In the News Our project has been featured in several news articles and videos. Check them out below! New England Public News Feature Dr. Gloria DiFulvio, as well as two participants in the project, Hellen Muma and Johnathan Daube, were featured on New England Public Media's "Connecting Point" to discuss their experience. Dr. DiFulvio also discusses the goals of the project, and what it was like to partner with Northampton Neighbors for this intergenerational storytelling endeavor. Experiential Learning Builds Connection Across Generations - UMass Amherst Feature The course, titled "The Epidemic of Loneliness: On Connection, Belonging, and Public Health," was also featured on the UMass Amherst website. Several other participants were interviewed for the piece and asked about their experiences. Tell Me a Story: Building Connections Across Generations Dr. Gloria DiFulvio was featured on the Northampton Neighbors Speakers Series to discuss the Epidemic of Loneliness course and lessons learned about the meaning of connection over the course of the project. This College Class is Bringing Generations Together To Reduce Loneliness - CoGenerate Feature This piece features participants in the project, Liya Liang and Nina Kleinberg, who discussed what the storytelling project and the course "The Epidemic of Loneliness: On Connection, Belonging, and Public Health" have taught them.

Tell Me A Story: Building Connection Across Generations A Project of University of Massachusetts Public Health Sciences Program and Northampton Neighbors Everyone has a story to share... Public Health students at UMass Amherst paired up with Northampton Neighbors for this storytelling project. We hope you enjoy their stories. Click on the names below to hear their stories. To view more stories, click the tabs in the menu above. You can see stories told by each cohort of students & Neighbors. To listen to the full interviews, click here! New Stories! Ryann's Story Ryann shares how her early love for dance was overshadowed by a highly competitive studio environment where favoritism and pressure made her feel inadequate and disconnected from her passion. Over time, this experience diminished her confidence and enjoyment, leading her to step away from dance after high school. However, upon joining a more supportive and inclusive dance program in college, a teacher helped her rediscover her confidence and love for dance. This renewed encouragement allowed her to see her potential and inspired her to pursue dance more seriously as a future career. Listen Bob's Story Bob discovered a love for education and the performing arts in high school, but took a long detour in life, even considering a career in construction at age 45. A chance encounter with a friend introduced him to the idea of creating an arts school, which aligned perfectly with his lifelong passion. Over 15 years, he built and led the school, which continues to thrive and produce successful graduates. His story emphasizes the importance of staying open to unexpected opportunities and following your true passions. Listen Sally's Story This is the story of Sally's grandmother, a woman who continues to inspire her every day. She has played a vital role in Sally's life, raising her with care, guiding her path, and shaping who she is. Her unwavering dedication, deep compassion, and strength deserve to be recognized. Through her passion and perseverance, she has become not only a role model to Sally, but a symbol of selfless love and resilience. Listen Mary Ann's Story Mary Ann reflects on a life shaped by early loss and resilience, following the sudden death of her father, which forced her family to quickly adapt and develop survival skills. A pivotal moment came when her future husband encouraged her to pursue a long-held but unimagined dream of becoming a doctor. Today, she looks back on a rich, unexpected life filled with family, professional accomplishments, and personal fulfillment, appreciating the support and opportunities that helped shape her journey. Listen Marisa's Story Marisa shares how her mother’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent passing profoundly influenced her life and career aspirations. Witnessing her strength and the care provided by nurses inspired her to pursue nursing, initially through fundraising and advocacy, then by formally studying healthcare. Though faced with challenges in transferring and entering a nursing program, Marisa used the opportunity to study kinesiology and public health, gaining foundational skills for her future practice. Now preparing to enter an accelerated nursing program, she is committed to providing compassionate care in honor of her mother’s legacy. Listen Ralph's Story Ralph reflects on how his understanding of “home” evolved from a physical house to something much deeper and more expansive. While his house feels like home through safety, creativity, and memories, he realize that home is also found in meaningful human connections, whether on a subway, in a restaurant abroad, or within a close-knit community. Through these experiences, he came to see home as something he carry within himself, shaped by relationships, kindness, and shared moments. Ultimately, home is not a single place, but a feeling rooted in connection and belonging. Listen Amelia's Story Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at the end of high school, she felt like it held her back for a long time. She pushed herself, though, to run for the first time and hit four miles. Mentally, things shifted, and she realized that diabetes doesn’t have to hold her back. She joined her college’s running club, found her close friend there, who was also her training partner. They completed the Vermont City Marathon together, which was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do physically. In the end though, when she crossed that finish line, she cried tears of happiness with her family by her side, and that moment when she gave her mom a big hug and gave her dad a big hug meant everything to her. Listen David H's Story David describes how his autodidact tendencies and lifelong “obsessions” with computers, photography, biking, and astrology have shaped his relationships and sense of connection to others. Listen Sophy's Story Sophy recalls a dramatic encounter with a ghost in her Brooklyn apartment that left a lasting impact on her life. Listen Elsa's Story Elsa reflects on the lasting impact of her grandfather, who was known for his kindness, empathy, and ability to make everyone feel truly seen and valued. Rather than specific memories, what stands out most is how he made people feel and how he carried that warmth into all his relationships. After his passing, Elsa grew to appreciate him even more through shared stories and the community he touched. Inspired by his legacy, she hopes to carry forward his spirit by creating that same sense of belonging and care for others. Listen Owen's Story Owen describes how becoming a single parent forced him to confront complex feelings of frustration towards his son, and how overcoming these feelings led to their strong friendship today. Listen Emma's Story Interviewed by Linda, Emma discusses the different types of families she grew up with. She reflects on the family she gained throughout her childhood, while also delving into some of the hardships she faced. Emma explains how her family circumstances have truly shaped the person she is today. Listen

< Back Caroline's Story Story Coming Soon! Scroll to listen 00:00 / 02:45 Previous Next

< Back Leslie's Story In this clip, Leslie shares her passion for improving the quality of life for people with disabilities with a specific focus on young children and families. 00:00 / 04:07 Leslie: So my passion has been improving the quality of life for people with disabilities with a particular focus on young children and families in my professional roles. When I was a teenager, I became interested in what we called at the time, “mental retardation”, today known as “cognitive impairment” or “developmental disabilities”. One of my first professional jobs was working in a grant funded program for visually impaired children and adults in a state institution. I was fortunate to be part of the movement in the 1970s to expose the abuses of these institutions and improve the conditions as a result of state and federal lawsuits with subsequent funding. Leslie: As we developed this new program and learned about the ravages of trauma and deprivation of institutional life on those children and adults, we understood that we needed to develop relationships with many other staff. Including those in direct care roles who had been there for generations and were wary of so many new young professionals. When I left that position a few years later, I knew I had learned a lot understood, that I had cultivated some good advocacy skills and appreciated that teamwork was a very powerful approach for effective change. Working in that state institution was a jarring and humbling experience. When I left the position, I was aware that many of the people I had worked with had no one to advocate for them. Leslie: I subsequently became a legal guardian for a woman, Diana. She had been born in the institution to her mother, another resident, who had been abused and suffered from syphilis. Subsequently, Diana was deaf limited vision in one eye. I was able to use my knowledge and relationships with staff to improve the quality of Diana's life, first in the institution, later in a group home. Leslie: In contrast to my first position at the institution, I was honored to be part of the progressive approach to including these children and their communities and supporting parents in providing for their child's needs. Service delivery was based on interdisciplinary teamwork, including parents, educators, nurses, social workers and speech occupational and physical therapists. Our philosophy had that parents and families were the most important members of that team and without their investment, we professionals would not succeed. I often tell the story of one of my first home visits with Bonnie, our team nurse. I remember sitting on the floor observing and interacting with the baby while Bonnie was sitting on the couch talking with the mother. Initially, I was annoyed that Bonnie wasn't assessing the child's needs, but quickly recognized that the conversation and relationship with the mother was the most important part of the visit. Leslie: When I moved into an administrative position in the public schools in the early 2000s, I worked collaboratively with guidance counselors in the high schools for students with disabilities could have more equal access to academics and extracurricular activities. In these public schools I thoroughly enjoyed my role as a team leader, facilitating meetings with parents and staff to create appropriate educational programs for each student. Leslie: The teamwork during my early intervention years and some relationships built at that time remained today. There have been several reunions over the years. We rallied over Zoom during the beginning of the pandemic to honor our colleague, Bonnie, who had passed away and had been a mentor for many of us. We recently had a physical reunion just a couple of months ago, about a dozen women, some from out of state. In addition to discussing everyone's current activities and families, the conversation always comes back to what great work we did in those early years and how important that teamwork was to our success. Previous Next

< Back Savannah's Story Savannah speaks with Dennis about her experience living and working in Washington, DC the summer after her freshman year of college. Savannah discusses her determination to experience somewhere new, and how she was able to make it happen for herself. In her story, she touches on themes of loneliness, independence, family and friendship. Savannah reminds us that while independence is a virtue, we can all use some support to get where we're going. 00:00 / 03:57 So when I was looking at colleges, UMass was just sort of what made the most sense. But I also don't think it was expecting to have, I guess, the tough year that I did. I think UMass is a very big school. And it's an easy place to sort of get lost in. And I was really used to being at home in my hometown in my community that was so familiar. And I had a good group of friends and a good kind of support system. And I kind of went from that to go into this big place that was super vast, where no one's really keeping track of you or worrying about you. And I definitely felt lonely. So at the end of that year, I kind of knew that I had to do something different with my summer, I knew that I needed something that was a little bit more of a leap for me something that was challenging and new. And so I was like, okay, great, it's time to figure out how I'm going to spend the summer. So I ended up applying to an internship program in Washington, DC and spend two months of my summer living there is a really well set up program. And I think what draw me what drew me to it was it was pulling students from across the country around the world to which was really exciting to me. And I think the concept of the program gave me a little bit of the community that I knew I needed. And so once I kind of set my sights on that, at the end of my freshman year, that gave me a little bit of vigor, a little bit of excitement that I think I needed, then it was just time to kind of decide and figure out how I was going to make that happen for myself, I knew that this was going to be a good program, but I had to, like pay for the housing, I had to pay for some of the programming fee and things like that. My next kind of step was I have to find scholarships, I learned quickly that there's money floating around universities and floating around for a lot of the things that you want to do. People just tend to not know that those scholarships, those grants, those things are there. And so they don't look for them. So I made it my goal to find this funding to get me to DC. So that's what I did. I ended up applying to so many scholarships, writing so many essays, and all these different things. So I did get there, I always remember just like sitting on the plane and like taking a breath and being like, Wow, I can't believe I can, if I pull this together, it's amazing. And so from there it was, it was a really wonderful experience. I loved DC living there gave me kind of my first taste of like, what you would maybe call adult life. But I kind of got all I think the best parts of it. I think reflecting the important parts were the social parts and getting to be somewhere new and getting to kind of fulfill the plan that I had for myself, I think maybe twofold. I think I came back with some confidence. And I definitely learned that I had the ability to kind of dictate my environment and kind of get myself out of the funk that I was in, I think was really important. I can definitely see that I've grown in that way. I definitely hold on to that determination that I had and know that it's like still in me, how are you feeling about this next transition? And what do you see is coming next. So I've definitely been pretty stressed about my next transition. I think part of it is because this is something that I never would have, I think believed my freshman year but I have such a good and rich life here at UMass and in Amherst, that I think it feels intimidating to think about moving that somewhere new and even meeting new people. I think I am so kind of comfortable where I am. So I think making that transition is a little bit scary. But I also know that I have done it before when I went to DCA essentially picked myself up and moved to a new city for a couple months. And now it's just kind of doing the same thing, but for a little longer. And so I think I'm trying to harness that sort of can do attitude that I lose a little bit sometimes. And so I kind of try to take that from my summer, and I'm trying to kind of be hopeful and positive and excited. And I think that will serve me well. Previous Next

< Back JoAnn's Story 00:00 / 04:23 So, the name of this story is like dancing through my life. And the most vivid memory I have from elementary school in Springfield, Mass was in fourth grade, my teacher let us bring in our favorite records. And at the end of the day, I don't remember if it was Thursday or Friday, every week, he let us dance in the classroom. So, I mean, I was a good student. Everything was fine, you know, academically, but that's not what I remember. You know? So, also, I danced in my living room at home with my mother and my sister in the nineteen fifties watching American bandstand. So, I have dance in my background. However, somehow, by the time I got to college, I forgot about all of that. And I, you know, I was required to take two semesters of phys ed, at UMass in 1966 when I was a freshman. And so, I you can see I wasn't very athletic. In the meantime, I was assigned to a room with three people, which was meant for two people in dorm in in in Tower Number 2, which was in Southwest. And it was pretty wild. You know, I didn't get enough sleep, and it was pretty nerve wracking, really. So, I got mononucleosis in my second semester of freshman year. And I don't know if you know what it is. It was known as the kissing disease then, but it's a virus that passes through saliva or something or rather a lot of kids got it. So, I had to go home, recover with my parents, and then I went back to school. But before I went, my doctor told me that if I didn't start to exercise, there was a danger that I would never be strong again because it's, when you have mono, you're very tired. So, he suggested I take more phys ed. So next fall or, you know, when it was time to register for the fall, I wanted to take a phys ed class. So, I found out that there was only one section that still had space for me, and that was modern dance. And I honestly didn't know what modern dance was. I'm sorry to say. I wasn't exposed to it. So, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. And I walked into the class in September of sixty-seven, and, you know, the first few classes were okay. A teacher from New York City, Marilyn Patton, had come to UMass. And, so I had her as my teacher, and what she did one day is she had us go through the movements that we could imagine from the time we were in the womb and then very slowly being born and learning how to crawl, learning how to sit up, learning how to eventually walk. And we spent maybe forty-five minutes going through this, what's called developmental movement, ex experience. And when I stood up, I felt more alive than I could ever remember feeling before. It was a real change of consciousness. So, from that moment on, I started dancing. But I always took dance classes in the evening during my twenties. And then when I was about 32, I discovered an organization called Dance New England. And what it was a confederation of dances all over New England. So, I started going to them, and I became one of the organizers of the Hartford dance, which was called Dance Hartford. And I became very close to the people who I danced with and worked with. So, it's become a huge part of my life where most of my friends over the years have come through the dance community, and that's still true. And, you know, I wish you all happy dancing. I fully recommend it, too, to connect with people, stay healthy and fit, and be happy. Previous Next

< Back Rachel's Story Rachel discusses feeling like she didn’t belong in her hometown community or as she transitioned to college.She talks about her social anxiety and reflects on what it was like to break free from this. She wants people to pay attention to college students’ mental health. Scroll to listen 00:00 / 05:31 Previous Next

< Back Janice H's Story Janice tells a story about a memorable photograph she took while visiting a village in Liberia, Africa. The story is a snapshot of the Liberian bush in 1972. 00:00 / 04:42 My husband and I traveled all over the world, and one of the times that I I remember very well is my time in West Africa in Liberia. When we lived in the in the bush, twelve hours from the capital city, my husband was building a five mile farm to market road, so he couldn't get off too much time to take me anywhere. But I had a friend in the Peace Corps, so he said he was gonna walk me up to this town that was very pretty and very traditional. So, Frank, Frank, the Peace Corps volunteer, and I, drove up, my husband's road, and then Frank and I got out and walked about an hour into the jungle, up a really, steep path. And Frank pointed into the water, and there were these huge catfish swimming on the gravel bottom. And I said, great. Let's catch one of these fish and eat it. And Frank said, no, no, you can't do that. These are their totem. They are the ancestors of the village we're going to see. So we kept climbing up to the top of this mountain, and we got to the top, and there were about 80 huts sitting on carefully swept red soil, and a gang of children were attracted by our sudden appearance, and they ran to call the chief who came, and he was a very nice man, and he took us into the village to his house. Frank had always brought something with him for these poor villages. Well, this time, we had a conical paper filled with salt, which was a very good present. And so, the chiefs shook our hands, and an old man came, tottering on spindly legs, and he was barefoot, and he had a little tiny chair that he sat down and sat on, and then another old man appeared with his traditional short chair, and he sat down, and the chief gave them the salt, and then the chief said, there's an old man who makes medicine for the village, and he has and that point, one of the old men taught it away and came back with a baseball shaped object wrapped in leaves, which was delicious pork meat. And knowing that the people of the villages never had much meat, I said to Frank, we can't accept this. And Frank said, oh, we have to accept it. So we accepted it. And then I said, can I take some pictures? And the chief said, sure. And I took pictures of him. I took pictures of the old man. And then the chief said, I'd like you to take a picture of the old man who made the medicine. So we went to his house, a little a little house, and there was an ancient man with a wispy mancho style beard hobbled into this, into the sunlight. And he sat on his little low chair, and he had a he had a mixing bowl, a wooden bowl in his hand, and he showed us how he made the medicine. And I said, oh, oh, can I take a picture? And they said, sure. And they immediately switched his little tribal chair for a regular size wooden chair. And the old man's wife hurried up with this huge World War two great coat, which the old man put over his sarong. And he sat on this chair looking very proper, but I couldn't afford to miss this shot. So, I took very careful, couldn't afford to miss this shot. So, I took very careful aim. Now, when I took pictures in the bush, most people didn't even want their pictures. This old man was different. He said, please, could I bring him the finished product? And I explained to him that the film I was using was slide film, and I'd have to send it way across the ocean to my mother, and it would take a long time. She would have to have the slides made, and then she would have to send it all the way back to me. And I said I was so sorry, but it might be a long, long time before I could bring it back. And the old man took my hand in his tough calloused ones and looked to my into my eyes as he spoke. It does not matter how long it takes to accomplish the thing I asked, he said. I am old, old man, and soon, my time will come to leave this village and the life I know. But if God comes before you return, I will tell him, God, I am sorry. I cannot go yet. I am waiting for my picture. Previous Next

< Back Kathryn's Story 00:00 / 04:50 Previous Next

< Back Jim's Story This story is about Jim and his father going on a fishing trip where they catch the elusive Black Marlin. Though the bond of their relationship had been frayed, their fishing adventure forged an understanding that would leave Jim changed forever. 00:00 / 05:42 This memory is really a story of my passion, my parents' passion, perseverance, and it's a journey that was marked by the seas' rhythms and my family's bonds. So let me start with the day began with the very first blush of dawn. My dad and I drove quietly to Orapau Harbor in Kona, Hawaii. Now our relationship had seen calmer seas. My father is a stern man, principal. He has spent his life in public service. His hands, callused and firm, were a testament to his life. Our relationship at one time was anchored in mutual respect and love. Yet, beneath the surface of our strange exchanges, the undercurrent of that bond remained, but I was waiting for the winds of change. We took two different paths, and my dad was not happy with. The sun rose, painted the sky with beautiful streaks of gold and pink, and we set out on what was to be our final fishing trip together. The goal was noble to catch the elusive black vine, a creature as mysterious as the depths from which it came, which I always thought was always fascinating. As we approached the dock charter boat, the sea was generous. It was offering a calmness that belied the excitement in both of us as we boarded the boat, I explained to my father that Kai and I both believed in releasing their first catch back into the water. And like many Hawaiians, I believe in making an offering to the lady of the sea, the queen of the sea before starting their fishing journey. Deep sea fishing in the ocean in general gives me some. It's a place where the world's my world's worries are washed away. They're not there. And this morning, Kai's boat cut through the water, morning mist, like a knife through soap. That's always felt like that. As we left the harbor, I removed my tiny, Chinese silver dollar out of my pocket and threw it as hard as possible into the frothy weight, thrilling the boat. The coin splashed, and I felt that the ancient volcanoes that washed over the islands smile down on me. It was really a very warm feeling. The sleek and sturdy boat raced to where we patrol the pond water and left a mesmerizing trail of ripples and foam. I had carefully selected the perfect clear lure for the day's sketch. So, both rides through the water, my heart raced with excitement knowing that fire air could make us move at any moment. Every second felt like an eternity, but my dad and I stayed focused and determined, ready for the ultimate challenge of catching this black marlin. The wait is a meditative experience. And for me, engulfed by the vastness of the sea and the sky, the rhythmic sound of the waves and the gentle plumb of the boat's engine, the time seemed to stand still. My focus shrinks to the line always, and it was disappearing beneath the depths. Waiting for strength is a lesson in patience. A reminder of our place in this natural world and a testament to the thrill of the unknown. It's a moment that every angler cherishes, a story to be told, and a memory that lingers long after the lines are real dead. The rod bent, the line tightened, and the one still air suddenly filled with the scream of the real stride. Battle began a test of will, skill, and endurance. The fish fought hard. He made a dozen underwater runs at about 80 miles per hour. Dad and I danced with the marlin, a ballet of the man in nature. The struggle was fierce, and the marlin was a worthy opponent. Its strength matched only by its beauty and then as a moment seemed suspended in time, we caught it when it jumped less than 20 yards behind the boat. Its scales shimmered like a thousand lifetimes, and it was huge, well over 15 feet long. Ty stood on the flying bridge screaming the instructions on how to play and land the fish. I looked at my dad's eyes. I saw pride, love, and a touch of sadness. Look was not for the catch, but for the connection. The moment when man and nature meet and sound understanding. Look into your eyes. We release the marlin to the depths and watch it disappear and with a sense of fulfillment that will warm my heart for years. Previous Next

< Back Juli's Story Juli speaks with Jacqueline about her time at summer camp as a kid. At this camp, Juli met someone who didn’t fit in. But Juli learned how a little kindness could go a long way. 00:00 / 02:06 Yeah I think I don't know how old I was maybe 10 years old and it was ya know mostly I went to summer camp ya know girl scout camps but it was a camp at the end of camp um they always had this big campfire at the end of the week at camp and everyone would come and they gave an award it was like a good citizen award to the person who best exemplified the values of ya know camping and girl scouting and I got the award It shocked me cause I didn't feel like I distinguished myself in anyway at that point I didn't really excel as a student when was young it wasn't until i got older but um and I realized and I had to think about it for a few minutes why did they give me this and i think it was because there was a girl who was assigned to my tent that year and I always went by myself I didn't know other campers and it wa a tent with 4 cots one of the girls was um she was clearly from a poor family probably there on a grant and um she was very awkward very awkward physically and socially and ya know just had a hard time fitting in ya know and that was clear to me and the other 2 girls in our tent wanted absolutely nothing to do with her and so I always made sure ya know when we go out for walks in the woods wed have to have a buddy and I would ask her to be my buddy and I made sure she wasn't sitting alone um at meal times um ya know I just tried to be kind with her even though I didn't really connect with her cause she wasn't easy to engage with but I just tried to be kind and I think that's why I got the award and it was an important lesson to me ya know the value of kindness Previous Next

< Back Karen's Story Karen reflects on her Jewish heritage and brings it together, identifying family history and identity through fragments. 00:00 / 04:03 Previous Next