OLLI Harrisburg to host free screening, discussion of ‘Lonely’

MIDDLETOWN, Pa., — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) Harrisburg will host a screening of the film “Lonely,” with writer-director Ty Sheetz, on Tuesday, July 7, as part of a free two-part course designed to help educate participants on loneliness among mature adults and challenge participants to do good for others who may be lonely.

The two-session course features the film screening and discussion from 10 a.m.-noon on July 7 in the Mukund S. Kulkarni Theatre at Penn State Harrisburg, and a follow-up session from 10 a.m. to noon on July 14, also in the theatre. Register for the course here.

“Lonely” is a story about an 80-year-old woman and her attempt to find companionship.

Those who attend the screening will be challenged to reach out to someone they believe is lonely in the next seven days and do something to help that person feel less lonely. During the July 14 session, those who accepted the challenge will discuss their efforts, which will be submitted to the LIGHT (Loneliness Impacted by Getting Healthier Together) Meter, a strategic initiative to impact loneliness.

The course is free and open to anyone courtesy of the film production team and Ted Ackroyd, course instructor and developer of the LIGHT Meter Project.

Ackroyd, who previously taught at Penn State University Park, is a longtime part of the Penn State Harrisburg community. The Ackroyd Family Foundation financially supports the campus Center for Fitness and Wellness and partnered with the center to offer a healthier living challenge for faculty and staff in 2025.

Ackroyd said he hopes to create a sustainable movement focused on loneliness that will contribute to healthier living for both individuals who are experiencing loneliness and those who do good to try to help.

“Everybody can, in fact, do something to live a little healthier, and if that ‘something’ is focused on helping the lonely, then it’s the proverbial ‘win-win’ — the giver and the receiver both experience healthier living,” he said.

Anyone with questions or group reservations can reach out to OLLI Harrisburg at Ollihbg@psu.edu or 717-948-6004.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Penn State is a membership-based, volunteer-driven organization that has worked to enrich the lives of community members aged 50 and better for more than 25 years through educational experiences, travel and social and volunteer opportunities. OLLI expanded offerings to Harrisburg in 2025.