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Photo Credit: Mirabella at ASU

The problems of social isolation and loneliness have been well documented. 

• We know that too many Americans, particularly young adults and older ones, feel lonely too much of the time.
• We know how we got here – the decline in membership groups, civic and community engagement, and organized religion; the influence of technology and social media; the increase in time spent alone.
• We know about the consequences, too – increased risk for heart disease, stroke, depression, dementia, premature death. On a societal level, isolation and loneliness fuel many of the biggest problems in America today – polarization, addiction, gun violence. 

But here’s what nearly all the experts miss: Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of organizations find in younger and older people both a loneliness problem and a solution.

Instead of treating loneliness as an individual struggle, these groups create spaces where younger and older people form real relationships built on shared purpose and mutual support. They don’t just offer companionship; they create ways for people to matter to each other – to work, learn, teach and create side by side.

These organizations – mostly small and hyper-local – bring older and younger generations together, not as victims, but as agents of change. Not for commiseration, but for friendship, learning, collaboration, joy and healing.

Our new special report is about them.

The report includes more than 150 organizations, including:

• The LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project, a program at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, brings LGBTQ+ college students and older adults together for a year-long series of bi-weekly themed dialogues, creative work and dinners.
• The Heart of Los Angeles Intergenerational Orchestra unites musicians of all ages to share the joy of music making.
• The Learning Tree, a nonprofit in Indianapolis, celebrates the talents of neighbors and cultivates opportunities for intergenerational connection.
• Perfect Pair matches college students on 22 campuses in 16 states with older adults to improve overall health and wellbeing and combat loneliness in old and young alike.
• SeekHealing, a nonprofit in Asheville and Waynesville, North Carolina, brings people of different generations together to heal trauma and build mutual support within communities, using the power of human connection to address loneliness and addiction.

Can Intergenerational Connection Heal Us? summarizes what we learned from experts, program leaders, and individuals who participate in programs that bring generations together to reduce social isolation and loneliness.

Through nine key findings, five recommendations for change, and dozens of stories, quotes, and insights, this report explains why intergenerational programs are particularly effective at reducing social isolation and loneliness, and offers insights for practitioners, funders, policy makers and community leaders. 

“We know that this report captures just a slice of the work being done across the country,” says CoGenerates’s Senior Director of Innovation Janet Oh. “But I couldn’t be more convinced that the biggest solution to social isolation and loneliness can be found in small organizations that are bringing generations together to improve their communities.”

We hope that you’ll read Can Intergenerational Connection Heal Us? and share it with others. The Appendix includes a list of organizations by state. 

Thanks to the RRF Foundation for Aging, The Eisner Foundation and The Ares Charitable Foundation for the support that made this report possible.