Our Mission:

To create a vibrant and inclusive community to enhance the quality of life for seniors through fellowship, creativity, and enrichment. We strive to empower seniors to connect, learn, and share, fostering a vibrant community where they can thrive in their golden years.

Mandate:

• Provide opportunities for seniors to showcase their talents and enjoy entertainment by their peers, including performances such as informative talks, songs, dances, and plays.
• Host informative sessions with expert speakers addressing critical topics such as health, social issues, and financial planning tailored to the needs of retired seniors.
• Offer shared meal experiences that promote camaraderie and togetherness.
• Ensure every activity and initiative celebrates the wisdom and contributions of seniors while addressing their unique needs and interests.

GSSM – Gujarati Seniors is an offshoot of a group originally founded by five visionary seniors who foresaw the needs of today’s seniors and acted upon them with dedication and foresight.

This remarkable group is fondly remembered by their cherished titles rather than their formal names. They are Joshikaka, Ramnikkaka, Bharkhadakaka, Manjulamasi (Jobanputra) and Bhattkaka. Their pioneering contributions will remain in the annals of GSSM history forever.

As time passed, the group expanded significantly. With growth came inevitable differences of opinion, leading to the formal establishment of GSSM-Gujarati Seniors entity in 2010. For brevity, it is called by shorter name of Gujarati Seniors.

The primary mission of Gujarati Seniors has always been to support seniors who face isolation due to advanced age, health challenges, financial difficulties, social constraints, and language barriers, particularly with English.

The demand for such a community quickly exceeded expectations. From a modest beginning, the membership grew to six hundred in just a few years. For the seniors, Gujarati Seniors became a true “home away from home” – a place to connect, form friendships, bond and find welcome escape from the difficulties of everyday life.

Most importantly, it provided them a space to open up, participate, and rediscover their talents and passions. Many seniors took to the stage for the first time, engaging in dancing, acting, lecturing, debating, and confidently addressing large audiences.

Our talented members, including actors, dancers, choreographers, photographers, writers, editors, and dedicated volunteers, collaborated to produce major theatrical productions and biannual feature magazines. Additionally, our community’s generosity has resulted in donations of hundreds of thousands of dollars to local hospitals in recognition of their exceptional service to seniors.

Our constitution, inspired by the best of the U.S. Constitution and the British parliamentary system, has guided us with integrity and purpose. We take pride in our consistent adherence to its principles.

Today, GSSM remains a vibrant community of five hundred and fifty members, with a substantial waiting list. Our growth is limited by challenges in manpower, securing large enough venues, as well as financial constraints posed by rising rental costs, wages, food expenses, insurance, and inflation.

Looking forward, our vision is to further expand on the “seniors for seniors” philosophy, fostering stronger support networks. We also aim to amplify our political voice within the multicultural society we belong to, ensuring Gujaratis are represented and not marginalized. 

We hope that other groups similar to ours will recognize the importance of unity and be inspired by our website and mission. Together, we can stand strong and advocate for the rights and well-being of all Gujaratis.