Meet Carter Andre-Van Lith. When a severe softball injury abruptly shifted her identity as a top-performing athlete, Carter found herself in the depths of loneliness and isolation. At her darkest point, she found herself unrecognizable, overwhelmed by the changes in her life and struggling mentally. During her recovery, Carter began the process of rediscovery as […]

Meet Haile Watson. Growing up as a minority in her town, Haile often faced a deep loneliness and isolation when she became a target for racism from her peers. It wasn’t until she got to college that she finally experienced a sense of belonging with her college volleyball team. This transformative experience ignited her passion […]

Meet Ben Higgins. You may recognize him from his time on ABC’s the Bachelor, however Ben’s journey with loneliness began with a deep-seated belief that he was always an outsider. Ben shares how he tried to satisfy that loneliness through many different things, addiction, career success, fame, relationships. It was only when he began to […]

Only7Seconds is excited to announce a major milestone in our mission to end youth loneliness: receiving a grant from the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust! This funding will allow us to expand our capacity and programs, helping youth build meaningful relationships and a culture of connection. Social health—our ability to build and maintain positive relationships—is critical […]

Meet Malachi Castilote. Diagnosed at 18 with a rare terminal illness, Malachi is the oldest living child in the United States receiving treatment for Batten’s Disease CLN2. Facing the challenges of his condition, he turned to art & the community around it as an outlet for coping with the loneliness that often accompanies his journey. […]

Meet Beth Okamoto. Beth has always been a perfectionist, and anxiety has woven itself into her life story. The loneliness she felt during the COVID lockdowns led her to seek help from her school counselor, Mrs. Goetz, who became a vital part of her support system. Inspired by this experience, Beth now aspires to become […]

You’ve heard us say “We want to end youth loneliness” but you may be wondering, “How exactly are they going to do that?” and “If I jump on board, what exactly am I helping to support?” We wanted to break it down for you. Here are 7 real-life examples of donor dollars in action. This […]

Growing up in and out of the foster care system, Zach’s childhood was marked by loneliness. With his first brush with the justice system at age eight, he spent much of middle and high school in juvenile detention. It was when he met his mentor, Jackson, that Zach began to believe he had the potential […]

Meet Lorie, the final storyteller of season 2 for the I Know Lonely Project. When her story took a different direction than she expected, Lorie found herself alone at the darkest point in her life. A friend reaching out with a simple message during a moment of crisis ended up changing the trajectory for her. […]

Growing up in a Mexican-American family of ten, Samael’s (Sammy) family has always been a core piece of him. He shares how he’s experienced loneliness as a high school student while embracing a society that is not tied to his culture of origin. He also shares about some of the challenges of “growing up” and […]

Meet Abbi Hamlin, our season 2 storyteller for the I Know Lonely Project this month. As a middle school athlete, Abbi struggled with a severe eating disorder. Through her journey, she shares about the power of friendships in her story and how connecting with the right therapist changed her healing journey. Now, Abbi works as […]