A natural extrovert, Tim Jones didn’t hesitate when a new friend invited him to dinner with a group of strangers. With a bottle of wine in hand, he arrived that evening to find a communal table set with linens, greenery, and handwritten place cards. There were also conversation prompts and a single rule: work conversations were off the table.
Eighty people gathered for the event. Across from Jones sat a Black woman in her seventies, and within minutes, they were bantering and laughing like old friends. “I knew in that moment that I was experiencing something so profound and something that was not available,” recalled Jones.
This dinner 13 years ago sparked his idea for Longer Tables, a Denver-based nonprofit that cultivates cross-cultural connection and confronts loneliness through shared meals.
“We’re the most isolated that we’ve ever been,” commented Jones. “The table is, potentially, the most powerful place on the planet to rehumanize us.”
The Loneliness Problem
For some, the idea of meeting a group of strangers sounds reasonably frightening. Will you fit in with the group? What if you say the wrong thing? Can you squeeze through the bathroom window if things go south? There’s a fair amount of uncertainty in putting yourself out there.
What is certain, however, is that more often choosing the alternative, such as unaccompanied takeout and television, is worse. In 2023, former U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy labeled loneliness an epidemic given its definitive harm to individual and societal health; and its alarming prevalence, with around 50% of American adults experiencing isolation.
To answer why this is such a problem, Jones paraphrased reporting from Derek Thompson, who authored a recent article in The Atlantic. It explained that the issue of loneliness began long before Dr. Murthy gave his warning, and long before the COVID-19 lockdowns too.
Rather, sociability took a turn in the 1970s with decreased investment in public spaces, such as libraries and school gyms, as well as less participation in community organizations. Technology also made an impact, with personal automobiles driving individuals to more distant homes and air conditioning dialing back impromptu porch chats with neighbors.
Meanwhile, televisions keep people entertained at home and smartphones provide an endless scroll of addictive algorithms. “Social media parades as real and authentic connection, and while it does that in some ways, it actually is separating us from meaningful, in-person connection,” observed Jones.
Rather than short online posts, Longer Tables encourages storytelling, along with deeper conversations around goals and values. Like Jones 13 years ago, you may be surprised by whom you share similarities.
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Inspired by that fateful evening, Jones established Longer Tables and, alongside his team, began to set tables in communities across Denver and beyond. The organization took a two-year hiatus during the pandemic, and Jones recalled when efforts finally resumed.
“We were starved to be seen by another, to share stories of what the last two years had been like, to just be in the same space with another human being,” he said. “That’s when we knew it was time to double down.”
Longer Tables, quite literally, doubled its total reach with a single event last summer. More than 3,400 guests gathered around a mile-long table at downtown’s Auraria Campus. The family-style meal featured ancient grains to represent the state’s Indigenous heritage, pinto beans to reflect the neighborhood’s displaced Chicano residents, and locally-sourced fare.
Last year, the nonprofit also had more than fifty leaders across the nation participate in its annual Table Together campaign, which takes place around National Good Neighbor Day on September 28. The organization also enables community members to set tables year-round.
Jones recalled two individuals who, after meeting at a Longer Tables event, were inspired to host a table in their shared neighborhood in Wash Park. More than 180 people attended. “Now, they’re rotating happy hours in each other’s garages and backyards every month. It completely changed the feeling in this neighborhood,” he affirmed.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, only around one-in-four people in urban and suburban areas know all or most of their neighbors. But this insight provides major benefits (aside from convenient house sitters and emergency dog walkers). Jones noted that knowing your neighbors increases safety and a sense of belonging, and studies back his claims.
Longer Tables aims to further impact communities this year, particularly by fostering diverse leadership and celebrating local heritage.
Connecting Around the Table
“This is the year for civic tables. We are moving more into leadership formation because we realize we can have a greater impact,” said Jones. Colorado will celebrate its 150th anniversary this year, and in honor of the milestone, Longer Tables is helping to coordinate 150 tables across the state.
Jones said that although the campaign will officially launch next month, the nonprofit’s directors have already spoken with more than 30 cities. Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and Colorado Springs have already agreed to participate, as have smaller towns including Niwot, Larkspur, and Del Norte.
“The goal is to have a cross-section of leaders from [each] community come together to set the table,” Jones explained. “That way, the diverse parts of the community are represented. We want these leaders to co-create this table and as they’re doing that, we want them to reflect not only the history of Colorado, but the history of their community.”
One of the best ways to honor local heritage is, of course, through food. Should you attend a Longer Tables event in the San Luis Valley, potatoes would anchor the menu. Rocky Ford melons, Palisade peaches, and more of Colorado’s beautiful bounty will add to celebrations, whether catered or coordinated as potlucks.
To assist organizers with various planning aspects, Longer Tables will soon have a turnkey kit available on its website. This will include training videos with strategies on operational logistics and how to foster deeper connections. Virtual calls will also be offered, allowing participants to not only receive personalized guidance, but connect with other leaders across Colorado.
“If we want to see this movement, we need to make it replicable and simple,” said Jones. Simultaneously, as the nonprofit develops local leaders, it is working to host its next big event.
“We will be setting a table in DC on the National Mall to bring 1,776 people together to remind us that we are just human, that we are a nation of immigrants who all know the table,” said Jones. “The table has the capacity to reconnect us.”
Longer Table will soon launch 150 Tables Across Colorado, and the next Mile Long Table will be on August 1. Stay tuned for news and how you can help create this event in your own area.
