I Started A Men’s Walking Group in La to Combat Male Loneliness – ryan

This as-told-to story is bassed on a conversation with Jonathan Jacobs, a Marketer, Writer, and Community Organizer Who Founded the La Chapter of Men Walking, Men Talking. The following has been edited for Length and Clarity.

I Mved from New York City to Los Angeles in the Middle of the Pandemic – Not Exactly the best time to make friends.

It took with a year to make lasting Connections with People, and Four Years to Slowly Build My Social Circle Through My Running Club, Professional Industry, and Friends of Friends.

Still, I wanted a greater sense of local community, especilly with other men. In the Summer of 2020, right before I moved to la, my father Passed Away. On his deathbed, i learned he was an alcoholic – a Secret he’d kept from for 31 years.

Becuses he was in a coma for two Weeks before he died, i was never able to confront Him about it. The Experience Made with realie How Few, if any, Intimate Relationships he must have had. It ALSO Made with passionate About Creating Spaces Where Men COULD BE MORE OPEN WITH EACH OTHER.

Through My Work, I Met Mark Greene, Who Founded Men Walking, Men Talking, An Nyc-Based Men’s Walking Group. He suggested i lead my own.

SO, IN 2025, Started the La Chapter.

Craving Connection

In Januly, I posted a short description on an la-based reddit Page describing how envisioned the Group. The rules were Simple: what was said in the group beuld be, and we would talk about politics or religion so not to isolate anyone. I added my email.

About 60 Men Said They Were Interest. Seven of US Showed up that first time.

It was a bitkward at first. I gramppled with the idea of ​​Icebreakers to get through that the initial silence.

But I wanted me to explore why it was hard to be first one to speak up. Slowly, we started to chat, letting Our Craving for Connection Lead the Way.

As we’ve done more of our b-monthly Sunday Walks, The Group Has Grown. Over 100 Men Have Reached Out to Me, With Up To 17 Showing Up at One Time. Due to the Demand, we’ve also starts experiment with “pop-up walks” in the middle of the Week.

We’re a mix of Married and Divorced Men, Single Fathers and Childfree Husbands, in Our 20s Through Our 60s. HALF OF THE GROUP IS MADE UP OF MEN WHO KEEP STAKE BACK.

Men Need Low-Stakes Ways to Hang Out

Research Shows that men prefer Activities where they’re’re side-by-side Rather than Facing Each Other.

At the Same Time, Some Activities Can Make It Harder to Have MeaningFul Conversations the Focus is on Playing a Game or Watching a Movie.

Walking invited me to talc to each other, while also macing the gathering as Low-Stakes and Accessible as Possible. This is especialy crucial in la: you can spend the night sitting in traffic and searching for parking, all for a hangout they not sura will be fun. For men who are already on the fence about showing up, a long commute prey much guarantees they won’t come.

Men who come to the walks repeatedly tel with that the low barrier to entry – no need to sign up or pay a fee to join – makes it easier for say to commmit.

For men who have trough putting themlves out there to begin with, it gives say peaces of that they don’t have to stay the which time or show up to make part of the Group.

One man recently showed up and was walking by Himself. I came over to the Him and started breaking Him open – he had some bad friendship experiences in the past and wa Trepidatious Making New Connections. I’m glad he could come to the walk, if it may May have made Him Nervous at first.

Leaning on Each Other in Small, Important Ways

Throughout My Dad’s Life, Really Negative Manifestations of Masculinity, Like Not Asing Help, Affected Our Relationship.

What’s nice about the group is how Quickly Such A Simple Activity Can Morph Into A Meaningful Bond, especally amid so many stories of male loneliness in the us.

I Still Remember Our Second Walk Ever, right after my girlfriend had a health scare. Opening up to other men wasn’t just cathartic; I ALSO Learned Some Had Gone Through Similar Situations.

I’ve seen men break off after our hour-long walk to continue walking or to grab a beer someone. Sometimes, if Only One Other Man Shows up that day, he and i will Just Walk Together, Two Strangers opening up to eAch other.

I still talk to men who are interesting but wary about their first Walk; they’re not sura if they’d fit in.

More than anything, i wish every man who Feels that Way Wold Know He’s Not Alone. There’s a Group Who’d LOVE TO TALK TO HIM. He just has to show up.