Hundreds Of Seniors Go On Safari At San Diego Zoo Safari Park

ESCONDIDO, CA — Hundreds of seniors recently went on safari at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

More than 600 seniors from Ed Brown Senior Center in Rancho Bernardo, Norman Park Senior Center in Chula Vista, Imperial Beach Senior Center, and AgeWell Services took advantage of the final week of Museum Month, and went to the Escondido-based zoo and safari park for free.

Transportation was paid and organized by the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, with goodie bags from Kaiser Permanente. The program was also sponsored by the Sahm Family Foundation.

The event was part of the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation's #NoSeniorAlone campaign to make sure isolated seniors have a support system.

More than 130,000 San Diego seniors are considered "senior orphans," or older adults that don't have partners, children or other close family members nearby, according to the foundation. That's 22% of San Diegans over the age of 65 years old.

The World Health Organization calls social isolation the "silent killer" and a public health crisis. Additionally, isolated seniors often endure financial scams and abuse.

The San Diego Seniors Community Foundation is working to ensure every senior has someone they can trust by using senior centers or local veterans halls and other community spaces to get residents engaged with others.