Puerto Rico nonprofits tackle social isolation via digital strategies
A group of nonprofit organizations gathered to learn how to identify and address social isolation by strategically managing their social networks and optimizing outreach to the public and communities they serve.
During a workshop sponsored by the Triple-S Foundation, organizations such as OPAPA, Boys & Girls Club, Centro para Puerto Rico Sila María Calderón, Esperanza para la Vejez, Waves Ahead, Instituto Nueva Escuela, Clínica Legal Psicológica and La Fondita de Jesús learned about the “Herramientas Útiles” concept to raise awareness and fight social isolation and loneliness.
More than a dozen nonprofits responded to Triple-S Foundation’s call to combat loneliness and social isolation by participating in a workshop that provided access to validated educational tools for community interventions. These tools will assist them in promoting their social connection efforts through various digital platforms.
Roberto García, chief executive officer of Triple-S Management, welcomed the organizations and expressed gratitude for their work benefiting Puerto Rico. He emphasized the importance of uniting all sectors on the island to identify, raise awareness of, and combat social isolation and loneliness in communities.
Justin Thurman, president of Triple-S Salud and Triple-S Advantage, committed to continue support for this vision, focusing on reinvesting in the community.
“The ‘Socializing is Healthy’ toolkit offers a variety of digital assets in different formats so that each organization can even integrate their logos and customize them,” said Ivelisse Fernández, director of experiences and development. “By accessing the website, you will find informative documents, social media content, videos, infographics, articles and additional resources that any organization can adapt and use to convey the important message of promoting social bonds.”
Digital idea presentations were led by marketing expert Felipe Sánchez from Contáctica.
“In the digital world, communities are not defined by a geographical area, which is why we use various platforms to ensure reaching the widest possible audience,” Sánchez said.
His recommendations included developing content for social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube. Sánchez presented data on the effective use of text, videos and photos. He advised creating fresh content consistently and understanding when to craft a mass, informal, formal, informative or spontaneous message. To achieve this, he emphasized the importance of understanding the target audience.
The nonprofits learned to integrate the workshop’s lessons to combat social isolation by effectively managing social media and optimizing outreach. The workshop, convened by the Triple-S Foundation and its executive director, Lydia Figueroa, is part of the organization’s commitment to addressing food insufficiency and emotional well-being (social isolation) as social determinants of health.
“To combat social isolation and loneliness, we need everyone’s support. Fortunately, there are numerous resources and tools that can help us educate about this issue. By accessing the link, anyone can find the necessary tools to minimize and combat it,” García concluded, inviting individuals to visit the website.
