cisco, announced a new public-private partnership with Mon Ami and local non- profits to support San Francisco seniors and people with disabilities who were isolated by COVID-19. Mon Ami donated its match- ing technology and smartphone app to San Francisco to create a citywide volunteer network during the pandemic. Mon Ami now has volunteers on its plat-
form in all 50 states and is serving thousands of seniors across the country. “It's been incredibly uplifting to see so
many people reaching out in this crisis,” Dangerfield-Cha says. “We don’t want anyone to be isolated and alone.”
Students benefit, too Dangerfield-Cha and co-founder Joy Zhang met as MBA students at Stanford University. Dangerfield-Cha’s background was in ed- ucation and digital marketing, while Zhang
had volunteered in hospice and dementia care since high school. Dangerfield-Cha says surveys have shown
that college students are the loneliest popu- lation after seniors. For Mon Ami, it made sense to focus on that age group as the one to connect with seniors, because the benefits would go both ways. “My cofounder and I could really attest
to the fact that there's just something so magical and grounding about being with our elders when you’re in that age group,” Dangerfield-Cha says. For the young people participating, the Mon Ami experience has proven to be an aid to living through the pandemic, Dangerfield-Cha says. “The sense of fear and being over-
whelmed can be really debilitating but making a connection with a stranger and knowing what a huge impact you can make in the life of another person is a true anti-
dote to that,” Dangerfield-Cha says. “You can make a huge difference in someone's life just by giving them a call and making a lasting connection. That simple action can really show that you care.” Dangerfield-Cha says it is hard to forecast
the future because of the unpredictability that the pandemic has helped underline, but she says Mon Ami’s core purpose and the support it can provide the senior community promises to offer an enduring value. “It feels like our mission of connecting the
generations is going to be more important than ever going forward,” Dangerfield-Cha says. The Mon Ami website (
monami.io) also
offers resources on topics such as how to introduce new companions, loneliness and its effects, and activities to try.
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