How Volunteering Can Solve the "Loneliness Epidemic" Across Generations

It’s no secret—there’s a loneliness epidemic that only intensified after the COVID-19 pandemic. With the growing influence of social media and the increase in time spent alone, it's no surprise that roughly 1 in 3 adults report experiencing loneliness. This spans generations, affecting young adults in their 20s to older adults in their 70s (CoGenerate).

What’s even more concerning is that the consequences go beyond mental health. Prolonged loneliness is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia. In other words, by connecting with others you are not only alleviating mental risks, but physical ones too. 

How can all generations find connection? Well, that’s where the concept of cogeneration comes into play.

According to CoGenerate, cogeneration is “a strategy to bring older and younger people together to solve problems and bridge divides—reducing isolation and loneliness while fostering understanding, empathy, mutual learning, connection, and friendship.”

At Home Repairs for Good, we see this strategy in action every year.

Over the years, our volunteer base has shifted from primarily Boomer and Gen X volunteers to now include a strong presence of Millennial and Gen Z volunteers. This evolution has created meaningful opportunities for multiple generations to work side by side, united by a shared purpose: helping a neighbor in need. But we’ve discovered that this intergenerational collaboration can do more good than just providing critical home repairs.

Graphic from our 2025 Impact Report.

Take our gutter and painting projects, for example. Once primarily completed by our founders and other older volunteers, these projects now regularly include younger volunteers eager to learn new skills. This collaboration creates space not only for hands-on learning, but also for conversation and connection. Volunteers share with one another why they feel called to the mission, what connects them to Indianapolis, and stories about their own lives and experiences.

Tyler Pollard, 28, has especially connected with one of our original founders.

“Jeanette is probably my favorite person to work on projects with ever,” he says. “Not only is she incredibly knowledgeable about home repairs and painting, but she leads in a way that lets others learn while also making them feel important and part of the decision-making process.”

Jeanette, 78, says she enjoys working with Tyler as well.

“He is always pleasant and willing to do whatever is needed to complete the project,” she says. She also believes that “it is important that we all expect to learn from others’ experiences and perspectives.”

We’re grateful that our volunteers have the opportunity to connect across generations, and that these moments can help combat the ongoing crisis of loneliness affecting many adults today. In fact, many of the older homeowners these volunteers serve experience loneliness themselves, as family members and friends may have passed away or moved away over the years.

That's why when you show up to volunteer with Home Repairs for Good, you’re not only helping make critical repairs—you’re helping build connection. Each project becomes an opportunity to share stories, learn from one another, and strengthen the sense of community that allows neighbors in Indianapolis to feel seen, supported, and less alone.

Begin connecting with other like-minded individuals by signing up to volunteer at homerepairsforgood.org/volunteering. 

Source

CoGenerate. Loneliness and Social Isolation. https://cogenerate.org/loneliness/