“Loneliness is the root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today – from alcohol and drug addiction to violence, depression, and anxiety. It affects not only our health but also how our children experience school, how we perform at work, and the sense of division and polarization in our society.”   This excerpt from the book entitled “Together” written by Dr. Vivek Murthy, the surgeon general of the United States has become the catalyst to future programs offered by the Henry County Cooperative Extension Service.  In a collective agreement between all areas of programming Henry County Extension is dedicated to combating the battle of loneliness for clientele of all ages and stages.

While it is recognized that many of the programs that are currently offered assist in helping bring people together, intentional thought is being given as to how relations can be formed and strengthened to build a sense of community and understanding for all we serve.

The office staff began by reading the fore-mentioned book. Following several brainstorming sessions as to how to begin the new initiative it was decided to host a farmers appreciation breakfast during Farmer Appreciation Week.  The farming community has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation.  The FFA officers who are working with the Farm Bureau, Values You Program, were happy to serve the attendees.  Office staff came in early to prepare a hearty breakfast that was served from 7:00-8:00 am.  The Agriculture Agent shared several programs and areas of help that the extension program offers, but the main emphasis was spending valuable one on one time getting to know clients on a more personal level. There were over 60 in attendance, and many said they hope it becomes an annual event.

Recognizing that many of the Family and Consumer Sciences clientele are dealing with health issues, family members with health issues, or they are a surviving spouse it was decided to offer more opportunities to socialize during the day.  There has been a quilting group that continues to grow, a Bunco group that meets bimonthly, and a Bingo group that meets bi-monthly, and a walking group that meets at the county park.  Already there have been four individuals that have come to one of these meetings saying they knew they needed to get out of the house and feel more connected to others in our community, stating they were lonely and looking for more to do.

The 4-H Agent serves on the FRYSC board.  There was a survey sent to parents and teachers asking about concerns and ways that students could be helped.  Overwhelming, the response from the survey was that youth need soft interpersonal skills.  While 4-H offers so many opportunities for growth in these areas as well as giving youth, confidence and skills that continue throughout a lifetime the question has always been, how do we get them to engage?

 It was decided to get the 4-H Area Teen Council involved in this discussion to offer suggestions. The 4-H area teen council is made up of seven counties and more than 30 teens had round table discussions on how to encourage 4-H youth and teens to become more involved.  Those present felt that the number one way was through personal invitation to a 4-H event.  Teens enjoy multi-county events outside their own county. Using positive peer pressure to encourage youth to become more actively involved in 4-H and community service. They also like a strong social media presence on opportunities for upcoming events.

To put this information to good use there is an area event to an amusement park for this summer for teens.   With encouragement from other teens Henry County now has 2 State Teen Council members, a Fashion Leadership Board member, Shooting Sports Ambassador and a state officer.  At each area teen meeting there will be a of a community service project everyone works on together.  There has been an app created for the group to share ideas and upcoming events to keep them up to date.  These ideas are just the beginning of helping youth to improve their leadership skills while developing social skills while networking.

While speaking with neighboring counties on the topic of loneliness it has already started the conversation with other agents.  Many have expressed an interest in learning what we find out navigating the journey of our county impact.  Perhaps, our efforts will be the groundwork to addressing this epidemic across the state.

Loneliness does not care about a person’s age, where they live, or how much money they may have. Hopefully, the Henry County extension program will not only build strong programs but strong relationships that bring people together in a place that feels like home.