Culture
In a Lonely City, Volunteer Listeners Are Here to Help
“Often, lonely people long to be noticed by another person who says, ‘I see you.’” That’s where Sidewalk Talk comes in.
On a recent morning in Atlanta, Georgia, Marian Davis and four volunteers set up folding chairs along a busy stretch of the Atlanta Beltline where people come to exercise, sightsee, and shop. Next to them, a sign advertised their services: “Free Listening.”
Davis and her “listening team” are volunteers with a nonprofit called Sidewalk Talk, a community project that aims to dismantle loneliness, a growing public health crisis in American cities. By gathering on the street, they aim to use public spaces to foster meaningful human connections. For two hours, they sat there, eager to lend an ear to anyone with a story to tell.