Reach out

The first important step in creating more compassionate communities for our older friends is to identify who they are and where they live.

Step 1

Ask someone to help you. This work is going to be easier if you have a friend or group that you can work with.

Step 2

Identify your network. See who you know in your immediate contacts that might need help. After that, ask neighbors, friends, and family who they know that might need help.

Step 3

If it's at all possible, you can ask people to come forwards. If you have community meetings or WhatsApp or Facebook groups, use these to do a general call-out for the names of locations of people who are isolated and lonely.

Step 4

Set a date for a first visit. Identify a day when you can try and visit the people who hope to support. When you visit, simply tell them who you are and that you're organizing to try and help give people in the community some additional support. Ask some questions about their lives: who they are, what their story is, and where they come from.