ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Technology may be contributing to isolation. But for some, it's actually helping bring people together.
ROC Girl Walks is a group that gets women in Rochester up and moving.
Not even the cold weather could stop Maggie Coleman, and about a dozen others, from getting a walk in.
It’s the last sunset walk of the season for ROC Girl Walks. It's a group Coleman started just six months ago with just a handful of women. It's grown now to around 70 each walk.
“I was sitting on my couch, wondering what can I do to get out and build community," said Coleman.
One in five adults report feeling lonely daily, according to a new Gallup survey. It's the highest rate of reported loneliness in the past two years. ROC Girl Walks is Coleman’s answer to that.
There are two walks each month, bringing together women of all ages from around the Rochester area and giving them the chance to connect.
Mary Mantione followed ROC Girl Walks for a while before making it out to her first walk.
“It’s awesome," Mantione said. "They have an app you can connect through and meet different people."
Taylor Allheim has been coming from the beginning, looking for a way to make new connections. This is walk number 8.
“It’s really nice just to meet some new faces and talk to some other friends I’ve made," said Allheim. “Because I work from home I don’t get a lot of social interaction. I wanted to do something to put myself out there."
After three chilly miles, Coleman and the group leave a little out of breath but with more connections that they arrived with.
“[It's] incredible to be a part of it," Coleman said. "[It's great] forming my own relationships but also watching others connect. It's so wonderful."
The next ROC Girl Walk takes place on Dec. 7.