Episode 22:10 Isabella Solano on Bridging Generations and Combatting Loneliness with Herralink

Join host Nancy Griffin as she interviews Isabella Solano, the founder of Herralink, a nonprofit connecting high school students with senior community residents. Discover how Isabella's journey began and the transformative impact of her work and her vision for the future, aiming to embed Herralink within school systems and expand its reach nationwide.

About Isabella

Isabella Solano is the founder of Herralink, an intergenerational organization that connects high school students with residents in senior communities. She's worked with 40 high schools in Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun County to connect 900 volunteers with nearly 2,000 older adults. Herralink was recently acquired by Goodwin Living, where she'll work to expand its volunteer base in Alexandria, Falls Church, and Arlington. In the future, she hopes to scale her program across the country to create more friendships between the ages.

Key Takeaways

• Herralink connects high school students with residents in senior communities, coordinating directly with high school principals.
• Intergenerational programming reduces loneliness for both young adults and older adults.
• The program has more than 900 registered volunteers from 40 different high schools, connected them with 2,000 residents in 12 senior communities.
• Herralink’s services include one-hour activities for students to do arts and crafts, bingo, games, or chit chat sessions with residents, and a more meaningful one-on-one program where students connect with one resident identified as having little to no visitors.
• The loneliness that young adults experience in compounded by “digital echo chambers” that lack meaningful connection.