A few years ago, I sat on the porch trying to console Rebecca, a 26-year-old woman with cerebral palsy. Earlier that day a few volunteers at our Joni and Friends Retreat for special needs families signed her up for the children's group. With her girlish grin and short blonde hair, Rebecca looked ten years old. It was a mistake that happened all the time. Overcome with loneliness and discouragement, she cried, "Joni, I don't have any friends. I'm so lonely."   

There are so many people like Rebecca. Experts bemoan the loneliness epidemic and its impact on youth, mental health, longevity, and chronic pain. The ravages of loneliness are especially hurting people with disabilities. Limited mobility, social stigma, and inaccessible spaces make isolation and loneliness a common problem. A recen

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