If you’ve been feeling disconnected, lonely, and anxious, you’re not alone. Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (2023) warned of an epidemic of loneliness and isolation that can undermine our emotional and physical health, and the World Health Organization (2025) reported a worldwide rise in anxiety and depression.

As educator Kim Samuel has found, we need community, a sense of belonging, in order to feel safe and secure (2022). Throughout history, people have lived in small groups, as hunter-gatherers, then in small towns and communities. And the Harvard study of longevity (Waldinger & Schulz, 2023) has found that a sense of belonging enables us to live longer, healthier lives.

One way we can restore our sense of community is by volunteering, which can take many forms.

Diana Long, who began volunteering with Concerted after retiring, says she’s enjoyed “the relationships I’ve built doing food rescue. I do one every Friday, and I’ve gotten to know the people quite well at the nonprofit where I take the food.” She........

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