{"id":30660,"date":"2026-09-30T11:41:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-30T11:41:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=30660"},"modified":"2026-09-30T11:41:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-30T11:41:13","slug":"jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-student-senior-care-movement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=30660","title":{"rendered":"Jiya Joshi was rejected from volunteering at a nursing home at 14; she later built a lifesaving 500-student senior care movement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-134586251,imgsize-982867,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-student-senior-care-movement-.jpg\" alt=\"Jiya Joshi was rejected from volunteering at a nursing home at 14; she later built a lifesaving 500-student senior care movement\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Jiya Joshi lost her beloved grandmother at 14 and decided to volunteer at a nursing home. But getting rejected from there inspired her to begin a movement uniting generations through friendship, compassion and caring.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>A love lost too soon<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>Jiya was only two when her grandparents arrived from India to Texas, to help care for her while her parents were at work. Her grandmother, Saroj, drove her to school and cooked her the most delicious snacks. Her entire day was wrapped around them and the two formed a close bond, sharing long conversations about life, school and friends.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"5\"\/>When she was in third grade, her grandparents returned to India, but distance only made the heart grow fonder, and they spoke on the phone regularly once a week.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"9\"\/>The year she turned 14, Jiya lost her grandmother, whom she called &#8216;Dadi&#8217; and the loss left an aching void inside her, often leaving her feeling lonely. While she had her parents and friends to talk to, it wasn&#8217;t the same. They didn&#8217;t carry the same wisdom and gentle kindness as her grandmother did.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"11\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>Filling the void<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<div data-pos=\"0\" class=\"id-r-component iIpbx undefined  &#10;        \">\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Jiya Joshi is the founder of Young and Old United\" msid=\"134586324\" imgsize=\"952868\" resizemode=\"4\" width=\"\" title=\"Within two years of service, Jiya has helped 4,000 seniors, built a network of more than 70 youth volunteers and spread the initiative in more than 11 countries through an ambassador program.\" placeholdersrc=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/83033472.cms\" offsetvertical=\"0\" placeholdermsid=\"47529300\" type=\"thumb\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/photo\/imgsize-952868,msid-134586324\/jiya-joshi-is-the-founder-of-young-and-old-united.jpg\" data-api-prerender=\"true\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Within two years of service, Jiya has helped 4,000 seniors, built a network of more than 70 youth volunteers and spread the initiative in more than 11 countries through an ambassador program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"14\"\/>This is when an idea struck. \u201cWhat if I visit a nursing home? Maybe the residents would enjoy a visit as much as I would?\u201d she asked. Jiya decided to volunteer at a nursing home and after being put on hold several times, she finally reached the nursing home volunteer coordinator: &#8220;I want to volunteer and visit,&#8221; she explained, as per a report by Woman&#8217;s World.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"18\"\/>The administrator was welcoming until she learnt Jiya was only 14. \u201cWe don\u2019t allow volunteers under 18,\u201d she declared. \u201cOur staff doesn\u2019t have time to care for both children and our seniors.\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"21\"\/>Jiya&#8217;s heart was crushed, and not just due to the rejection. There was also the lingering grief of having lost one of her favourite people in the world, her Dadi. After several more refusals to volunteer, she decided to do something different.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>\u201cCould I come just once \u2014 a trial visit?\u201d she asked Sharon Williams, Activities Director at Houston\u2019s Landon Ridge Assisted Living. \u201cIf it doesn\u2019t work, I won\u2019t bother you again.\u201d <!-- -->Williams was touched by the girl&#8217;s sincerity and decided to agree. &#8220;Let&#8217;s give it a try,&#8221; she said and Jiya was over the moon.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>Jiya arrived for her first visit at the centre with a box of supplies. She approached a group of seniors in a recreation area, put on a bright smile and introduced herself. \u201cI\u2019m Jiya. Would you like to paint with me?\u201d \u201cI love painting!\u201d exclaimed a woman named Betty and soon she was regaling Jiya with incredible tales of her years as a nurse in Vietnam.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"30\"\/>\u201cI was a pilot fighting the Germans in World War II,\u201d said a second resident, and a third rushed off and returned with a chunk of concrete. \u201cYou mentioned Germany; this is part of the Berlin Wall, a piece of history,\u201d she explained.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"32\"\/>As the word of a youthful stranger spread, residents who rarely left their rooms came out to see what the excitement was about. By the end of her visit, Jiya had made a dozen new friends and spread even more smiles. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen them so active,\u201d Sharon marvelled as she helped Jiya pack up. \u201cYou\u2019re coming back, right?\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"34\"\/>Jiya returned every Saturday that summer. While the residents loved having such a lively young person around to hold conversation and company with, Jiya loved their stories and affectionate hugs.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/><\/p>\n<div data-type=\"in_view\" class=\"  \">\n<div class=\"sQLTU timeline_pollWrapper_as  \" data-scrollga=\"scroll#poll_view\">\n<div>\n<p>How important do you feel it is to connect younger generations with seniors?<\/p>\n<div class=\"iN00Z\">\n<div class=\"eG6Oq\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<div class=\"W30C0\">\n<p>3k+ users shared opinion today<!-- --> <span class=\"vIYbn\"\/><\/p>\n<p>5k+ users already voted today<!-- --> <span class=\"vIYbn\"\/><\/p>\n<p>3k+ users shared opinion today<!-- --> <span class=\"vIYbn\"\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/polls\/polls-in-articles\/how-important-do-you-feel-it-is-to-connect-younger-generations-with-seniors\/pollopinions\/134591257.cms?src=articleshow\" class=\"pd_MH\" commonstate=\"[object Object]\" frmappuse=\"1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Share Opinion<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/><\/p>\n<p><h2>A generational movement<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<p>When school started again, Jiya invited her friends to join her and many of them said yes. The teens visited in pairs and after a few outings, many told Jiya, &#8220;This is the most fun I&#8217;ve had volunteering.&#8221;<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"42\"\/>It was one invitation from Betty that caught her by surprise. &#8220;Betty asked me to keep her company at the senior home\u2019s 4th of July event because she did not have any family to eat with her at the event,&#8221; Jiya shared. This is when she thought about how many seniors were in need of active company. <!-- -->Roughly one in four Americans aged 65 and older is socially isolated, and 30\u201335% of seniors report feeling lonely at least some of the time.<!-- --> This isolation is linked to serious health risks, including higher rates of depression, heart disease, stroke, and cognitive decline.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"47\"\/>As interest spread, Jiya founded a youth-led non-profit organisation, Young and Old United, a movement that allowed teens to volunteer at elder care facilities while spreading love and support among hundreds of seniors across Houston.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"50\"\/>Generations were united through the feelings of friendship, compassion and care. Within two years of service, Jiya has helped 4,000 seniors, built a network of more than 70 youth volunteers and spread the initiative in more than 11 countries through an ambassador program. Together, they have raised $9,000 through local fundraisers and grants and partnered with dentists to obtain dental kits to include in hygiene kits.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"53\"\/>Hundreds of middle and high school students have begun making regular nursing home visits across the state. She mobilises youth volunteers to assemble and personally deliver hygiene kits to isolated and underrepresented seniors, offer spa days to senior women, and conduct senior interviews. YOU has also won thousands of dollars in grants from Youth Service America, AmeriCorps, and H.E.B and has an ongoing partnership with staff from United Airlines, providing hygiene kits.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"57\"\/>\u201cTheir eyes light up when they see her coming,\u201d said Sharon. &#8220;My grandmother was a bright personality. She was a safe space where I could talk about anything. Then, when she left my life, I sought to regain the strongest connection I had ever built by reaching out to seniors within my own neighbourhood,&#8221; Jiya told Bold Journey.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"59\"\/>\u201cOur seniors still have so much to offer,\u201d Jiya insists. \u201cMy grandmother taught me that. I can feel her smiling down on me!\u201d<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"61\"\/>Jiya hopes to help more than 3000+ seniors in 2026.<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/world\/us\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-student-senior-care-movement\/articleshow\/134586187.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jiya Joshi lost her beloved grandmother at 14 and decided to volunteer at a nursing home. But getting rejected from there inspired her to begin a movement uniting generations through friendship, compassion and caring. A love lost too soon Jiya was only two when her grandparents arrived from India to Texas, to help care for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":30661,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30660","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s-150x150.avif","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s-300x169.avif","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/jiya-joshi-was-rejected-from-volunteering-at-a-nursing-home-at-14-she-later-built-a-lifesaving-500-s.avif"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Jiya Joshi lost her beloved grandmother at 14 and decided to volunteer at a nursing home. 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