“Food is love,” said Joe Scaravella, the main character of Netflix’s new film Nonna’s, a heartwarming story about a man who, in honor of his recently passed mother, opens a restaurant on Staten Island with a staff of chefs comprised of local grandmothers.
For Scaravella—like for many of us—food connected the community. Preparing a meal, sitting at the table with your closest friends and family, and enjoying the smells, tastes, and memories that come along with the experience is a tradition as old as time. It brings us together through both the good periods of life and its challenges.
Through a partnership with the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services, the Fordham GSS Henry C. Ravazzin Center on Intergenerational Studies hosted an intergenerational movie watch party at the Westchester campus on June 25 for local residents to connect over a screening of Nonna’s and a meal afterward.
Fordham Westchester was one of the sites in the county selected for the initiative. The thrust of the afternoon was to promote the value of intergenerational collaboration and foster community and belonging for Westchester residents of all ages.
After the film screening, participants gathered for an on-campus meal. The arrangement was indicative of the event’s goal: participants waited in line and chatted before their turn at the family-style buffet, before sitting side-by-side at one long table ideal for fostering deeper conversation about the movie, the food, and one another.
Participants left campus with full stomachs, a complimentary oven mitt supplied by the county, and, most importantly, a new circle of friends and shared memories. The Ravazzin Center looks forward to hosting more events that bridge generations and strengthen community bonds.
