How do we build community?
According to a survey conducted on behalf of the American Psychological Association to identify and analyze a loneliness epidemic, more than 60% of adults living in the U.S. reported feeling isolated, left out, or lacking companionship often or some of the time. Nearly 70% of U.S. adults recorded a discrepancy between emotional needs and available support, where our recognition and desire for connection have been thoroughly identified, and yet, we’ve found ourselves without it.
So, how can we connect? An AI Overview of the Google search input “how do we build community” yields an output encouraging individuals to identify shared interests and foster connections through “regular in-person gatherings like dinners or hobby groups.” And the computer has nailed down a few core concepts, one being that the unseen forces behind community lie in sacrifice, effort, and commitment.
This is not to say that one has to rip themselves apart for their community…sometimes, connection emerges simply in making the effort of getting to know your neighbor. This is precisely why CitizensNYC is proud to stand behind grantee partners like Stoop Stories, helping New Yorkers find one another in the midst of this loneliness epidemic. Stoop Stories aims to preserve neighborhood stories, strengthen social health, and revitalize communities by fostering interpersonal connections rooted in stoop culture. The award-winning “Stoop Chat” offers a series of short documentaries and workshops that connect New York neighbors across generations, backgrounds, and ideologies through shared stories.
Founded in April of 2020, Marj Kleinman created Stoop Stories in an effort to combat loneliness and emotional disconnection in New York City during the COVID-19 pandemic. And since its founding, Stoop Stories has produced hundreds of features from families, essential workers, small business owners, activists, and artists throughout the five boroughs. From notable natives to budding families, Stoop Stories offers a glimpse into the stoops, lives, and livelihoods of everyday New Yorkers. A stoop is a “state of mind,” manifested as sidewalks, storefronts, fire escapes, NYCHA houses, the red steps in Times Square, and the grand stairway of Brooklyn Borough Hall.
In 2023, Stoop Stories launched a multigenerational initiative aimed at reducing social isolation and increasing engagement amongst underserved communities. The project produces collaborative films and programs that allow residents to shape their own narratives, participate in workshops, and strengthen their neighborhood ties.
Particularly high amongst youth and elders, the loneliness epidemic poses a public health threat to both physical and mental well-being. It digs deeper than a simple bad feeling of isolation. The 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Advisory states that loneliness is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and even premature death. Society, at large, absorbs the repercussions of disconnection within its schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance, productivity, and engagement are diminished.
Loneliness spreads and infects. CitizensNYC and Stoop Stories invest in strengthening social connections and containing the outbreak to develop a stronger, closer New Yorker.
This is how we build community.
