Makenna McCoy is a Contributor at Independent Women and a freelancer, who writes on a variety of eldercare topics. She is a graduate of The King’s College, and majored in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with a minor in American Constitutionalism. Her studies in aging began her freshman year of college while exploring memory, mortality, ritual, and grief. Since then, she has taken her work from reading, research, and writing to practically forming intergenerational friendships. Makenna has long felt drawn to those older than her from a young age, when she served regularly in a nursing home in high school. She is particularly passionate about sharing life with isolated elderly individuals in New York City—an unfortunately devalued group often intentionally separated from the rest of society—and listening to their stories and fostering memory-making.
Makenna also currently works for Do For One, a relationship-building program that brings isolated people into greater community life, Here to Honor, a social enterprise that cultivates community around end-of-life learning, and AmPhil as a research contractor.
As part of the team at Independent Women, Makenna previously helped successfully advance Stand with Women legislation in 8 states—doubling impact from the past year—managed the movement of model legislation in over 20 states, and executed effective issue campaigns. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Brooklyn with three dear friends and adores her neighborhood and community.