In March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, bringing social connection to a grinding halt. Over three years later, the majority is regaining their footing.

However, a silent minority, still largely shut away, faces an even greater underground pandemic: loneliness.

According to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM), 43% of adults aged 60 and older reported feeling lonely in 2020. While the pandemic exacerbated general feelings of abandonment and isolation, the elderly are at heightened risk due to living alone, chronic sickness and the loss of loved ones.

Prior to the pandemic, 97-year-old Sunland resident Mary Hicks enjoyed visits with her family and many friends. As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, she never missed a meeting at the local Kingdom Hall in Montrose. However, during the pandemic Hicks was isolated at home – one of 13.8 million seniors in the United States who live alone.

Despite this challenge, Hicks never had time to feel lonely, especially after she was introduced to a new innovation: the iPad.

Although she initially used the device to play solitaire, Mary’s curiosity was piqued: “This thing is really interesting. What else can it do?”

“Then I started using it a lot,” she said. “I realized it was a useful thing.”

With help from her grandchildren, Hicks became an adept iPad user. When the pandemic drove Jehovah’s Witnesses out of their Kingdom Halls and onto virtual platforms, her spiritual routine continued with little interruption. She learned to attend and participate in weekly meetings virtually with her congregation. While the World Health Organization has since declared that the pandemic is no longer a global health emergency, Jehovah’s Witnesses have retained a hybrid meeting format to accommodate elderly members who continue to rely on Zoom to attend.

Hicks still keeps busy in much the same ways as before, working on jigsaw puzzles when not writing letters as part of her ministry or playing trivia with her family. Yet it was learning to use technology that kept Hicks connected during a volatile time. That same technology continues to help keep her connected and rejuvenated.

Understanding the value of staying connected, she said, “I think to be with friends is one of the most important things I can do.”

More information on the activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses, including resources for assisting the elderly and coping with isolation, can be found on the official website, jw.org.