This isn’t about being Part of the Solution. It’s about being Part of Village.

A lot of people who read this are likely facing a checklist of challenges, many of which we are all familiar with.?

Maybe it’s the cost of groceries. Maybe you’re in a job that is slowly draining your will to live – or at least get up on Monday morning. Maybe it’s the constantly horrific news cycle. Maybe it’s the lack of good movies. Maybe it’s the way every fast-food line in America seems to have tripled in size and inefficiency.

And there is a good chance that, like so many of us, whatever it is you’re facing, you are facing it alone.?

Our world has become a much lonelier place, and it isn’t just because of the pandemic. A report released by the U.S. Surgeon General in 2023 found that even before the pandemic, Americans were reporting dangerously high levels of loneliness.?

Why dangerous?

Because loneliness is a killer. It increases the likelihood of stroke, heart disease, dementia, and a host of unpleasant health conditions.

It's like smoking cigarettes – but worse. You can’t roll a pack of loneliness into your shirtsleeve and pretend you look like James Dean.?

But we don’t have to be lonely.

Human beings crave connection. We crave community.?

We need each other.?

And we also need a third place.

What is a third place?

Our first place is our home.

Our second place is work.?

(For many of us, our first and second places are now in the same location, making it even harder to connect with others.)

The term third place was coined by sociologist Ray Oldenberg in his 1989 book The Great Good Place. It describes a third location outside of home and work that provides us with a sense of community. Places like churches, social clubs, and even bowling leagues historically served as third places.?

For a variety of reasons – third places like the ones described above have either faded away or have done a poor job of creating a safe, inclusive place for people to gather.?

But a few entrepreneurial community leaders aren’t letting that stop them.

Beginning this year, VillageCo is launching our first Village Builders Cohort.?

Founded in Seattle during the COVID lockdowns, Village brings people together in person and digitally to co-create communities where everyone can meet, connect, feel supported, and find that third place that so many of us need right now.

Village isn’t political.

Village isn’t religious.

Instead, Village is all about creating a community where all of us feel welcome.?

So far, we have created Villages in Seattle and Boise – but the vision doesn’t stop there. Since the beginning, we have had a mission to provide the support and tools needed for individuals to create a Village in their own community. Our volunteer leaders have spent months crafting a Village Builders Toolkit, and this year our first cohort will launch Villages in communities across the country.?

Maybe your Village is a way for your neighborhood to become better connected.?

Maybe your yoga posse is on the verge of becoming an actual community.?

Whatever it is, Village is a way to bring people together regularly and create intentional connections. Being part of Village is a way to find something that is truly elusive in our digital society: real friends, and not the kind you just accept a connection request from. We mean the kind of friend you can learn from, grow with, and rely on.?

We mean the kind of friends and connections and conversations that make you feel like a part of something real and important.?

In Seattle and Boise, strangers have been gathering in Villages hosted in houses, community spaces, churches, parks, and wherever they can get together.?

But Village isn’t a place.

Village isn’t a neighborhood.?

It isn’t a part of town.?

It is a real, inclusive third space we co-create together.?

So, if you’re looking to create a Village near you, consider being part of our Village Builders Cohort! We will give you everything you need to support you as you become a Village Builder.

For more information you can email [email protected].?We would love to have you!

You can do sign up for our emails, and learn more about how our gatherings work by visiting www.villageco.org.

Loneliness is a man-made condition. It isn’t a disease.?

But it does feel like one.

And like a disease, our lack of connection needs a cure. You can be that cure.?

You can be the change you’re looking for. It starts by visiting – or building– a Village.??

(huge thanks to Jack McKissen for writing this and supporting our Village building efforts in many ways)