Members of the Westchester Senior Center interact during lunch in Los Angeles. “We wanted to find new friends,” said Andrew Wong, 86, who became a member after the pandemic. Andrew and his wife attend both the Westchester Senior Center and the Culver City Senior Center. He was motivated to join, so he could also take an iPhone education class. “At my age, it’s hard to learn.”
Older adults are among the fastest-growing populations in California. By 2030, residents over 65 are expected to outnumber those under 18, signaling a major demographic shift. Recognized as community focal points under the 1965 Older Americans Act, more than 11,000 senior centers operate nationwide, offering different services such as meals, wellness classes, and spaces that foster social bonds.
Research shows social isolation poses serious risks to older adults’ mental and physical health. As people age, many face compounding health needs, fixed incomes, transportation challenges, and the loss of spouses, housing, mobility, or independence. Senior centers provide community support, yet despite their significant role, both older adults and the programs that serve them largely remain underrepresented in media.
In this photo essay, Los Angeles–based photojournalist and filmmaker Isadora Kosofsky documents the long-term impact of COVID-19-related senior center closures, many of which were the first communal spaces to shut down and the last to reopen, tracing their gradual return to the present day. Her work spans multiple years and communities including Tehachapi, Lincoln Heights, Westchester, Watts, and Culver City.
“I have seen very little in-depth storytelling about senior centers,” she says. “They exist in nearly every ZIP code, yet we know so little about these spaces and the people who gather within them.”
The intimate photographs reflect moments of solitude and connection, illuminating senior centers as daily spaces for kinship and community. “Ultimately, the project is about belonging,” Kosofsky says. “In our unprecedented aging world, it is vital that we report on how older adults seek meaning and build new relationships.
