Bridging Generations, One Coffee Chat at a Time

When AARP volunteer Michael Friedman introduced his Saturday morning “Coffee Chats” on Zoom, he was just 19—a college sophomore with a passion for connecting across generations. What started as a few presentations on technology, science, health and memory quickly grew into a national series, drawing hundreds of AARP members across the country eager to learn and engage.

But Michael’s story didn’t begin there. As a youngster in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, he visited senior living communities with his family’s farm animals—and a piano repertoire that lit up the room. “AARP’s motto, ‘to serve rather than be served,’ just made sense to me,” he says.

When COVID-19 shut down in-person visits, Michael found a new way to stay connected. A nursing home friend introduced him to Audrey Galloway, AARP North Carolina’s Manager of Outreach and Advocacy, who connected him with the Mountain Region team. From there, his virtual chats took off.

“One of my goals is to help people understand their health better,” Friedman explains, whose interest in health goes beyond aging.

Now a first-year medical student, Michael still carves out time to volunteer. “That’s one of the most powerful pieces of it,” he says. “I’m volunteering, but I’m being enriched so much by getting to connect with others.”

His bond with older adults is deeply personal. “That’s something I’ve always valued about being close with my grandparents—having these conversations with people who grew up in a different time and have a very different perspective on everything.”

Michael’s story is a reminder, especially at this time of the year, of the opportunity to gather with family, inviting cross-generational sharing and learning.

Find events both in-person and virtual by checking out AARP Local Events Listings.

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