We may be apart, but with AARP Community Connections we don’t have to be alone. The new, free, website of helpful resources for the public as our nation addresses the coronavirus – available in Spanish and English (www.aarp.org/MiComunidad and www.aarpcommunityconnections.org) – is now offering people an avenue to get help or give help during the pandemic.

The online platform launched by AARP Innovation Labs in late March allows users to organize and find local volunteer groups to help pick up groceries, provide financial assistance or lend emotional support to neighbors, friends and loved ones. Across the country, these informal online groups—also called “mutual aid” groups—help communities stay connected, share ideas and help those most affected by COVID-19 at a time when people must practice social distancing to stay safe.

Social isolation was a common problem, even before the coronavirus pandemic: a 2020 study, published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and supported by the AARP Foundation, reported 43 percent of adults age 60 or older said they had felt lonely. And, while social isolation and loneliness are serious health issues by themselves, they can also exacerbate existing health problems, such as lung disease, heart disease and diabetes. AARP Community Connections helps people reach out to volunteers in their community who are willing to help their neighbors with their unique needs.

AARP Community Connections includes multiple resources to help those who are feeling isolated, depressed, overwhelmed or anxious. Users are able to:

• Request a call from an AARP volunteer, or a trained counselor; 
• Easily create an account with Savo, a platform that helps friends and family members coordinate support for loved ones; 
• Join “The Mighty,” a safe, supportive online community for people facing health challenges and their caregivers. 

Whether you want to start a group, find a group or get assistance yourself, our directory can help you connect with people in your community. To find volunteer groups near you, type your city and state into the directory's search field and press enter. The directory will produce a list of organizations near you with web links and a locator map. AARP Community Connections also offers a step-by-step guide to starting a mutual aid group in your area, as well as resources for those feeling isolated, depressed, overwhelmed or anxious.

We may need be physically isolated, but we don’t have to feel alone. Through this innovative platform, people in need of help from—or who want to offer help to—their communities are empowered to engage. In this unprecedented time, AARP remains committed to helping the 50-plus population, and AARP Community Connections is one more way we’re innovating to improve our communities.

AARP Community Connections is free to use, and AARP membership is not required. For more information, visit www.aarpcommunityconnections.org.

Nora Duncan is the state director for AARP Connecticut