“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 loneliness initiative for Henry County was kicked off with a Farmer Appreciation Breakfast during Farmer Appreciation week. Farmers often struggle with mental health and are cited as having the highest suicide rates in the nation. The office staff came together early to prepare a home-cooked meal that morning. Henry County FFA students served the meal. The event was simply a chance for farmers to have some fellowship at the office. Many attendees very much enjoyed the program, saying they would like to see it become an annual event. The Ag Agent serves on the Henry County Farm Bureau Board and will be partnering with the organization to provide future programming on mental health awareness for farmers. 

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.

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.