At Conversations to Remember, the power of connection transcends time and distance. Our journey began with a simple act of compassion, sparked by the love of two young adults for their grandmother.

In 2019, Aaron Lefkowitz, a high school sophomore, found himself inspired to make a difference in the lives of seniors after witnessing his grandmother’s battle with dementia in an assisted living community. Determined to bring joy and companionship, Aaron volunteered his time visiting seniors in a nearby community. Meanwhile, his sister, Ilana, attending college far away, found solace in virtual visits with their grandmother.

Then, the world faced an unprecedented challenge as COVID-19 forced senior communities to close their doors. Aaron, unable to physically be with the seniors he had come to know, refused to let the bonds break. He reached out to the senior community where he had been volunteering, and asked if he and a friend could visit with a senior virtually, like he now was doing with his grandmother. The community agreed, and the two friends began weekly visits with one of the seniors in the community’s memory care unit. When Aaron told another friend about what he was doing, she wanted to participate too. That led to a second call. As Aaron and his friends virtually connected with seniors every week, the impact was undeniable. The simple act of conversation brought immeasurable joy and comfort to those who needed it the most. Before long, there were more calls than the senior community was able to support with their staff.

Ilana saw what had started, and its capacity to help people. Together, she and Aaron approached their parents, and suggested growing the program into a real organization that could help seniors with dementia everywhere. The Lefkowitz family, united in their commitment to easing the loneliness of isolated seniors, embarked on a journey that would become Conversations to Remember. Collectively, they brought diverse skills to the table: Eve, an experienced attorney and entrepreneur, took charge of overseeing program operations as executive director; Robert, with a background in technology, applied his expertise to design scalable technology solutions that could handle the growth that they anticipated; Ilana brought insight of what college students would need to make the program a success, and leveraged her design skills to run the social media accounts; Aaron recruited friends to participate, and helped to introduce them to the virtual visits. 

What started as a local effort, soon blossomed into a national movement as word spread to young adults across the country. Conversations to Remember reached out to senior communities far and wide, bridging gaps and fostering connections between generations. Because so many seniors were feeling isolated, their communities requested virtual visits for seniors who did not have dementia. Compassionate as they were, Conversations to Remember expanded its mission from helping seniors with dementia to helping all seniors.

Today, we stand as a testament to the transformative power of conversation. With students from every state and seniors from across the nation participating, Conversations to Remember continues to be a beacon of hope and companionship for those who may otherwise feel alone.

Join us in our mission to forge meaningful connections through intergenerational conversation. Together, let’s make every conversation one to remember.