Rotary: Guest Speaker: Paul Singh, M.A., J.D.

Topic of Discussion: Increasing Social Connection in Metro Vancouver

Paul began his presentation by telling us about a little town called Roseto.  Roseto is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Roseto is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt.  The population of Roseto was 1,653 at the 2000 census.  We were told of how researchers found vastly better rates of health amongst the residents of Roseto versus national averages especially when it came to rates of heart disease.  What was found was that it had all to do with the people and how neighborly they were.  They were all active members of the community and very social with each other.  Their strong sense of community seemed to almost inoculate the residents of Roseto from the diseases of modern times.

In 2011, the Vancouver Foundation surveyed almost 400 business, academic, and community leaders in Metro Vancouver to determine the one local issue about which they were most concerned.  As opposed to concerns such as affordability, transportation, or homelessness, the issue about which leaders indicated they had the single greatest concern was a growing sense of social disconnection, loneliness, and isolation which existed within the community.   

A subsequent survey by the Foundation of almost 4,000 Metro Vancouver residents confirmed this.  Nearly one-third of respondents indicated they found Metro Vancouver a difficult place to make friends.  Nearly one-quarter reported being alone more then they would like.  Almost three-quarters indicated that they did not socialize with their neighbors.  And less than a quarter reported having participated in a community project in the past year.    

These findings captured the attention of both the local and national media.  In June 2012, the Vancouver Sun ran a five-piece cover story on the survey, entitled "Growing Apart."  The Globe and Mail published a similar article entitled "Alone, So Alone in Vancouver," and the Calgary Herald dubbed Vancouver: "Lonely Town."

The messages Paul reinforced in his presentation were:

• Sense of community & connection to community is the largest factor that determines one’s health.
• Weak social ties are more influential in one’s health than diet, smoking, alcohol and even genetics.
• Numerous scientific studies confirm that what contributes most to one’s happiness more than anything is social connections.
• All of this has a direct connection to social clubs such as Rotary – unfortunately in Vancouver less than 1 in 10 residents are active in a social club.
• Social disconnection has a direct correlation to a person’s health and mortality.
• There is great power in neighborhood, community and social connection & neighborliness is good for the body & the soul.