During our pandemic crisis, the concept of social distancing has come forward as an important strategy to slow the rate of increase and protect those who have not contracted the disease. We are told to stay at home, thereby reducing our person-to-person contact with anyone except our immediate family. When we must venture forth for groceries or medical treatment or even for walks along trails and in the park by ourselves or with our companion animals, we are told to social-distance ourselves from everyone by creating at least a six-foot separation.

So, what do we mean by social distancing? Clearly, the admonishment is to keep our physical distance away from anyone who might possibly be a carrier of the disease. Although none of us has any idea whether a stranger in a store or on a path is a carrier, we are being told to assume they are and avoid all of them at all cost.

Notice I said physical distance; I did not say intellectual, psychological, or emotional distance. In fact, in light of the explosion in emails, virtual meetings of all sorts, efforts to reach out and connect with friends and colleagues, it is clear that in every respect other than physical distancing, we are all trying to reduce our social distance.

This reduction in social distancing or what may be called social connecting is very consistent with the central message in our recent book, “Journeys Out of Homelessness: The Voices of Lived Experience,” that I co-authored with my colleague, Jamie Rife. In Journeys, based on the accounts of nine individuals who had experienced homelessness and had managed to get through it, we argue about the importance of social capital – people who care, networks of support, and community – in the lives of those without homes. As we suggest, most of us have networks of support that we can rely on in times of crisis, such as the emergence of COVID-19, but those without homes are often socially isolated, socially distanced. What’s crucial for them, and of course for the rest of us, is having networks of support, people who care, and a sense of community. We all need people we can count on at 2 a.m. when we face a crisis.

Therefore, as we think about how to respond to the current epidemic, let’s remember: Of course, continue to socially distance yourself physically from others; that is one of the best ways to reduce the risk of the disease spreading exponentially. However, during these extraordinary times, let’s remember to increasingly connect ourselves socially with our friends, neighbors, our community in any number of virtual ways or through volunteering. Social capital is essential for all of us; we are social animals, after all.

Don Burnes, Ph.D., is founder and senior adviser of the Burnes Institute of Poverty Research and is affiliated with the Colorado Center on Law and Policy. Contact him at donwburnes@gmail.com