“Joseph, like many of us, seemed wary of opening up to eager, gleeful strangers who suddenly turned up in his life,” recalls Rachel, who, along with her husband Austin, has been matched with Joseph since 2024.
Rachel's observation captures the initial awkwardness, the time it takes to build trust, and the sheer strangeness of an arrangement in which people who might never otherwise have crossed paths suddenly find themselves in each other's lives.
From Gleeful to Grounded
Austin, Rachel, and Joseph shopping for shoes.
Joseph spoke about how much he missed going shopping since he moved into the nursing home. As a retired fashion designer, he loved buying nice shoes and clothes. He expressed interest in a neighborly friend who could go with him outside from time to time.
Austin shared that while completing his residency, he was looking for a way to build a relationship with a neighbor in need as a welcomed break from his work and studies.
And so they met. But it didn't start out as smoothly as you'd think.
From Strange to Familiar
The relationship between Austin, Rachel, and Joseph was slow to take off. The idea of getting outside was put off due to sickness, bad weather, and other obstacles.
But, as Rachel recounts, "...after several visits, mostly just sitting at the same table during worship services, we got to see the real Joseph, and hear of a life that began in the Bronx and blossomed into an artistic one... a man who holds a deep love for his late partner and his family."
Joseph says, "Meeting them has been a godsend. They visit me a lot. I appreciate them very very much.”
Austin says,
“We love Joseph’s humor, hearing his stories about growing up in the Bronx, and learning about his former life as a designer for Oscar De La Renta.
Our time together helps pull us out of the busyness of school and work and re-focuses us on what’s important. Relationships imbue life with meaning and joy. ”
And so they went from gleeful to grounded, from strange to familiar. Rachel captures the essence of their authentic connection when she says,
"Joseph is our sweet, old curmudgeon-friend we are so thankful to have made.”
