App pairs senior citizens with student companion for $25/hour
SUNNYVALE, Ca. -- An alarming new survey indicates that one in three Americans over 45 struggle with loneliness, yet a new app that connects college students with senior citizens wants to address this problem.
The app Mon Ami, which translates to "my friend" from French, was created by two Stanford graduates and entrepreneurs.
It matches students with like-minded seniors, who pay $25/hr for companionship visits.
"We have students who say DoorDash, Uber, are not really for me -- what I really want is to do something meaningful with my time," said Mon Ami co-founder Joy Zhang.
Ruthie Newman, an 86-year-old former art teacher, lives in an assisted living facility in Sunnyvale, California and met Laura through Mon Ami.
Newman's life passion was ceramics, so Laura, who teaches art to children and owns her own painting business, was a great fit.
They visit museums, go to lunch together, and paint, Newman's favorite activity.
"It helps me appreciate a lot of other things in my life. It's taught me a lot about just patience, appreciating the little things, and finding the humor in life," Laura said.
