During this time, I also felt valued for my work because I knew it had an impact on customers who were able to buy clothes for a few pounds; for Oxfam, which was then able to redistribute the money to help people in need; and for the rest of the volunteers with whom I was talking and sharing my stories, as well as listening to theirs. During these three month, I spent more time with the elderly volunteers than I spent with my grandmother in the past few years. If I felt valued by my time spent in this association "despite having many friends and projects, so never feeling lonely or useless," the volunteers, especially the elderly who only had the association, must also feel valued. From this experience, I trust elderly people will be willing to give their time for free in exchange for spending time with other people, feeling valued and receiving free coffee. In addition, I know that people will join this learning community since the prices will be low and they are actually looking to share stories, learn and meet new people. 2. International best practices To prove the feasibility of my business, I present international best practices that encourage intergenerational exchange. a) Humanitas, Netherlands Humanitas is one of the main social services and community building organizations in the Netherlands. This non-profit association aims to support people who, for a range of reasons, temporarily cannot manage on their own. Among the different programs it offers, Humanitas helps elderly people combat loneliness with the aid of young people: ● Vriendschappelijk Huisbezoek (friendly home visit): people can visit old people to have conversations with them ● Humanitas Taalmaatjes: this service helps people learn Dutch ● Humanitas Ontmoeting: this service allows people to meet new people ● Humanitas Maatjes: people go out with someone (such as helping an old person shop or go to the park). 6 112 6 https://www.humanitas.nl/themas/eenzaamheid/
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