In 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released an advisory declaring loneliness a public health epidemic. The health risks, the report explained, are comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. For older adults, social connections can be inherently harder to come by due to living situations, mobility and health issues, and transportation access.
The danger isn’t in aging itself, but in the disconnection that accompanies loneliness. And while many older adults may not identify as lonely, disconnection often starts with a lack of structure, stimulation, or meaningful interaction with others.
Many organizations offer programs as powerful alternatives to the threat of disconnection and loneliness. At Participatory Learning and Teaching Organization (PLATO), through courses, creativity, and a peer-led structure, members stay mentally active and find a sense of belonging. To see it in action, we asked three members to share their stories.
Following Curiosity, Finding Purpose
Barb Drake, a retired high school principal, found PLATO after the pandemic. With time on her hands and a desire for something new, she sought enriching opportunities that were thought-provoking and not easily done alone. One of those activities was PLATO’s social justice course. “I would never have read the books I’ve read, except for being in these classes,” she says. “I would have looked at them and thought, ‘That’s way too deep for me.’ But in the end, you read and you learn, and you expand your whole concept of the world.”
Barb hadn’t expected a class to push her beyond the page, but it did. The readings and discussions prompted her to get involved in her community in new ways, including canvassing. The experience changed her view of what she was capable of and what issues really mattered to people.
Listening to community members share their concerns shifted how Barb saw her own role in the community. “Sometimes, older people sell themselves short,” she says. “But they have a lot of power.” More than just learning, it was an opportunity for Barb to engage with her world in a deeper, more connected way.
Writing a New Chapter
Like Barb, Tom Sieger wasn’t ready to slow down after retiring from a career in public health. A former co-worker led him to PLATO, where he found a writing workshop that offered the structure and support he needed to bring a dream to life.
For years, Tom had a budding idea to write about Wisconsin’s Driftless Area and the family dairy farms that shaped his childhood summers. With steady encouragement and thoughtful feedback from fellow workshop members, he published a novella: Elegy to Woodstock Wisconsin and the Decline of the Family Dairy Farm.
“The fellow writers added so much value and improved upon my writing,” he says. “We’ve gotten to the point where we look forward to chatting and catching up with each other and discussing what’s going on.” And even though the workshop was virtual, it didn’t lessen the connection. In fact, it kept people engaged. One writer even joined regularly from Alabama.
Harkening back to his public health days, Tom says, “We used to say that one of the most important predictors of good health in your later life are your social connections.” The writing matters, but it’s the relationships that keep him coming back.
Showing Up for Each Other
A sense of belonging is the greatest strength in a volunteer-powered model. Members volunteer their time and talents, leading every course, lecture, and event. Tim Otis knows this is key to a program’s value and impact. A decades-long member, Tim has served as board president, taught courses, and helped shape PLATO’s member-led structure.
Tim has seen firsthand how powerful it is when people give back and how meaningful it is to be part of a community where everyone plays a role. “What makes people want to get involved?” he asks. “If they feel like what they’re doing is making a difference.” Contribution becomes connection, and connection, in turn, becomes community.
An Antidote to Loneliness
Loneliness may be a modern epidemic, but these stories are examples of resistance—of belonging. They remind us that when people learn and create together and serve one another, disconnection doesn’t stand a chance.
Contributed by PLATO Madison. For more information, visit platomadison.org to explore upcoming courses and opportunities to connect.
Photograph provided by PLATO Madison.
PLATO MADISON
6209 Mineral Point Road #203
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 572-6869
platomadison.org