EASTHAMPTON — As part of a campaign to fight against social isolation amid the pandemic this winter, Mayor Nicole LaChapelle is joining other state municipal leaders in encouraging community outreach, particularly towards older adults.
For the campaign, #ReachOutMA, LaChapelle is joining leaders from communities such as Springfield, Boston, Salem and Gloucester in partnership with the Massachusetts Task Force to End Loneliness and Build Community. The initiative also seeks to extend its reach beyond the pandemic and foster stronger links between the community and those who may struggle with social isolation outside of the era of COVID-19.
The social isolation imposed by the pandemic “for most of us … may only be a few more months,” LaChapelle said in a video promoting the campaign. “For others, it’s a way of life.”
Now, the city and town leaders are “asking you to join us in reaching out to someone who may be isolated,” LaChapelle said, with a focus on older adults
“You can’t over-connect with people right now, and I hope on the other side of this that these connections remain,” LaChapelle said in an interview. “I think there will be some strong lessons learned about the importance of communication on a personal, one-to-one level.”
One appeal of the campaign is the opportunity to support those who are doing their part to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, LaChapelle said.
“We hear a lot about people who aren’t staying home as much as they can, they don’t wear masks,” LaChapelle said. “The other side of that is people who follow health best practices, and one of the results is it’s a very isolating experience.”
LaChapelle also believes that the program will benefit school-aged children and their caregivers, who she said may find difficulty staying connected amid the various responsibilities they balance.
To help with this call, the Massachusetts Task Force to End Loneliness and Build Community has released a guide, “It’s The Little Things: A Community Resource for Strengthening Social Connections,” detailing ways to stay connected amid the physical distancing of the pandemic.
While the pandemic has put a pause on much in-person interaction, the guide details other ways that people can stay safely connected, such as virtual versions of tours, group meditation sessions, and movie viewing sessions, and direction on how to host these virtual gatherings.”
The guide also details general community-building ideas, such as community cooking classes, bringing pets to visit care facilities, and donating delivered meals to homebound residents.
LaChapelle said that in her own experience, even just wishing someone a happy new year while doing groceries or taking the time to converse with people when she has helped deliver meals to homes seems to make a difference.
The city is currently in the process of launching a new website and hopes to make it as accessible and as compatible with mobile devices as possible, LaChapelle said. She said she hopes residents can also take advantage of this tool to foster connections. The city is also working on boosting its social media communications to increase this reach.
The Massachusetts Task Force to End Loneliness and Build Community guide can be viewed at https://scholarworks.umb.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1046&context=demographyofaging.
Jacquelyn Voghel can be reached at jvoghel@gazettenet.com.