The organization was founded by a French nobleman, Armand Marquiset, in 1946 as Little Brothers of the Poor. At the end of the World War II, Armand formed Little Brothers to serve isolated and lonely elderly people who had lost their families in in the war. “The greatest poverty,” he often said, “is the poverty of love,” which was reflected in the motto, “Flowers before Bread.”
His powerful example attracted many followers in France and beyond. Little Brothers of the Poor – known now as La Fédération Internationale des petits frères des Pauvres – has spread to nine countries around the world.
Since the opening of the first United States chapter in 1959, Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly has been serving socially isolated elders in the spirit of our motto, Flowers before Bread. This signifies that in addition to the basic necessities of life, each one of us has a strong need for the special joys that make life worth living.
At all of our locations, we strive to meet the emotional and physical needs of our elderly friends. For some, isolation comes with growing older. Children move away to follow their work, spouses and friends die, a car wears out and is not replaced, or a driver’s license is surrendered or revoked because of illness. This isolation is compounded by poverty. In these difficult situations we extend a helping hand. We treat our elderly friends as individuals, offering them the gifts of respect and love by visiting, socializing, and providing programs that combat loneliness and promote independent living, helping them remain in their own homes.
As a volunteer-based organization, we rely on people of good will to join us in our efforts. All of our services are free to the elderly and are designed to relieve the isolation and loneliness that can produce emotional pain and mental and physical deterioration.