CONNECT TV Series
Our monthly TV show, “CONNECT: Addressing Loneliness in Massachusetts,” airs on local media channels across the state and explores various themes related to connected, healthy aging. The series is produced by our partners at Winchester Community Access & Media Inc.
Episode 1: Introducing the Taskforce
April 2022
Featuring:
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Caitlin Coyle, PhD, Taskforce Co-Chair and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston
Reporter: Kasley Killam, MPH, Taskforce Public Awareness Lead and Founder of Social Health Labs
Episode 2: The Value of Intergenerational Friendship
May 2022
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Janet Seckel-Cerrotti, Taskforce Founding Member & Executive Director, FriendshipWorks
Reporter: Kasley Killam, MPH, Taskforce Public Awareness Lead and Founder of Social Health Labs
Special Guests: Peter McIntyre and Grace Yu, friends who met through FriendshipWorks
Episode 3: Tech-Savvy at All Ages
June 2022
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Dan Noyes, Co-CEO of Tech Goes Home
Reporter: Kasley Killam, MPH, Taskforce Public Awareness Lead and Founder of Social Health Labs
Special Guests: Arnetta Baty and Carl Baty, President and Executive Director of Rounding the Bases
Episode 4: Hidden Gems in Your Neighborhood
July 2022
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Charlotte Wood, Assistant Library Director, Wilmington Memorial Library
Reporter: Kasley Killam, MPH, Taskforce Public Awareness Lead and Founder of Social Health Labs
Special Guest: Nancy Kirwin, community member and active library patron
Episode 5: Connected Caregiving
August 2022
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Brenda Labbe, Community Outreach Director, Greater Springfield Senior Services
Reporter: Kasley Killam, MPH, Taskforce Public Awareness Lead and Founder of Social Health Labs
Special Guest: Lexi Thorup, nurse and family caregiver
Episode 6: Socially Connected Public Spaces
September 2022
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Andrea Burns, Director of Age-Friendly Boston
Reporter: Kasley Killam, MPH, Taskforce Public Awareness Lead and Founder of Social Health Labs
Special Guest: Michael Keamy, Boston resident and community advocate
Episode 7: Staying Connected in Community
October 2022
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Jean Patel Bushnell, Director of the Billerica Council On Aging
Reporter: Kasley Killam, MPH, Taskforce Public Awareness Lead and Founder of Social Health Labs
Special Guest: Myra Glansberg, Plymouth resident and engaged community member
Episode 8: Warding Off Wintry Blues
November 2022
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Ailene Gerhardt, patient advocate and founder of the Navigating Solo Network
Reporter: Kasley Killam, MPH, Taskforce Public Awareness Lead and Founder of Social Health Labs
Special Feature: Highlights from the Good Neighbor Day Summit
Episode 9: The Power of Music for Connection
December 2022
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Ron Della Chiesa, legendary Boston radio personality and member of the Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Episode 10: Mindful Approaches to Self-Love
February 2023
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Susanna Barry, Clinical Psychologist
Episode 11: The Value of Lifelong Learning
March 2023
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Jim Hermelbracht, Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UMass Boston
Episode 12: The Legislative Efforts Affecting Older Adults in MA
April 2023
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Jessica Costantino, Massachusetts Director of Advocacy for AARP
Episode 13: Secret of a Happy Life
June 2023
Host: Nikki Shults, Executive Director, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly
Featured Guest: Robert Waldinger, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Speaker, and Author
Episode 14: It Takes a Village
July 2023
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Paul Duffy, Executive Director, Beacon Hill Village
Episode 15: WhatsUP MIT Age Lab
August 2023
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Chair and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Taylor Patskanick, Technical Associate at the MIT AgeLab
Episode 16: Taskforce Update and Good Neighbor Day
September 2023
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Leader and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Jean Bushnell, Taskforce Co-Leader and Director, Billerica Council on Aging
Episode 17: Age and Dementia Friendly Massachusetts: Tools for Social Health
October 2023
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Leader and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Antron Watson, Age-Friendly Director, AARP Massachusetts
Episode 18: Connections Around the Dinner Table
November 2023
Host: Sandra Harris, Taskforce Co-Leader and AARP Massachusetts State President
Featured Guest: Dr. Anne Fishel Director, The Family Dinner Project at Harvard Medical School
Spread the Word
Make sure your local community media station knows about the series and is airing it on TV each month. It takes 5 minutes to reach out to them, and we’ve made it easy at the link below!