CT Collaborative to End Loneliness

05/28/2026

We’re celebrating a new CT Connection Champion: Conversation and Camaraderie (“C & C”) based in Avon! 💛

Conversation and Camaraderie creates space for men to build meaningful relationships through open, thoughtful dialogue. By bringing men together in a welcoming, supportive environment, C & C helps address the challenges of isolation, loneliness, and sense of purpose that many experience across different stages of life.

Through regular gatherings at the Avon Public Library and nearby libraries that combine connection time with facilitated conversations, participants explore topics shaped by their lived experiences - past and present. At the heart of C & C is the power of listening as much as sharing, fostering mutual understanding, respect, and authentic connection.

By creating a safe and comfortable space where perspectives are acknowledged and valued, Conversation and Camaraderie nurtures lasting friendships, a strong sense of community, and deeper social connection. Their work highlights how meaningful conversation can strengthen well-being and belonging.

👏 Thank you to Conversation and Camaraderie for championing social connection and creating space for men to connect and thrive.

Learn more about the CT Connection Champions program and nominate an organization fostering social connection at endlonelinessct.org/connection-champions.

05/26/2026

From handing out flyers alone at the SoNo Saturday Market… to working alongside 60+ community members on a citywide task force.

In his latest blog, Community Connector Tony Bacigalupo shares how saying yes to one opportunity changed everything. What started as a solo effort became real momentum - thanks to shared goals, structure, and the accountability of working with others.

💡 Key takeaway: it’s hard to build momentum alone. When you join forces with others who care, your capacity to create change multiplies.

This is what happens when individual effort turns into collective action.

🔗 Read Tony's blog post: https://endlonelinessct.org/f/from-handing-out-flyers-to-a-60-person-task-force

05/24/2026

Here's something we need to talk more about - the power of talking.

Researchers have found that from 2005-2019, our daily speaking decreased by nearly 30%. That dramatic decrease may be contributing to increases in loneliness and cognitive decline.

As Co-Chair of the CT Collaborative to End Loneliness Healthcare Provider workgroup, Fred Schott is always on the hunt for interesting articles on social connection and loneliness. Thanks, Fred!

👉 Read more: https://www.umkc.edu/news/posts/2026/march/are-we-talking-less-than-we-used-to.html

Are you a CT resident interested in contributing to advancing social health?

🔗 Reach out to Deb at deb.bibbins@forallages.org to talk about joining the CT Collaborative to End Loneliness Healthcare Provider workgroup today.

New research suggests our daily conversations are shrinking, with people speaking 300 less words each day

05/21/2026

"People with disabilities…may have trouble accessing groups and organizations.”

That insight from Michelle Putnam, Director of the Gerontology Institute at the University of Massachusetts, points to something important:

Many adults with developmental disabilities are excluded from the very places where friendships and relationships are typically formed - and that impact compounds over time.

That’s why, in 2025, we published Action Guides to create inclusive connection.

And it's why, starting today, we are pleased to be partnering with a small group of organizations to co-create new programs fostering connection for adults with developmental disabilities.

Thank you to the CT Council on Developmental Disabilities for supporting this important work.

Learn more and download the free Action Guides at www.endlonelinessCT.org/inclusive-connection.

The Arc Connecticut Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut - DS ACT Keep the Promise Coalition Connecticut Family Support Network (CTFSN)

05/20/2026

Loneliness is a health issue that is showing up in the exam room.

Many patients won’t say they’re lonely - but it’s impacting their health every day. Primary care teams are on the front lines. A simple question and a moment of genuine connection can uncover what often goes unspoken: “I feel alone.”

The good news? Addressing loneliness can fit into everyday care. Small, intentional steps can help patients feel seen - and begin to reconnect.

We believe social connection is essential to whole-person care.

👉 Our Healthcare Provider Workgroup is taking action - and growing. Join us.

Email us at deb.bibbins@forallages.org to help shape how Connecticut recognizes and responds to loneliness in healthcare.

💬 Ask about connection
👂 Listen with intention
🔗 Help build pathways to connection

Because connection isn’t extra care - it is care.

🔗 Read this article published by the American Academy of Family Physicians for more: https://www.aafp.org/fpm/2026/0500/patient-loneliness

A three-item screening tool and the “EAR” framework can help you quickly identify and address patient loneliness.

04/26/2026

Did you know?

Dr. Vivek Murthy has recently launched Staying Human on Substack where he explores how we build a life with more connection, more joy and more meaning. We encourage you to check it out.

https://vivekmurthy.substack.com/

04/23/2026

We’re celebrating a new CT Connection Champion: Especially Everyone! 💛

Everyone builds community through music that celebrates neurodiversity, creating inclusive, welcoming spaces where people of all abilities can connect, express themselves, and belong. Through sensory‑informed concerts, enrichment programs, and community music experiences, they expand access to meaningful social connection for neurodivergent adults and others often left out of traditional social spaces.

By designing environments where participation looks different for each person, Especially Everyone fosters authentic connection, creative expression, and a deep sense of belonging — all through the shared joy of music. Their work shows how thoughtful inclusion can strengthen community and social health for everyone.

👏 Thank you to Especially Everyone for championing social connection and creating spaces where everyone belongs.

Learn more at https://www.especiallyeveryone.org.

Learn more about the CT Connection Champions program and nominate an organization fostering social health at endlonelinessct.org/connection-champions.

04/20/2026

Ever miss a local event you would’ve loved to attend? 🌿

Our Community Connector extraordinaire Tony Bacigalupo dives into the everyday barriers to event discovery - and what we can do to help each other stay in the loop - in his new post, A Little Event Help for My Friends.

👉 Read it here: https://endlonelinessct.org/f/a-little-event-help-for-my-friends

03/25/2026

What happens when you stop organizing… and start igniting?

Our Community Connector Tony Bacigalupo's new blog post is up! In it, he shares a moment in Norwalk where something unexpected took off organically - without him running it.

It started with a simple gathering.
It turned into something else entirely.

A small shift. A big ripple.

👉 Read more: https://endlonelinessct.org/f/building-community-connections-in-norwalk-ct

03/23/2026

How do we measure something as complex - and essential - as social connection?

Fred Schott, Co-Chair of our Healthcare Professionals Workgroup, is in Washington, D.C. representing CCEL at a national convening hosted by the Foundation for Social Connection - F4SC.

Supported by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, this effort is bringing together researchers, clinicians, community leaders, and people with lived experience to tackle a key challenge: how we measure the multi-dimensional experiences of loneliness, isolation, and social connection in ways that are meaningful, consistent, and centered on people.

While awareness of loneliness continues to grow nationwide, there is still no widely accepted approach to measuring social connection across populations and settings. Building alignment is a critical step toward advancing research and identifying solutions that can improve health and well-being.

We’re grateful to have Fred contributing to these important national conversations and helping ensure Connecticut is part of this growing movement.

📸 Fred with Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience and Scientific Chair for the Foundation for Social Connection.