No one should have to grow older alone or afraid.

I’m 92 years old. I’m a veteran. And over the years, I’ve watched too many friends and neighbors begin to lose pieces of the independence they worked their whole lives to build.

I’ve watched people become more isolated as getting out became harder. I’ve seen friends struggle with their memory or lose confidence doing things they once handled without a second thought. I’ve seen families worry because they can’t always be there. And I’ve watched older adults become targets of increasingly convincing scams designed to take advantage of their trust, their fear, and sometimes their life savings.

I kept asking myself one question:

What if there were someone there when no one else could be?

Someone to talk to. Someone who remembers what matters to you. Someone who can remind you about tomorrow’s appointment. Someone who notices when the phone call you just received doesn’t sound quite right and encourages you to stop before sending money.

That question became ALMA.

Meet ALMA

ALMA is an AI-powered voice companion being developed specifically for seniors, veterans, and people experiencing social isolation.

But I don’t want ALMA to feel like complicated technology. I want her to feel familiar.

Through natural voice conversations, ALMA is being designed to provide companionship, remember appropriate details that make conversations more personal, offer helpful reminders, help recognize potential scams, and, with permission, provide another point of connection between an older adult and the family members or caregivers who care about them.

Imagine an older veteran living alone who doesn’t have anyone to talk to that afternoon. ALMA can be there.

Imagine a mother whose daughter lives hundreds of miles away. Her daughter can’t call every hour, but she still wants to know Mom is doing okay. ALMA can provide another layer of connection and peace of mind.

Or imagine a senior receiving an urgent call claiming a grandchild is in trouble and needs money immediately. ALMA could be another voice saying: Stop. Don’t send anything yet. Let’s make sure this is real.”

Sometimes, that pause could make all the difference.

Why This Matters

Older adults are increasingly being targeted by sophisticated fraud. According to the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Complaint Center report, people age 60 and older filed 201,266 internet-crime complaints in 2025 and reported approximately $7.75 billion in losses.

But behind every statistic is a person.

Someone’s mother. Someone’s father. A grandparent. A veteran. A neighbor. Someone who spent decades working, raising a family, serving a country or community, and building a life.

A scam can take more than money. It can take someone’s confidence and sense of security. Loneliness can take something too.

And while families desperately want to be there for the people they love, no daughter, son, grandchild, friend, or caregiver can be there every moment of every day.

ALMA isn’t meant to replace those people. She’s meant to help fill some of the moments in between.

What ALMA Is Designed to Do

Companionship: Provide ongoing voice conversations and a familiar presence in someone’s daily routine.

Evolving Memory: Remember appropriate details that make conversations more personal and continuous over time.

Scam Awareness: Recognize common warning signs and encourage someone to pause, verify, and contact a trusted person before acting on something suspicious.

Daily Support: Help with reminders, appointments, lists, and routines through simple conversation.

Family and Caregiver Connection: With the older adult’s permission, provide another way for designated loved ones or caregivers to stay connected when something may need their attention.

The goal isn’t surveillance. It’s helping someone maintain their independence while giving the people who love them a little more peace of mind.

Privacy Matters

If we’re asking an older person to trust ALMA, we have a responsibility to take privacy seriously.

ALMA’s current privacy design is intended to protect users’ information. Conversations and data are encrypted in transit and stored using access-controlled infrastructure. User information is not sold or used for advertising, and ALMA is designed not to permanently store medical diagnoses, medications, or financial account details as user memory.

ALMA is not a replacement for a doctor, caregiver, attorney, financial institution, law-enforcement agency, or emergency service. She is another layer of companionship, awareness, and support.

I’ve Taken ALMA This Far. Now I Need Your Help.

I’ve personally funded ALMA’s development because I believe deeply in what she could mean for people my age and for generations to come.

I’ve invested my own money, time, and experience into bringing this idea to life, along with the help of volunteers who believe in this mission.

But one person can only go so far.

Our goal is to raise $25,000 to take ALMA to the next stage and build the foundation needed to keep this service free for seniors, veterans, and vulnerable people who may need it most.

Your donations will help us strengthen ALMA’s technology, establish the legal and organizational foundation needed for its future, pursue grants and sustainable funding, and reach senior communities, veterans’ organizations, caregivers, families, and others who can connect ALMA with people who may benefit.

This $25,000 isn’t the end of the mission.

It’s the foundation that can help make the mission possible.

Why I’m Asking You

Reaching $25,000 doesn’t require one person to give $25,000.

It requires people deciding that older adults are worth showing up for.

$10 matters. $25 matters. $50 matters. And sharing this campaign matters.

Maybe your donation helps us reach a veteran who hasn’t had a meaningful conversation with anyone today.

Maybe it helps us reach a widow adjusting to a home that suddenly feels much quieter.

Maybe it helps a daughter worry a little less about the father who lives hundreds of miles away.

Maybe it helps a grandmother stop for one more moment before responding to a frightening scam call.

Or maybe someday, it’s someone you love.

Help Us Reach the Next Person

At 92 years old, I know something about getting older.

I also know that growing older should not mean becoming invisible.

Technology cannot replace human connection, and ALMA isn’t trying to.

We’re trying to use technology to create more connections where there might otherwise be none.

I’ve taken ALMA as far as I can on my own. Now I’m asking you to help me take her farther.

If you can donate, thank you. If you can’t, please share this campaign with someone who cares about seniors, veterans, caregivers, elder fraud, or simply making sure people don’t feel forgotten as they grow older.

Because somewhere, there is another person who needs someone in their corner.

No one should grow older alone or afraid.

Thank you for helping us make that belief a reality.

Michael “Mike” Forrest

Founder, ALMA