At the Hempstead Housing Authority, senior citizens play board games, paint their nails and engage in bingo games with Hofstra University students up to three times per semester. These visits are led by Hofstra’s chapter of GlamourGals, a national organization made to empower young leaders to end senior loneliness.
“Essentially, we go to local senior homes and we spend time with senior citizens who don’t get a lot of visitors,” said GlamourGals president and senior art education major Rosalie Marfoglio. “In our case, it seems that they do actually get a lot of visitors, but they still really appreciate connecting with people our age, especially considering we’re local college students.”
Hofstra’s chapter of GlamourGals was founded in 2021 to decrease senior isolation after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Our organization’s members have gained a sense of confidence, compassion and creativity while working with local seniors as well as furthered their leadership skills,” GlamourGals’ mission statement reads. “We can’t wait for our new members to experience the gratification felt by our current and past members as they helped elders feel relaxed and cared for during these hard times.”
Although COVID-19 restrictions have greatly decreased, Hofstra’s GlamourGals continues to visit senior citizens who may feel isolated. They are continuing their original efforts while introducing new programs.
“We just did our first bingo night with the senior home,” said Shafrana Sharak, vice president of GlamourGals and senior health science major. “That’s a proud favorite because they really enjoyed it. We had the most turnout as well.”
GlamourGals introduced bingo nights to avoid the repetitive nature of the continuous meetings of nail painting and jewelry making.
“[Bingo] was a huge hit,” Marfoglio said. “We had guys from the wrestling team sneak into the senior home to play bingo. It was so cool.”
To join GlamourGals on their trips, students can join GlamourGals’ GroupMe page or direct message their Instagram account.
Not only does the club meet for trips to Hempstead Housing Authority, but they also host card-making events for seniors around the holidays.
“We’ll have card-making meetings – sometimes we’ll collaborate with other organizations – and people come to decorate their cards,” said GlamourGals public relations chair Aleena Thomas, a sophomore health science major. “Then, either one of us will go drop [the cards] off down the road, where one of the ladies there who runs the facility will distribute them to residents.”
Through the national organization, Hofstra’s chapter is able to make strong connections, not just in the local area, but also at a national level.
“We actually just went to the city for a ‘power brunch,’” said Gabriella DeLeon, a junior health science major and the club’s treasurer. “We have pretty good communication with the national branch. You can meet the founder, get LinkedIn endorsements, scholarships and recommendations. They have a lot to offer, and they always have regular events in the city.”
GlamourGals remains unique from other Hofstra clubs because of their connection to senior citizens and their national commitments.
DeLeon joined Hofstra’s chapter because she was involved in her high school’s GlamourGals chapter. At the Hofstra involvement fair, she was drawn to the club for its familiarity. Marfoglio and Sharak also spotted the organization at the involvement fair a year before DeLeon.
“Most of us found the club through the club fair that they have annually at the start of the year,” Sharak said. “They approached [Marfoglio and me to be on the executive board] after attending multiple meetings. Of course, we were a little hesitant about it, but we ended up running, and we’ve been with it for all our college years.”
Despite being nervous to accept leadership positions as sophomores, Marfoglio and Sharak are proud of their commitments to GlamourGals.
By carrying on the tradition of visiting senior homes, Hofstra’s GlamourGals remains a staple in Hofstra’s Office of Student Life and Engagement (OSLE). They even were recognized as the 2025 Outstanding Recognized Student Organization award by the OSLE office.
The GlamourGals executive board members encourage interested students to reach out to them or visit their GetInvolved site for more information.
