Friendship Bench in DC
Implemented in partnership with HelpAge USA. Partner since 2023.
WHAT FRIENDSHIP BENCH IN DC IS
Friendship Bench in DC brings a simple idea to the nation's capital: trained community members sitting on a bench, offering free, confidential, one-on-one conversation to anyone who needs it. Launched in partnership with HelpAge USA in 2023 and rolled out citywide in early 2024, the program trains older adults - affectionately known as "Grandparents" - in basic talk therapy, the same evidence-based approach Dr. Dixon Chibanda first developed with grandmothers in Zimbabwe two decades ago.
Today, benches sit inside senior wellness centers, public schools, library branches, a church, and recreation centers across 18 host partner locations in Wards 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8 - bringing a Friendship Bench within walking distance of DC communities that have long faced real barriers to mental health care. A second cohort of Grandparents is now training to meet growing demand, with a particular focus on expanding into Wards 7 and 8.
The program is deliberately designed to be culturally responsive: Grandparents are African American women aged 60 and older, offering support to a community that is predominantly African American - a design choice grounded in research showing that racial concordance between provider and visitor builds trust, especially in a field where Black mental health professionals make up just 2% of practicing psychiatrists nationwide.
DELIVERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HELPAGE USA
HelpAge USA is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit and member of the HelpAge global network, working alongside older people to advance their wellbeing, inclusion, and right to a healthy, safe, and secure life. HelpAge USA is a recipient of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize.
In Washington, DC, a retired schoolteacher named Angela sits on a bench and listens — really listens — to whoever needs her. She's one of the trained Grandparents bringing this model to life.
~700
sessions delivered since launch
18
host partner locations / implementation sites across DC
67%
of screened Visitors saw PHQ‑9 depression scores drop
90%
had someone to talk to, up from 40% before
"It's surprising how much they can solve their own issues."
— Theresa Kelly, Friendship Bench DC Grandparent
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Interested in bringing Friendship Bench to your community?
Through the Friendship Bench In A Box toolkit, Friendship Bench Global supports organisations around the world to adapt and implement the model in ways that respond to their local context. Many partners in the US and other countries, are already using the platform to strengthen community mental health.