Mission
Lifeforce in Later Years (“LiLY”) enhances the well being of our oldest community members through free-of-charge services with professional staff and a large corps of dedicated volunteers; brings community partners together; expands its model nationally; and raises awareness to improve the way we honor and care for the elderly.
Our Story
Lifeforce in Later Years or “LiLY” was founded in 2009 by a group of concerned people whose experiences with oldest family members were eye-opening.
They found that families are often caught off guard in meeting the challenges they face when an elderly relative is no longer able to have their needs met through living entirely independently. They found that, in our culture, elders and their families don’t often know about the hardships that can befall an aging loved one in need. And, they found a care system which did not effectively respond.
LiLY’s first project was to develop a community based eldercare program in Morningside Heights in Manhattan. The “Morningside Village” program is nationally recognized for its success in training and mobilizing a corps of dedicated volunteers that today help hundreds of neighborhood elders, free of charge, to remain comfortably in their own homes as they age.
In 2016, LiLY expanded to its second Manhattan-based community program in West Harlem. Trained caring volunteers, who live nearby, befriend frail elderly neighbors, help to connect them with the community and needed services as well as new friendships, promoting health and happiness.
NATIONAL SERVICE
When Lily’s founder, Irene Zola, was named a CNN Hero in 2010 and when LiLY’s work was publicized by AARP 2012 and 2013, LiLY’s phone began ringing off the hook. With our experience and with requests from all over the nation, LiLY publishes free-of-charge Guidelines on its website and has mentored leaders in other communities.
CELEBRATE OUR ELDERS WEEK
As a response to the ageism and the resultant marginalization that too many older seniors feel, in 2012, LiLY initiated its national awareness campaign, with its October Celebrate Our Elders Week initiative. Beginning locally on Manhattan’s upper west side, with events and advertisements in public places, over time LiLY has expanded the campaign through celebrations, such as its annual Legacies award night, through psa videos, social media, partnerships with schools and more.
