Social isolation can be deadly. In positive terms, social connection can be lifesaving.

Dear John,

I hope you and your loved ones are finding (safe, socially distant) ways to beat the heat. Heatwaves, like the one NYC experienced over the past few days, can be dangerous, especially for seniors, young children, people with disabilities, and those who lack access to air conditioning. The pandemic doesn’t help either. Many of the city’s cooling centers were open this week, with social distancing protocols in place. But for people who are at higher risk due to coronavirus, it may not be so clear whether trying to beat the heat at home or traveling to a library or senior center for some A/C is safer.

Social isolation can be deadly. In positive terms, social connection can be lifesaving. Sociologist Eric Klinenberg’s 2003 book Heat Wave showed that community cohesion provides meaningful protection against mortality, especially for older people during a crisis like a heat event. When the pandemic hit NYC and older New Yorkers were asked to stay home, away from their loved ones (for necessary public health reasons!), we were immediately concerned about the increase in isolation that this would bring, likely for a prolonged time.

Motivated by Klinenberg’s research, as well as a rapid increase in demand for senior services as centers started to close in March, my office began working with Heights and Hills, a local organization serving older Brooklynites, to set up a program for volunteers to connect with older neighbors to check in on needs like food and medicine, and offer regular weekly calls to relieve the isolation of social distancing.

Since March, over 200 volunteers with our new “Neighbor Network” have made regular, ongoing calls to over 400 older adults with Heights and Hills. Heights and Hills, like many of our most beloved and essential human service organizations, has adapted heroically to meet new needs and continue to operate under unprecedented conditions. Their waiting list for services continues to grow every day. Neighbor Network volunteers have been crucial in helping Heights and Hills prioritize their resources, respond to the most urgent needs, and ensure that seniors who need assistance know that they are on the radar, and have someone to talk to on a consistent basis. Many volunteers have developed sweet, mutually enriching relationships with these seniors. At a time when we all have limited contact with our neighbors, volunteers have been surprised by how much they gain from these new, unexpected relationships.

A few months ago, we partnered with Greenwich House in Manhattan to expand the program. Scaling up took us longer than expected (it turns out there aren't any phone-banking tools designed for regular recurring calls to neighbors, so we had to build them from scratch!) but we are thrilled to share that we are now ready to bring in many more volunteers to make calls with The Neighbor Network. This new platform, designed by Greenwich House, Heights and Hills, and my office gives us much more capacity to train, manage, and connect with volunteers, and helps channel urgent information from calls to service providers like Greenwich House and Heights and Hills for follow up.

Sign up for an upcoming training to join The Neighbor Network and start making calls to isolated older neighbors. 

Some older adults have strong social networks and family to call, visit, or bring supplies, but others do not. A friendly call from a neighbor can go a long way, not just for the person receiving the call, but for those making them too. 

As one regular caller shared: 

“Calling my two seniors for the Neighbor Network has been a really positive, fun, and meaningful experience for me. I have loved getting to know them and hearing them tell amusing and interesting stories about and from their lives. We have bonded over music and alternate side parking woes while they have introduced me to horseracing and plum brandy. In the midst of stress about the pandemic and our world, it is very grounding to do something so meaningful that is as simple as picking up the phone and calling a new friend.”

We still have a long way to go to get through this crisis together, and social solidarity is going to be absolutely essential every step of the way. Regardless of whether we will be able to continue opening up in new socially-distanced ways or if we will see a resurgence and need to lock down again, those who are most vulnerable to the virus, including older adults in our communities, are likely to remain isolated and largely at home for many more months. Here’s a real way you can help them.

So if you have some extra time on your hands (or some young people in your life looking for ways to spend their summer) sign up to make calls with The Neighbor Network. 

Brad

In this email:
City and State Updates
Upcoming Events

City and State Updates

Upcoming Events

Nearly one in six New York City jobs lost due to the pandemic was held by an undocumented worker. However, despite contributing to NY's tax base, these workers and families have been excluded from stimulus checks, the Unemployment Insurance System, or Pandemic Unemployment Assistance. Join the JCC's Social Justice Activist in Residence Ruth Messinger and me in conversation with Make the Road New York leaders about the proposed Excluded Workers Disaster Income Replacement Fund.

Join me for a townhall with DOE officials to talk about the plans for back-to-school in the fall and other issues. We will have Deputy Chancellor Adrienne Austin, Executive Superintendent Karen Watts and District 15 Superintendent Anita Skop to answer questions from parents about the scheduling logistics, child care needs, support for social and emotional well-being, and more.

456 Fifth Avenue, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11215
718-499-1090
[email protected]

    

unsubscribe
Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here.