The Loneliness in America Project is the ministry focus of Deacon Patrice Al-Shatti Taylor, MSW. Patrice is a retired medical and geriatric social worker and the survivor of a family member’s suicide, so she has seen loneliness in many forms, including its most tragic manifestation. Lonely people often feel embarrassed to talk about their feelings and may hide in plain sight, under the radar, around us, among us. 

Loneliness affects half of all Americans, who tell researchers that they sometimes or always feel alone. Four in ten of us say that we literally have no one with whom to share important news. Awareness is important because many of us don’t know that loneliness moves far beyond stereotypes. For instance, in 2018, 18-22-year olds were the loneliest generation, not the elderly. And the highest suicide rate, a reasonable gauge of chronic loneliness, is among middle aged men, not young adults.

All Saints’ Episcopal Church is passionate about sharing this content with you because we believe that loneliness is one of the biggest social and spiritual challenges facing us in the 21^st Century. When we start to understand how easy it is to slip into isolating habits and how much they can harm us, we take an important step in making ourselves and our communities stronger.