Delaware, OH – SENIORS NEEDED! Do you spend most of the day alone? Do you wish you had someone to talk to? Would you like to be able to get out in the community?

The Senior Companion Program helps reduce loneliness and isolation by matching volunteers ages 55 and older with older adults in the community. Connections Volunteer Center, a program of HelpLine of Delaware and Morrow Counties, Inc. partners with Catholic Social Services and SourcePoint to provide the Senior Companion Program for Delaware County.

Clients receive a visit once a week on a designated day and time. Visits are typically 3-4 hours each week. Some of the things companions and clients do together is sit and talk, reminisce, play cards/games, watch a movie, go for a walk, go to the grocery store, go to the senior center, bake cookies, run errands, go shopping, or anything else that interests the client.

Having someone each week to visit breaks up a week for seniors who may have been alone all week with nothing to look forward to. Many of our companions have visited clients for several years, naturally developing a lasting friendship. One client with a senior companion requested to see her brother. She talks with her brother on the phone weekly and he visits her once a year, but she has not been to his home in 40 years. The client is unable to drive and relies on others to take her places. The client asked the senior companion if she would be willing to take her to Marengo to see her brother. The two of them arranged the visit and went one afternoon. According to the client, the visit went “beautifully.” This is just one of the many examples of the benefits of this program.

“This program is about connecting people – it facilitates interaction for seniors that may otherwise be completely isolated from others and gives volunteers the opportunity to make a difference.” Said Suzanne Pingry, Connections Program Director at HelpLine.

“Our companions and seniors benefit greatly from this important program.”

The Senior Companion Program exists free of charge to provide visits to frail older adults in their homes and assisting them as needed. We are currently accepting applications for SENIORS who would benefit from this program, so if you are interested please visit us online at www.connectionsvolunteercenter.org or call 740-363-5000.