On Sept. 25, nearly 100 seniors gathered in Middletown to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with food, music, games and conversation. Hosted by Heritage Bridge Foundation Inc., the event offered seniors an opportunity to reconnect with friends, meet new people and celebrate a traditional holiday together.
For Heritage Bridge founder Momo Dong, the gathering represented more than a holiday celebration. It was the beginning of a larger effort to create a supportive and active community for seniors in the United States.
From Toronto to Middletown
Dong and her team have more than 10 years of experience working with seniors in Canada. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she saw how isolation affected older adults and began helping seniors obtain food and other necessities.
That experience eventually developed into Maplecare New Canadian Services Centre in Scarborough, Toronto, which grew into a community with hundreds of members and regular activities, including singing, fitness, computer classes, English learning and social gatherings.
Now, through Heritage Bridge Foundation, the same team is bringing that experience to Middletown.
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“We saw so many elderly people who were very lonely,” Dong said. “When they came out of a difficult situation, they became very happy and confident.”
She said the goal is to help seniors remain active, connected and involved in their communities.
Mid-Autumn Festival: a celebration of family and friendship
For many participants, the Mid-Autumn Festival was an opportunity to recreate the feeling of a family gathering.
“Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional Chinese festival,” Dong said. “It is a day for the whole family to come together. For Chinese people, or Asian people, family is the most important.”
Ninety-four-year-old Xiangding Zeng, the oldest senior at the celebration, appreciated the opportunity to meet and communicate with others.
“This activity is very good,” Zeng said. “Everyone can communicate with each other and join this group.”
Some attendees also reunited with old friends, while others met fellow seniors for the first time.
Building bridges across cultures
The celebration also brought together people from different cultural backgrounds.
Gail Rachlin, 83, attended after being invited by a friend. She has practiced meditation for 27 years and has traveled to China five times. For her, the Mid-Autumn Festival was another way to experience the importance of gathering with others.
“I think it’s important because as a senior, you’re alone,” Rachlin said. “I think it’s wonderful.”
Caregiver Cathy Jin also welcomed the opportunity for seniors to socialize.
“It is a very precious opportunity for them to have this special environment to relax, be happy and know each other,” Jin said. “I really appreciate that they provide this kind of opportunity for seniors to socialize and connect with others.”
Support from the local community
The event also received support from local officials. Middletown Mayor Joseph M. DeStefano attended and presented Dong with a City of Middletown certificate of recognition.
“I was surprised by the great turnout,” DeStefano said. “One common goal, to socialize and celebrate—that’s really what the event is all about.”
Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus also issued a commendation recognizing Heritage Bridge Foundation’s work with seniors and its efforts to strengthen community connections.
For Dong, serving seniors is also a way of giving back to the country where she now lives.
“We elderly people immigrated to the United States from other countries, and the U.S. government has helped us,” Dong said. “So I was thinking, how can we give back to the U.S. government? Let’s help them become healthier and integrate into society sooner, and also help save the country a lot of medical expenses.”
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