Being part of a faith community doesn’t always come naturally – sometimes you have to go looking for it. Through the Jewish Connection Network, an agency of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, that first conversation can be as simple as meeting someone for coffee.

A Personal Story

For Shelly Lohmann, that’s exactly where it began. After the loss of her husband, Shelly found herself in a place many adults recognize, but don’t always talk about. Her routine had changed. Her social circles had shifted. And like many people, especially later in life, she realized that meeting new people wasn’t as easy as it once was.

Shelly first heard about the Jewish Connection Network through her daughter, who encouraged her to fill out the organization’s ‘Get Coffee With Us’ form. The idea is simple – you fill out a short form, and someone from The Network reaches out to meet you one-on-one in a casual, low-pressure setting.

A Community Forms

A few months after that first meeting, Shelly began to recognize something important: there were others like her – people navigating major life changes, looking for connection and not quite sure where to find it. And while The Network offered many ways to connect, there wasn’t yet a space specifically for widows and widowers in her age group. So, she helped create one.

Today, Shelly serves as a Network Community Connector and brings together widows and widowers in their 60s and 70s for regular gatherings. At one recent brunch, nearly 20 people gathered at Shelly’s home. It’s a warm, comfortable environment, she says. We’re not sitting in a restaurant shouting over each other. We’re just getting to know each other.

Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.