Staying Connected

Staying connected through Covid-19 A message from the New Zealand Coalition to End Loneliness

The Coalition to End Loneliness is a group of organisations who have agreed to work together to tackle loneliness and social isolation in New Zealand.

This is something that we care about, because loneliness is an issue that affects many of the people we support. Our agencies are all working in different ways to ensure that people have the support, company, and connection that they need.

We know that if you are reading this magazine, you may be living on your own or caring for another person. We also know that even in normal circumstances, this can be difficult and maybe isolating.

These of course are not ordinary times.

Life has changed very suddenly due to Covid-19, and normal patterns of interaction and support have been disrupted. This can be particularly hard for those already living with difficult challenges and responsibilities.

As a Coalition we want you to know that our organisations are here for you, and that we care.

We have all adapted our usual activities and service provision to respond to Covid-19. This has involved phoning around and checking in on our clients and members, adapting some of our face to face services so they could be delivered by phone or online, and developing new initiatives to solve problems that people are facing. An example is the Student Volunteer Army’s national volunteer response to Covid-19, which offers support with grocery shopping for people over 70 (call 0800 005 902 to find out more).

If you need help, or are feeling isolated, we encourage you to call friends, family, health services, or trusted organisations such as ours.

As members of the Coalition we are in the phone book and online. We may be able to offer help directly or provide information and advice about where to find the support you need.

We also encourage you to treat yourself with care and gentleness during this time. This is more of a marathon than a sprint, and it will be some time before life returns to normal.

Be compassionate with yourself, look after yourself physically, try to find a little time to do something you enjoy each day, and don’t be afraid to reach out if all you need is someone to talk to.

This is not all about what we know - you may have some great ideas to combat loneliness. We'd love to hear what has worked for you or others you know. Meanwhile, we are about to launch our Let’s End Loneliness website- have a look and let us know what you think: www.letsendloneliness.co.nz

Let’s End Loneliness together!