To read the full article: https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/nonprofits-are-sitting-on-the-antidote-to-americas-loneliness-epidemic
Op-ed: Our third spaces are disappearing. But by designing volunteer spaces around shared purpose and human connection, nonprofits can rebuild the social fabric many communities have lost.
APRIL 1, 2026, BOSTON, MA — We are living through a loneliness epidemic. Public health leaders have deliberately used that word – “epidemic” – to describe the isolation and disconnection in our communities.
A recent survey from the American Psychological Association that six out of 10 adults in the U.S. say societal division is a significant source of stress in their lives. Half of adults say they feel isolated, left out or lacking companionship at least some of the time, if not often. We aren’t forming bonds that make us feel like we truly belong, and as the survey data shows, the problem is only getting worse.
Harvard researchers studying the problem have found that collective service is one of the most effective antidotes. Spending time helping others creates a sense of purpose and connection that promotes mental wellbeing. It may sound trite, but it’s a powerful idea that I have seen in action every day. And it’s an idea that nonprofit leaders like myself should take seriously as we design our facilities and shape our volunteer programs.
When I began leading Cradles to Crayons a year ago, it wasn’t just the mission that drew me in – it was how the organization did the work. On any given day, 75 to 150 volunteers work side by side at our three Giving Factories, spaces we’ve designed not just to get work done, but to make that work feel meaningful and connected. Volunteers check all the gently used clothing donations for quality, then sort and package the items for distribution to kids who need them.
This isn’t a special event. We open our doors to volunteers every week, where individuals of all ages, from as young as five to retirees, can enter as strangers but leave with something harder to name. Inadvertently, we have created what sociologists call a “third space”: a physical space, outside of work and home, where people build social connections.
These are places like a neighborhood coffee shop or a local park, where informal connections are made, you can get to know your neighbor and feel a part of a community. These precious spaces are disappearing, and with them, the social interaction, support and belonging that hold our communities together.
I believe nonprofits are perfectly positioned to help fill this gap with a different kind of third space, one organized around shared purpose. And indeed, many already are fostering such spaces.
Consider a group of our longtime volunteers in Chicago. Every Thursday, six women from various parts of the city and northern suburbs, all retired from different professions, meet around a giant bin of donated children’s clothing at our Giving Factories. One item at a time, the women carefully check the clothing for quality, then sort it by size for packaging and distribution to children living in low-income and homeless situations across Chicagoland.
The group met while volunteering and is now like a second family to one another, supporting each other through all of life’s events, from hip replacements to Covid-19. For six years running, they’ve volunteered with us for two hours every week, even picking up bags of children’s clothing to sort at home during the pandemic. They came to volunteer, and they found belonging.
Loneliness can make us feel like the challenges we see are too big to solve and that nothing we do will make a difference. That is where collective service offers an alternative. You can see that other people care, and that you are not alone in wanting to support your community. Even at times that feel stark, we can do something positive together. That turns despair into action.
This is where nonprofits and community organizations have a unique role to play. Building that sense of belonging isn’t just good for our communities, it will be essential to sustaining our missions. A recent Nonprofit Pro article finds that this year “will require nonprofits to create real connection, not just message into the void.” In fact, the nonprofit trade publication predicts belonging will become a core driver of engagement.
How can nonprofits create third spaces? The spaces don’t have to look like ours, but they do have to be designed with intention. A Giving Factory isn’t just a place where volunteer work gets done — it’s a space built to make every person who walks through the door feel that their two hours matter and that they are part of something larger than themselves.
A few principles that any organization can apply:
Make every volunteer feel seen. Volunteer leaders greet everyone on arrival, walk them through the work, and stay present throughout the experience. That presence signals that people, not just output, are what matters.
Design for side-by-side connection. Stations are shared workspaces where volunteers serve together, not in isolation. Conversation happens naturally when people are doing the same task with their hands. That’s not accidental; it’s the condition that makes belonging possible.
Make impact visible at every scale. Volunteer stations are organized with clear guides so anyone can contribute meaningfully from their first shift. But behind each station, racks of sorted clothing and pallets of packaged orders ready for distribution make the full scale of the operation visible. Volunteers often marvel at what they can see happening around them, and at how their small contribution is supporting something much larger.
Create shared rituals. Every experience begins with an orientation that connects volunteers to the mission. We end it together, sharing what the group accomplished collectively, namely the number of packages ready to go to kids. We make the children at the center of the mission visible even when they aren’t in the room. That closing moment transforms individual effort into shared achievement.
We can foster a spark of belonging and purpose. It comes down to designing service opportunities for connection, showing volunteers the impact they’re making and giving them reasons to return. It means asking not only whether volunteers are helping the mission, but whether they feel connected to the work and to each other. That kind of impact extends beyond a single organization.
What would it look like to create more spaces like this across our cities? As we do, we will build critical infrastructure to reinforce our shared humanity.
Christine Morin
CEO
Cradles to Crayons
Christine Morin is a mission-driven nonprofit executive with over 20 years of expertise in growth strategy, operations, and fostering inclusive, people-centered cultures. She is passionate about expanding opportunity and empowering the next generation. She is the CEO of Cradles to Crayons, a national nonprofit that mobilizes over 50,000 volunteers each year to provide free clothing and essentials to children experiencing homelessness, crisis and low-income situations, ensuring all children have the essentials they need to thrive.
