The pandemic has proven to be a particularly challenging and isolating time for people of all ages. Here is a unique opportunity to connect across generations.
Northampton Neighbors is once again partnering with public health students at UMass on a storytelling project. It will focus on building relationships between Northampton Neighbors members and UMass students enrolled in an upper-level undergraduate class entitled The Epidemic of Loneliness: On Connection, Belonging, and Public Health.
Throughout the course, students will learn about different ways to build connections, including through storytelling. Participating NN members can expect to commit 6–8 hours of time, mostly on Zoom, between September and early December.
How It Works
Participating NN members will join the class via Zoom, 11:30–12:45 pm on Tuesday, September 27. You will:
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Receive an overview of the class and project;
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Hear directly from some students;
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Meet your student partner and begin your journey together!
You’ll have an initial conversation with your student partner, and establish a timeline together for future meetings. As you get to know each other, you’ll decide on the topics you’d like to discuss during a culminating interview.
In mid-November, your student partner will interview you. It will be recorded using the StoryCorps format, and you’ll receive your recording by Dec. 1. You can decide if you would like to share your story more widely after the interview.
Finally, there will be a celebration at the end of the class when volunteers and students will come together (again, likely via Zoom). We’ll have time to share some stories and discuss the process together on Tuesday, December 6, from 11:30 am to 12:45 pm.
On Thursday, October 20 (11:30 am –12:45 pm) and Thursday, November 17 (11:30 am –12:45 pm), volunteers will also be invited to discuss Dr. Vivek Murthy’s book: Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. In this book, Dr. Murthy talks about the crisis in public health spurred by disconnections and displacement of people around the globe. His book sparked the idea for the class and the project. Book discussions will happen via Zoom, with volunteers and students placed in small groups for ongoing conversations.
For More Information
Professor Gloria DiFulvio will host a Zoom information session to answer questions and talk about the project on Tuesday September 6, at 6 pm.
Zoom Meeting Link: https://umass-amherst.zoom.us/j/99182329746
You can also learn more about this program directly from past participants here.
To Participate
If you are interested in participating, please email info@northamptonneighbors.org by September 12 with your name, email address, phone number, and a few sentences about yourself. The first 25 people will be matched with a student this term, and we’ll keep a list for the February–May class.
Professor Gloria DiFulvio PhD, MPH, will confirm all participants by September 16, 2022.