WS Chronicle

By Judie Holcomb-Pack

When was the last time you shared a conversation over lunch with a young person you did not know? Even in families, the times older adults spend just talking with younger people may be brief and limited in depth.

For Tara Ebrahimi, executive director of marketing and communication at Wake Forest School of Law, bringing together Wake law students and older adults to spend time in conversation was an interesting idea.

“I applied for a grant through the Program for Leadership & Character at Wake Forest to hold this program,” Ebrahimi explained. “The grants are meant to support special projects that emphasize leadership, character, soft skills, etc. I conceived of the idea of the Intergenerational Lunch Bunch because people often find it challenging to connect with others who are different from them.”

Ebrahimi reached out to Senior Services to participate in the program. “I wanted to create a space where Law School students, staff, and faculty could connect over a shared meal with seniors in the Winston-Salem community to:

*Enhance verbal communication skills by engaging in meaningful conversations, ask thoughtful questions, and effectively express thoughts and ideas.

*Cultivate respect for diverse viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences.

*Reflect on personal values, beliefs, and biases through interactions with seniors, gaining insight into their own character strengths and areas for growth.

On Oct. 11 the Intergenerational Lunch Bunch met at the Intergenerational Center for Art and Wellness, bringing together volunteers from Age-Friendly Forsyth and Senior Services to pair up with law students. Although groups were supplied with talking points, they weren’t needed. The tables filled up and conversations flowed.

Nancy Young, an older participant, said, “I think the event was great on many levels. I’m sure other tables had such different conversations.” Continuing, Young said, “While there was great discussion at my table, for me, the most rewarding thing was being able to talk to people from the law school about the needs of family caregivers for the elderly. Those needs become even more crucial when the person being cared for is at some stage of dementia. The two law school representatives at our table were so interested in all the nuances caregivers face when dealing with the legal system and asked such good, probing questions.”  

The conversations also touched on Senior Services. Young said, “Additionally, we were able to help them understand the resources Senior Services provides  – and the opportunities that are available for the overall community at the Intergenerational Center.  In fact, I think they may sign up for some of the classes there since it is so convenient from their work.”

Another older participant was David Winship, who lives in Bristol, Tennessee,  was in town visiting his girlfriend and joined her at the Lunch Bunch. He said, “Having the opportunity and encouragement to speak with someone younger gave me a chance to share perspectives and observations I’ve had over the years. The Intergenerational Center and the Wake Forest School of Law brought us together like I’ve never done before. I hope they will be able to do this again.”

Ebrahimi was very pleased with how the lunch conversations went. “I think the event went incredibly well! Everyone was so engaged and enthusiastic, people didn’t want it to end! I did a survey for the Wake Forest Law participants and 100% of respondents said they would participate again and 100% of respondents enjoyed the event ‘very much.’ “

Below is some of the feedback from the students:

*”It was lovely getting to know the seniors and learning what a day in the life is like for them. I also found it very interesting to learn of the different services that are offered at the center.”

*”I enjoyed how the actual lunch wasn’t as structured. Everyone could sit where they chose, some of the seniors even came up to the Wake Forest folks. It was all very natural.”

*”I enjoyed learning how to use reflective statements and summaries to further the threads of conversation. I used them during the conversation, which led to a great conversation with my lunchmates about their experiences growing up in Winston!”

The participants were enjoying the conversations so much that they stayed past the time the lunch was scheduled to end and some continued their conversations as they left the meeting room. Hopefully, this event will lead to both the students and the older participants being more open to future conversations with people of different age backgrounds and recognize commonalities they share.