. Putting in a few pool tables got the ball rolling, and now five men who were strangers only a few months ago had become daily friends.

“We usually play for a buck a game,” said David Einstein, setting the hook. “Makes things interesting.”

Sure does. Twenty minutes later, I was peeling a five dollar bill out of my wallet and handing it to Einstein for the lesson. Loneliness and isolation didn’t stand a chance going up against laughter and friendship.

The lunchroom was full when I walked in. There was music playing and people talking and carrying on like old friends. I sat with two widows who had lived around the corner from each other for 40 years, but had never met until ONE brought them together for a $1 hot lunch and a yoga class five mornings a week.

The 1985 movie “Cocoon,” where seniors find the fountain of youth, was still two years from being made, but ONEgeneration was already writing the script, and it was working.

“During the pandemic, food and security were big needs so we created a food bank and vaccine outreach teams,” Hauss said. “We get a read for what the need is with our seniors, and we fill it.”

From pool tables to food banks, the ONEgeneration Senior Enrichment Center is still delivering its tiny miracles 45 years later.

Loneliness and isolation don’t stand a chance in this fight.

For more information on ONE, go to its website, onegeneration.org

Dennis McCarthy’s column runs on Sunday. He can be reached at dmccarthynews@gmail.com.