Fairfield County nonprofit, SOAR Together, is recognizing June’s Worldwide Loneliness Awareness through the dedication of a community bench on Main Street to celebrate the legacy of Ed Brennan, a man who loved community and conversation.
With a mission of helping elevate levels of contentment through planned and impromptu opportunities for social connection, this week’s dedication of a bench in Ed’s name marks a beautiful testament to a joyful husband, father, friend, and coach to all who crossed his path.
“Chris and I are deeply honored to celebrate Ed’s legacy of joyful connection and Suzanne’s lifelong commitment to community connection through this bench,” says Smith, adding, “Suzanne’s journey is one of epic strength, courage, and resilience in the face of life-changing loss, and her leadership by immersive example and ongoing service is an inspiration to all.”
The deepest passion for SOAR Together Founder, Ginger Smith, is systemic social change, driven by grassroots community work and collaborations that begin with seed planting and sparks of connection, resulting in exponential lives touched and elevated outcomes over time. The goal, from a macro-change perspective, is to create literal and proverbial places of belonging where change ultimately happens naturally. Strategically positioned public benches, from a placemaking perspective, provide community members of all ages and stages the opportunity to pause and connect with one another while spending time outside, both correlating to a reduction in loneliness and improved health outcomes.
Thank you, Ginger and SOAR, for this beautiful gift. We are ‘Celebrating Ed Brennan, whose love for conversation was unmatched.