The Connections Project

Nobody in our community should be alone.

Right now, more than 1 in 3 Americans are struggling with serious loneliness. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General declared it a national epidemic. It is happening in our towns, on our streets, maybe next door.

Loneliness can kill.

According to the Surgeon General’s advisory, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, a lack of social connection carries a risk of early death comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.

Isolation raises the risk of:

  • Heart disease by 29%

  • Stroke by 32%

  • Dementia in older adults by 50%

It is also linked to Type 2 diabetes, weakened immunity, depression, anxiety and suicide.

Who is at risk?

Anyone can be lonely. But some of our neighbors face greater risk: seniors and people who live alone, people with disabilities or without reliable transportation, low-income residents, people living with mental health conditions, LGBTQ+ individuals, racial and ethnic minorities, and survivors of domestic violence.

The good news: connection works.

In one study, people struggling with depression who joined just one social group cut their risk of relapse by 24%. Those who joined three groups cut it by 63%.

And connection doesn’t just heal individuals. It strengthens whole communities. Connected communities build trust and resilience, see fewer hospital readmissions, experience less crime and violence, recover faster from economic hardship and have stronger civic participation.

What we’re doing about it

Mental health has long been a funding priority for The Community Chest. Through The Connections Project, we take on loneliness across our 15 towns in two ways:

Funding the nonprofits that bring people together. We provide grants to local organizations whose programs build connection and reach the neighbors most at risk of isolation.

Educating the people on the front lines. We train social workers, nonprofit staff and other professionals to recognize loneliness and help the people they serve build real connections. We also share educational materials on loneliness throughout the community.

Since launching The Connections Project in 2021, we have:

  • Trained more than 200 professionals

  • Reached hundreds of residents

  • Funded 3 local programs

Your gift builds connection.

Every dollar helps a local nonprofit bring someone back into community and helps a professional recognize the neighbor who’s quietly slipping away.