Everyone wants to know their life matters. Sometimes, that begins with having someone listen.
That belief inspired Women Moving Millions member Lily Zhou to found Life Story Club in 2019. At a time when loneliness has become one of the defining public health challenges of aging—affecting nearly one in three older adults and contributing to an estimated $6.7 billion in excess Medicare spending each year—the organization offers a remarkably human response. Through storytelling circles, older adults find connection by sharing the experiences that have shaped their lives.
Each gathering is small by design, creating the trust that allows stories to surface naturally. Participants can listen or speak. Most are older women, including from immigrant and low-income communities where isolation is often compounded by language, economic, and social barriers. For many, it is the first time anyone has asked them to tell their story.
That combination of connection and creative expression is what drew WMM Member Susan Polsky to support the organization’s next phase of growth. Her investment will expand Life Story Club’s programming for older women while creating more opportunities for younger people to learn from their experiences.
It will also support the launch of a Women’s Voice & Creative Club Pilot, where longtime writers, artists, photographers, and other creatives will transform their experiences into work across narrative, visual and audio mediums that reach audiences beyond the circle.
