About

Our journey

We are Anjali Reddy, a freshman at Penn, and Tia Reddy, a sophomore in high school. We are from Massachusetts. We started SMILES & Breathe in spring of 2020 as a way to help people combat loneliness. Our hope is to help people find resources and ideas to help combat loneliness, create their own micro-community to cope and if possible, help each other. If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us, it is that we are stronger and at our best when we work with each other. We believe that it is the many, little good things done by one or many of us that will make a positive change.

Loneliness, a simmering issue in the population before the pandemic was brought to the forefront by the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of our mother’s role as a physician, our dinner table conversations during the pandemic included the social isolation’s effects on the population. These discussions inspired us look for ways to help people; during the pandemic it was a positive diversion. We delved into research ranging from the coping skills used by astronauts during isolation in space to the practice of solitude. We volunteered in a long- term care facility and collaborated with the MIT’s AgeLab.

Our quest inspired us to create SMILES & Breathe to combat loneliness. We initially distributed the SMILES & Breathe pamphlets among older adults in the community, cafes, restaurants, libraries etc. As we switched from the sprint to the marathon phase of the pandemic, we noted that while the loneliness problem spared no age group, it had worsened due to the pandemic lasting longer than expected. We adjusted the contents to encompass more age groups and to help all develop a skeleton structure for well-being amid the chaos. Thanks to the generous feedback, we made periodic updates. The website has hyperlinks to various resources. We hope to continue to make changes and welcome any feedback from you, the visitors and users.

We attended and moderated the Omega Chat Hours and Summits at the MIT AgeLab . One of us (Anjali) interned at the AgeLab (2021-2023); wrote blog/s; and researched intergenerational programming, cross-generational financial literacy and smart homes. We developed and published the Intergenerational Page in collaboration with the AgeLab. Our pilot, Toodles, an intergenerational skill-sharing program, at the AgeLab’s Omega Chat-Hour on January 28, 2023, was very well received. We have since collaborated and advised organizations on intergenerational programming. Through this experience, we have learned so much from the many kind people whose lives have touched ours— mentors, family, friends, teachers, 85+ Lifestyle leaders at the AgeLab, and sometimes strangers. We hope to build further and pass on what we have learned.

While SMILES & Breathe may not solve the many pressing issues of this world, we hope it will help people take tiny steps against loneliness. We hope every person feels that they belong within themselves, within a community and within a society; embraces some quiet moments in solitude; and finds peace in their quest for “un-loneliness." Please feel free to use the hyperlinks on SMILES & Breathe for resources and pass on the information so those in need can use them. As always, if you have any feedback or ideas, we are happy to hear from you.

Sincerely,

Anjali & Tia Reddy