Approximately 50 residents of the Niagara Falls Housing Authority’s Wrobel and Spallino towers in Niagara Falls participated in BINGO games hosted by Niagara University’s Rose Bente Lee Ostapenko Center in November 2025. These community programming events were intended to promote engagement and social connection among the senior residents.
“BINGO offers a fun and accessible way for seniors to stay both socially and cognitively engaged,” said Jessica Fernandez, a senior social work major and Ostapenko intern. “Hosting events where residents can participate in activities like these allows them to build stronger connections. We also hope to strengthen each resident’s sense of community and support their well-being.”
“Scholarly literature tells us that intergenerational connections are positive for both the senior and the young adult,” said Dr. Rolanda L. Ward, endowed faculty director of the Ostapenko Center and chair of the social work department. “Additionally, social work values the importance of human relationships. The center’s senior isolation project is a wonderful example that it doesn’t take much to promote positive connections in independent living settings.”
