Medicine Hat group aims to increase connections during loneliness awareness week

The group has partnered with the Medicine Hat Public School Division to have students decorate coffee sleeves with inspiring messages to be put on coffee purchased from Station Coffee House and the Empty Nest Cafe.

Coffee holders made by students from the Medicine Hat Public School Division (Jesse Gill/CHAT News)

Michelle Sauvé, addiction and mental health promotion facilitator with Alberta Health Services is helping with this initiative.

“We just hope that we can remove some of that stigma connected with talking about being lonely because it is just an emotion,” Sauvé said.

“It’s when we don’t pay attention to it that it can become very impactful on our health. Not just our mental health, but our physical health as well,” she added.

Several other initiatives are ongoing with the group including at the Medicine Hat Public Library and the Veiner Centre.

The library set to host speed friending events in June and August.

“We’re really encouraging people if maybe they’re feeling like they are a bit lonely, which is a normal human emotion, just reach out,” Sauvé said.

“It might be simple things like coming for coffee and sitting down and saying hello to someone else who’s alone or maybe you have a conversation with the barista and just get to know them a little.”

Sauvé said that people who are chronically lonely are at higher risk for many health issues.

“Chronic diseases, obesity, heart disease, we also know that people who are chronically lonely are more likely to experience Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia,” Sauvé said.

“Socially connected is just as impactful as diet and exercise.”

What Matter’s Hatter’s will be onsite at Station Coffee House Tuesday morning at 10:45 a.m. to talk about loneliness and how they can create a more connected community.

by Jesse Gill

Medicine Hat group aims to increase connections during loneliness awareness week

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