Combating Social Isolation

For many as they grow older, it is easy to feel isolated. Family members might not live close by or it is becoming harder to nurture personal relationships. Recently one of our partners, United Way of Greater and Petersburg held a one-day symposium Come Together: Eliminating Social Isolation for Older Adults. The symposium brought together RVA providers serving older adults to learn more about the consequences of social isolation and the power of social connection. Learn more about the symposium here.

At JFS, we are proud to serve the older adult community in many ways including combating social isolation through Telephone Reassurance and Friendly Visitors. We have a wide age range of volunteer involvement staffing these programs, from college students to retirees. JFS volunteers in our Telephone Reassurance and Friendly Visitors program are dedicated to building real friendship and companionship with those we serve. For the 2014-2015 year, JFS provided Telephone Reassurance and Friendly Visitor Services to 69 members of the Greater Richmond community.

Friendly Visitors provide social visits to seniors and mentally and physically challenged adults in the Greater Richmond area. These compassionate volunteers offer friendship and companionship to isolated seniors looking for someone to spend time with. They share stories, listen and reminisce, play games, take walks and so much more!

“I am alone and my daughter likes to have someone checking up on me” – Friendly Visitor Client

Every weekday morning, Telephone Reassurance volunteers call to chat, check in, and make sure everything is okay. These volunteers can help to start your day on the right foot. They give peace of mind to seniors who live alone, and are there to “check in”. Some clients are so excited they told us they wake up, get dressed and put on makeup just for their call. Making these calls is fun and rewarding for volunteers and clients.

For more information on volunteering or using these services, contact Sheryl Luebke at sluebke@jfsrichmond.org, 804-282-5644 ext.244.