Danbury Community Meetup Group Flourishes Amidst Loneliness Epidemic

DANBURY, CT — A 38-year-old Redding woman is not only winning her battle against loneliness, she is sparking friendships for a growing group of young people in the Danbury area.

Laura D'Onofrio said she undertook some self-help introspection in the latter part of 2023, and realized the strands buoying her in the human web had become frayed. Being a full-time mother to three children ages 15, 12, and 8 was fulfilling, but she felt an emotional void she feared was growing dangerously large.

"I wanted to make connections. I wanted to talk to people. I wanted to make friends," she said, and she knew she was not alone.

"We live on our own little islands, on whatever land we bought. And we might see our neighbor. If we go to the grocery store, we won't talk with anyone. You have family, yes, maybe you have children, yes, but beyond that...?"

She's not wrong. According to the American Medical Association, loneliness as a public health issue intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and remains a pressing issue. What used to be regarded as just an old person's malady is now seen equally as a young person's disease.

A 2020 report that examined loneliness in the workplace found that 79 percent of Generation Z and 71 percent of Millennials considered themselves lonely, compared to 50 percent of Baby Boomers. Not surprisingly, social media makes it worse, as it does with most everything.

So D'Onofrio joined The Danbury 20s and 30s Meetup Group, and proceeded to be profoundly disappointed.

"There wasn't much going on," she explained. The meetups were "maybe like twice or three times a year." As she cast her net wider, and joined other Meetup.com groups, she said she discovered more social wastelands.

Just when it seemed it couldn't get any worse, it did. She was notified that the organizer of her Danbury group had just stepped down, and the group would have to be dissolved.

So D'Onofrio stepped up.

"On a whim, I decided to give being the Danbury event organizer a shot," she told Patch. "I don't get paid, all of it is to create a welcoming atmosphere where people can meet and connect in person. I make it a point to have one event every weekend to allow friendships to form and possibly even foster love."

The turnaround effort has been a rollicking success. The group has held an event for members every weekend since D'Onofrio took the reins, and the roster is up to 324.

"Membership has expanded to where I now see regulars come weekly, and each event has at least 15 people. It's a fun time every time!" she said.

Saturday is Star Wars Day, for those who celebrate ("May the Fourth." Get it? We'll wait…) and the group will be holding an "epic lightsaber battle" adjacent to Huntington State Park.

Anyone who is not a lisping Jedi and just wants to hang out, that's fine, too. After the battle is over, the group will head over to Shakedown Street Eats in Bethel (formerly Note Kitchen & Bar), which is hosting a Star Wars trivia night.

There's a monthly coffee shop meetup at Mothership on Main the following weekend, and a group hike at Tarrywile Park later in the month.

D'Onofrio said she gets event inspiration from the "Newbie Forms" she has all the new members complete, which solicit only their first name, last initial, birth month, and interests. Knowing birth months allows here to celebrate group birthdays at one of the meet-ups each month.

It all sounds a little bit like matchmaking, no…?

"Of course, most of them say they're there to make friends," D'Onofrio said, "but there are a few people who say, 'I really would like to make a love connection'."

And although there are certainly "apps for that," D'Onofrio believes the best way to find a real, lasting love is to meet them in person.

"One couple went on their first date just last week from my meetup group. I was very excited about that."