Washington DC, April 21, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit aging services providers, and StoryCorps, the nonprofit dedicated to building connections between people through storytelling, are partnering to help older adults across the country stay connected with family and friends in these unprecedented and challenging times. The collaboration brings StoryCorps Connect, a new free digital platform developed to address the pressing need for connection during the coronavirus pandemic, to older adults, their families, caregivers across America, with the goal of conducting and recording meaningful remote conversations between loved ones.
“Our thousands of members nationwide work hard every day not just to keep the older people they serve healthy and safe, but also to help them stay connected with their families—even when they can't come visit. We applaud StoryCorps for recognizing the need for relationship during this pandemic,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge. “Our members engage and serve older adults in settings across the care continuum, from affordable and senior living communities to nursing homes, in-home care and hospice, all places rich with narrative possibility. We’re excited to introduce LeadingAge members to the StoryCorps Connect platform and encourage older adults to share their life experiences..
Since 2003, StoryCorps has brought more than 600,000 Americans together—two at a time—to record intimate, face-to-face conversations about their lives, create human connection, pass wisdom from one generation to the next, and leave a legacy for the future. The organization developed StorCorps Connect in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, motivated by the belief that at this time of physical separation, StoryCorps can provide a critical public service to increase connection to others and reduce the impact of isolation, particularly on elders. StoryCorps Connect is powered by global business cloud communications provider Vonage, through the Vonage Video API. The conversations become instantly accessible and shareable through StoryCorps’ Online Archive and are preserved for future generations at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. StoryCorps is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.
LeadingAge members can access the StoryCorps Connect platform online and help residents easily set up an interview with a loved one or one of their care partners.
“Elders are experiencing the COVID-19 crisis—the isolation and loneliness, in addition to the health risks—with particular acuteness. We hope StoryCorps Connect will provide a source of connection, comfort, and meaning for elders across America. We are proud to partner with LeadingAge on this effort,” said Dave Isay, founder and president of StoryCorps.
Learn more about StoryCorps Connect and the StoryCorps mission to record, preserve, and share humanity’s stories.
About LeadingAge: We represent more than 5,000 aging-focused organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we address critical issues by blending applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building. We bring together the most inventive minds in our field to support older adults as they age wherever they call home. We make America a better place to grow old. For more information: www.leadingage.org
About StoryCorps: Founded in 2003 by Dave Isay, StoryCorps has given people of all backgrounds and beliefs, in thousands of towns and cities in all 50 states, the chance to record interviews about their lives.
StoryCorps is a national institution that fosters a culture of listening in the United States; celebrates the dignity, power and grace that can be heard in the stories we find all around us; and helps us recognize that every life and every story matters equally. In the coming years StoryCorps hopes to touch the lives of every American family.