“The Joy List is a resource for people to find NYC-based events that they can go to by themselves, and leave with a new friend.”
“I am a fan of Jillian Richardson’s Joy List. She has bravely taken an individual pain— her own loneliness and search for meaningful community— and addressed it by generously including the rest of us in this journey as well.”
Why does The Joy List exist?
Shoutout to Kiran Patel for putting this glorious short film together
Americans are lonely. The average person in the U.S. has only one close friend. And to make things worse, 75% of people say that they're unsatisfied with their friendships. Religious gatherings are on the decline, but new ways to gather in community are hard to find. How do we fix this?
Our mission is to reduce loneliness in the United States, starting with New York City. We do this by compiling events that have a facilitated moment of connection. The majority of our listings are $30 or less, and many are free. We give people the little nudge they need to get out of their comfort zone, and into an experience where they can make a new friend.
We lift up the work of other community organizers. We let people know that they're not alone in feeling lonely. And we prioritize getting off our devices, and into real-life connection.
People Kinda Like Us
“Cannot love this enough. Give me all the stars to throw to this fantastic compendium of events, links, ideas, and general wonderful joyful spirit in every newsletter. They should hand this out to new to NYC folks along with their first MTA card. A joy in every inbox.”
“I so appreciate the spirit of this newsletter. As a native New Yorker, I have had periods of loneliness where it is hard to meet like-minded people. Loneliness has been a painful struggle for me, but I am determined to get out there and organically meet like-minded people.”
They're not the only ones! Check out more reader love here.