Loneliness is a real problem. It affects everyone, but older people who do not know where to find new friends are particularly vulnerable to its effects. The fight against the problem was taken up by the people of Katowice, who set up the Social Ministry for Loneliness (Polish: Społeczne Ministerstwo ds. Samotności). The venue has been extremely popular since its inception.

At the Social Ministry for Loneliness, there is something for everyone. The staff make sure that the schedule of activities reaches the widest audience possible. To do that they organise physical activities, such as Zumba, but also workshops on creating different types of cosmetics, cooking or psychology. On certain days, you can meet psychologists, coaches, philosophical counsellors, career advisors or re-socialisation educators on site. They visit the Ministry with an aim of giving people who do not believe in their development the opportunity to develop.

The battle against loneliness at the Social Ministry for Loneliness can also be fought by dancing. The venue regularly hosts dance events that bring different generations together. There is also a social bistro on site with reasonably low prices. The idea is to give people who can't afford to go out to a restaurant a chance to eat out in a classy place. Coffee at Bistro Spichlerz costs PLN 5 (around €1.15), while a lunch consisting of soup and a second course costs PLN 15 (around €3.5). The pricing at the bistro is intended to encourage single people to get out of the house and integrate.

The Social Ministry for Loneliness was set up by the Empty Chair Foundation (Polish: Fundacja Wolne Miejsce). The organisation's website reads: "It all started over 20 years ago in my flat, when I first invited a lonely neighbour from the block to sit at an empty chair at the Christmas table on Christmas Eve. In the years that followed, I expanded the Christmas tables, first in my own home and then with volunteers in the halls of many Polish cities. We host several thousand lonely people at such events each year."

As part of its activities, the Empty Chair Foundation established Spichlerz - Poland's first social shop chain with outlets in Katowice, Warsaw and Tychy. The aim of the shops is to provide economically disadvantaged people with the products they need to live without having to ask for them, which many people find embarrassing. The foundation is currently working on opening additional outlets in Olsztyn, Dąbrowa Górnicza, Kołobrzeg, Wołomin and Piaseczno. Each shop also has a café point to further integrate the local community.