New York ( CNN ) -- `` Before my mother 's ... experience , I never even looked at seniors on the street , '' said Irene Zola . `` They were pretty much invisible to me . '' In 2008 , Zola 's mother , Faye , was admitted into a nursing home after suffering a stroke . `` I knew from that very first night I would have to spend a lot of time there , '' she said . `` I did n't want to leave my mother in a place where people were ignoring her . '' Four months later , Zola 's mother passed away . `` I was outraged that our culture does n't have a place for very old people except in nursing homes , '' she said . `` I decided that I wanted to do something about that . '' A New York native and 30-year resident of Morningside Heights -- a neighborhood on Manhattan 's upper west side -- Zola researched the senior population and how their needs were being met and found a solution in her own backyard . `` [ A ] friend said , 'What about having some people in our neighborhood taking care of the elders who live here ? ' `` Borrowing on that idea , Zola started Morningside Village in 2009 , an initiative that pairs the elderly in her neighborhood with local volunteers who assist them with their day-to-day needs . Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes . `` Sometimes it 'll be a stroll , or shopping or helping them pay their bills . We 're their daughters and sons helping them to manage their home life , '' said Zola , 64 . All the seniors and most of the volunteers live within a 24-block area . Volunteers range in age from 18 to 81 and include college and graduate students , doctors , lawyers and social workers . `` I wanted to establish something to support the aging-in-place community and bring people across generations together , '' Zola said . According to the U.S. Census Bureau , approximately 40 million people older than 65 live alone . That number is expected to grow as baby boomers reach their twilight years . `` Families are living far away from their older mother [ or ] father . So who 's there to take care of old people ? '' Zola said . Older parents often do n't tell their children about their needs because they fear being a burden or being put into a nursing home . `` This is one way a community can help provide informal care that really makes a difference in the lives of the old people , '' she said . Morningside Village is just one initiative of Zola 's nonprofit , S.O.S. , Support Our Seniors . In addition to its efforts to improve the quality of elder care , the group hosts an annual awards event to honor older adults and is working with educators to create high school and college courses to increase the visibility of the elderly . All Morningside Village volunteers go through the group 's application process and orientation . They are advised how to interact with seniors and given wheelchair and emergency training . Zola pairs a veteran volunteer with a novice and then teams them up with a senior with similar interests . In addition to companionship , volunteers provide a wide range of assistance tailored to the needs of the elders , including help with home management , grocery shopping and meal preparation as well as accompanying them to doctor 's appointments . For 96-year-old Dolores Saborido , Zola 's group not only helps her face the challenges of living independently , it also provides her with hope . In the past year , Saborido has fallen twice . The second fall left her bedridden and depressed until a friend introduced her to Zola . `` When I first met Dolores she spent her days thinking about how her casket would look , '' Zola said . `` We got her a whole team of doctors , and now she has six to seven visits from Support Our Seniors ' volunteers every week . She does n't talk about caskets anymore . '' About 50 volunteers are tending to the needs of 27 elders . Zola believes that by limiting its reach , the group can maximize the feeling of community . That 's the case for 24-year-old volunteer Caroline Pavloff . `` It 's nice , '' Pavloff said . `` It 's made me feel more connected to my own neighbors and my own neighborhood . '' Still an active volunteer herself , Zola said her neighbors have turned into family . She said she hopes to see Morningside Villages pop up across the country and plans to help those who want to replicate the program . `` Some people believe that old age is a time when people stop learning , but it 's not . And so why not live life to the fullest to the end ? '' she said . `` That 's what I love to see . '' Want to get involved ? Check out the Lifeforce in Later Years ( LiLY ) website at lifeforce-in-later-years.org and see how to help .
New York native was outraged at lack of options to nursing homes after mother 's stroke . She started an initiative to pair elderly with neighborhood volunteers to help with daily needs . Score: 6 Do you know a hero ? Nominations are open for 2010 CNN Heroes .