Addressing Loneliness through Recruiting Volunteers
Dawn, a T.R.A.C.life mentor from Austin, Texas, recently took her mentee to get their nails done together. Ashlynn left the salon, saying the day was her best ever.
Simple things.
Moments many of us take for granted.
And yet in a recent report from the U.S. Surgeon General, loneliness is a major health issue in our country.
Lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. In addition, poor or insufficient social connection is associated with increased risk of disease, including a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke.*
Guess which two demographic groups are most affected by loneliness and depression?
Youth and seniors.
In a recent article entitled Addressing Loneliness Across the Ages, the Christian Association of Youth Mentoring reported, “Some young people find themselves digitally connected . . . while physically isolated . . . Seniors often need a sense of purpose that may have been lost as empty nesters whose kids have moved on or retirees as they lose the fulfillment factors they received at work.”
“Youth and young adults need intergenerational connections, not only for companionship, but for someone to listen, encourage, and guide them through those crucial years in their development.”
T.R.A.C. and T.R.A.C.life have a positive impact on both groups.
Remember this as you recruit volunteers this year. The answer is sitting in your pews!
*Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. 2023
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Many of us know that maintaining our health becomes more important as we age, especially for older adults who live alone. But unfortunately, while we know that physical well-being is a significant part of that, not enough emphasis is placed on how critical emotional health and our sense of community is to our longevity. HelpGuide created a resource, Aging Well, that covers:
How to build nurturing relationships to support emotional health
Practical ways to cultivate meaning and purpose
The role exercise, sleep and challenging the brain plays in longevity
