When his 92-year-old grandmother Eileen couldn’t travel anymore, New Yorker Mike Matthews wanted to give her a way to connect with others. He had no idea how his simple idea would take off.
Starting in 2012, Mike set up a weekly pop-up lemonade stand – equipped with a laptop computer facing a portable chair – on random New York City sidewalks. Through the magic of FaceTime, Eileen’s smiling face appeared on the screen all the way from her home near Seattle, and she connected with strangers in New York who were willing to sit and chat for a few minutes.
The popular Grandma Stand was born.
Eileen “had so much love to give” that Mike was determined to help her share it. The people she talked to felt seen and heard, and she felt useful. A win-win!
When Eileen passed away in 2018 at the age of 102(!!), Mike retired the stand. He thought that was the end of that.
Little did he know that the Grandma Stand was just getting started.
Six years passed. A global pandemic and countless social, political and economic challenges plagued the world. Like many of us, Mike felt the increasing division in our country. So he resurrected the Grandma Stand, hoping to connect strangers once again.
And that’s just what it’s done.
Grandma Eileen is no longer with us, but 30 other grandmas from around the country have picked up right where she left off. Since 2024, the Grandma Stand once again pops up on the streets of New York every week. The grandmas appear virtually through the laptop (like Eileen once did) or in person behind the stand. Either way, they continue Eileen’s legacy by providing the wisdom “of experience and unconditional love” to those who need it.
A sign poses the question of the day. Topics range from heavy (“what’s something you need to let go of?” or “what’s a risk you took that changed your life?”) to light (“what brings you joy right now?”). The prompt encourages strangers to skip through small talk and dive into more meaningful interaction.
It works. The stand’s visitors feel like they can open up to the kind grandmas in ways they might not be able to with people they know. And they might even get a grandma hug before they leave!
Mike brought back the stand to honor his grandma and connect people, but he says Eileen also knew it was important to “value senior citizens” and not “look past them.” The grandmas serving at the stand feel needed and get as much out of the experience as the strangers they talk with.
During this Women’s History Month, we rightfully recognize the achievements of well-known women who have moved the needle in the name of progress for their communities and our world. But it’s just as important to recognize the lesser-known women in our families who paved the way for each of us to thrive – including the grandmas and older mentors who sometimes feel overlooked and undervalued.
We are grateful to you. You – and your contributions – matter.
Reach out to your own grandma and other influential women in your life and let them know how much they mean to you! It’s one of the easiest – and most meaningful – things you can do.
Happy Women’s History Month!
To see the grandmas in action, check out @grandmastand on Instagram and TikTok. You can even nominate someone who’d enjoy being part of the Grandma Stand – would your grandma do it?!
