"Their city is under siege, their age group at particular risk and their lives increasingly isolated. But every Monday morning, one group of older New Yorkers is finding plenty to laugh about." At a senior center in lower Manhattan, Joe Firestone, a 33-year-old comedian, former "Tonight Show" writer and frequent TV presence who volunteered to lead the class, began class in person pre-pandemic. When lockdown hit, they took it online, where it has been a highlight for many during the city's challenging times. It releases a valve," Firestone describes. Maybe they're nervous laughs, maybe they're release laughs, but it seems like it's a healthy thing to joke about it. 74-year-old Al DiRaffaele lauds the workshop's brilliant timing. Logging on after a tough weekend in which he learned of a friend's death, he says, "I can still smile and look at life on the bright side, and find the good in the negative."

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