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Seeking Community to Combat Loneliness
One is the loneliest number, and that fact isn’t limited to heartbreak songs today – but rather is the basis of a real and growing public health crisis.
In a 2023 advisory, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned that the “mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity.” Additionally, a 2024 poll by the American Psychiatry Association found that one in three adults ages 18-34 reported feeling lonely every day or several times a week.
In short, America is facing a silent but deadly “loneliness epidemic,” with large numbers of the population feeling disconnected from others.
The data speaks for itself; loneliness and social isolation have a significant impact on Americans’ physical health. In addition to physical illnesses, loneliness and social isolation also increase one’s chances of experiencing depression and anxiety.
As America’s loneliness epidemic gains greater awareness, a brighter spotlight is also being shone on potential remedies, and ways we can strengthen connections and bonds with our neighbors, coworkers and people with shared interests and passions
New habits and routines can be hard to form, it seems that the most effective and sustainable solutions are the ones that fit naturally and seamlessly into an individual’s life.
As a leader in health and wellbeing, Amway understands the importance of social connection and the impact it can have on an individual and a community. In fact, our business model itself encourages hands-on engagement and community-building at its core, both of which can help prevent isolation and loneliness. The nearly 300,000 Americans who have chosen to become Amway Independent Business Owners (IBOs) sell products locally in their communities. As is typical for community small businesses, the system is set up on interpersonal interaction with members of your neighborhood.
At Amway, we have a saying for all IBOs, “You are in business for yourself but not by yourself.” Beyond offering a local, community-based approach to business ownership, we also ensure Amway IBOs have access to a wide network of others to rely on for support along their business ownership journey.
When retired Army colonel George Goodwin became an Amway IBO, he found support in fellow military veteran and IBO Jake. George and Jake bonded over their shared military experience and entrepreneurial spirit and have been each others’ best advisors ever since – deeply invested in their collective success.
Rather than a model built on competition, ours is built on community and collaboration.
The ability to forge stronger connections between people extends beyond our model into one of the core values that power Amway: service. “Live to Serve” represents a mission that unites all within the Amway community. Whether it be through Amway’s dedicated philanthropic commitments, like their recent partnership with the YMCA, or for causes personal to employees and IBOs, these individuals are highly involved in volunteering efforts throughout their localities. In 2023, Amway IBOs and employees logged over 212,000 hours of volunteer time totaling nearly 9,000 days spent serving others.
While strengthening the areas in which they live and work, Amway IBOs and employees are indirectly helping their own wellbeing as well. Social connection and community-building are within the very ethos of Amway, helping reduce the isolation that can contribute to the loneliness epidemic.
Amway has long provided a low-risk, reward-based model for Americans to explore business ownership and sell high-quality health and wellbeing solutions. As a result, the Amway model itself has become one that helps advance social connections between people at a time when such connections are sorely needed.