GlamourGals: Sharing Love and Care at The Mews in Greenwich

Two members of the Greenwich High School class of 2024 passed their community service torch to their younger sisters this week.

Minnetta Arlotti, who graduated on Tuesday along with her friend Gia Elezaj, explained that the regular visits to seniors at The Mews on Arch Street in Greenwich were an outgrowth of a project in GHS Honors Civics class taught by Courtney Powers.

Though the civics volunteer requirement was just five hours, the visits were enjoyable, and they decided to continue their visits.

Rather than start a club at GHS, Minnetta started a chapter of GlamourGals, which is a national network of over 100 volunteer chapters that connect thousands of teens in high school and college to seniors in care, providing invaluable companionship and kindness.

In her junior year, Minnetta recruited eight other teens including Gia for the effort in Greenwich.

Noting that over 60% of seniors in care do not receive visitors, the mission of GlamourGals is to make seniors simply feel loved, listened to and appreciated.

While awareness of social isolation and loneliness of older adults grew during the pandemic, the benefits of intergenerational connections became apparent to Minnetta and Gia, who partnered with The Mews to bring manicures and makeovers to seniors the first Sunday of every month.

Minnetta and Gia – headed to San Diego State University and The University of Mississippi in the fall respectively – went on to recruit their sisters, Scarlett Arlotti and Gemma Elezaj, to take over the leadership of the Greenwich chapter.

In Greenwich, the girls provide companionship, conversation, and of course the GlamourGirls signature beauty experience that makes the people feel special.

This week the Arlotti and Elezaj sisters reflected on their visits to seniors at The Mews, and some of the residents they had come to know, including at least one centenarian.

They said many residents had relayed stories of loss, including close friends and spouses they had outlived, and how they had become reluctant to make new friends out of fear of losing them as well.

“I feel that our visits give them a chance to make new connections without having that fear,” Gia said.

“It also gives them a chance to talk about things that have happened in their lives, and make connections to us,” Minnetta said. “One woman talked about how when she was young she had done dance and cheerleading, like we do. It’s amazing to see how well people do when around youth – they feel youthful too.”

“Even some of the men join us and get their nails filed and have a conversation with us,” Gia said. “We set up in the TV room and there are always people who come and talk to us.”

In fact the girls said, the residents had been so grateful, one even brought them a special manicure light to better see their nails.

Though the Greenwich GlamourGals is not affiliated with GHS, Minnetta and Gia hope that by passing down leadership of the chapter to their sisters, the effort will carry on for years to come.