Letter from the President

cindy schrantz, president
Cindy Schrantz
President

New Year's Journey

Years ago, a friend and I gave up making New Year's resolutions and decided to call it our New Year's Journey instead. That way we could continue to grow and challenge each other to try something we were not comfortable doing throughout the year.

As I was thinking about my 2024 journey, Allan Zisner shared a podcast he had listened to titled, "Feeling Alone? 5 Tips To Combat Loneliness" on NPR. Here is the link if you would like to listen to it Feeling Alone?

It talks about the consequences of social disconnection and long-term effects, everything from increased risk of heart attacks to dementia. But feeling alone is not all doom and gloom. There are ways to combat it, and these are the 5 tips the article/podcast outlines:

  • Be curious
  • Make something
  • Take a risk by having conversations
  • Find a group that matches your interest
  • Other people's loneliness matters too

That is what I love about NFLL. We understand that at all ages, people want to be connected and doing so means we live healthier lives both mentally and physically.

Our variety of classes (humorous, intellectually stimulating, creative arts, culinary experiences, on and on); the number of social opportunities (out to lunch times, study halls, tours), signature events (holiday party, spring picnic); outdoor opportunities (weekly hiking, biking, walking); and volunteer opportunities (maybe one time, maybe on a regular basis) give us ways to connect.

May your 2024 be a continuation of the journey you are already traveling!

Cindy Schrantz
President
New Frontiers for Lifelong Learning