(NewsNation) — At its worst, being old and alone can mean endless days walking around the mall, movie matinees and solo restaurant meals. Even so-called “active” senior communities often turn craft and hobby classes into just another place to “park” all day.
84-year old Wallis Annenberg wanted to change that. The Southern California philanthropist opened GenSpace in 2022. The facility in Los Angeles’ Koreatown neighborhood is dedicated to “expanding the lives of older adults by forging new relationships and creative expression through storytelling, technology, art and horticultural therapy in beautiful green spaces,” according to the Annenberg Foundation’s website.
“GenSpace not only offers classes to its members but also serves as a think tank on longevity itself, investigating how to change the outdated conversation that tends to dominate how we think and talk about aging,” the website adds.
GenSpace’s inexpensive cost – about $10 a month – has created a collision of people from many different cultures, backgrounds and income levels. One patron says it’s a very different vibe from the traditional senior center.
One reason: the huge variety of classes, workshops and interest groups that include fitness classes, a horticultural class, financial safety instruction and a tech bar, where members get help managing their smartphones and other devices.
Last year GenSpace hosted a screening of the movie “80 for Brady,” and held a panel with the film’s stars Jane Fonda, Lilly Tomlin and Sally Field. The audience of more than 200 writers and executives heard the superstars talk about the importance of positive portrayals of older people on screen.
Jennifer Wong, director of GenSpace, said the facility’s ultimate goal is to disrupt negative stereotypes about aging. “Sickly, elderly, lack of mobility, almost done or done with life, done with having fun, and so how do we change that?” Wong told Spectrum News 1 in 2022.
GenSpace operates in a $3 million building with irregular windows, natural light, a sunken garden, a rooftop relaxation area and digital art. Wong said the space helps accomplish the organization’s goal:
“I think it’s so important that after several years of asking older adults to stay at home, we ask them to come back into community safely and have some really great opportunities for social connection,” she said.