I am Lolo Sarnoff, President and Founder of Arts for the Aging which I started twelve years ago. When I became a senior, I realized that very few people were interested in under-privileged, physically and psychologically frail seniors–a large part of the general population.

Getting old is no fun. I can vouch for that. Getting old and infirm is worse. Getting old, sick and financially strapped is hard to cope with. Many people so afflicted react by becoming withdrawn often totally inactive or belligerent. About 80 percent of the participants in AFTA'S art classes suffer from Alzheimer's.

Early on we realized that every form of art is an inter-generational, inter-health and inter-mood bond between people and often reverses aggression and depression by giving the participants the tools to become creative. Being an artist myself, I know the positive power of creation on reversing negative experiences.

My friends have asked me why I created AFTA. I came to the conclusion that the driving force for me is the opportunity to make the less fortunate seniors happy or maybe happier if only for a limited time.

Happiness cannot be measured in time segments, it is a state of being–maybe the most important one.

To learn more about Arts For The Aging, Inc. (AFTA), please visit their web site at www.aftaarts.org.