Social activities are among the most popular activities Rapp at Home offers. These have included happy hours, ice cream socials, potluck lunches in the park or in our office, coffee and donuts with our staff, wine tasting and tour, Valentine's Day lunch and sing along. They're just for fun, for getting together with Friends, and for making new friends.
Many of our services and activities that are designed to help Friends in specific ways also provide social opportunities. One of our volunteers who drove a group of Rapp at Home Friends to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in our bus commented that he felt like a junior high school bus driver – the conversation was so loud and non-stop. One of our Friends mentioned after enjoying a trip to the Museum of the Shenandoah that the bus ride was maybe more fun than the museum!
Activities such as these are also important to many of our Friends who otherwise might not have many opportunities for socialization. As US Surgeon General’s report in 2023 noted, isolation fundamentally affects our social, mental, and physical health. The physical health consequences of insufficient connection include increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia. These activities mitigate those risks while providing an enjoyable experience.