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Welcome to our website. We invite your participation as a volunteer, donor, or sponsor. Join us!
Join us on a Walk for Fall Prevention, Sept. 25 9 am Becoming a Friendly Visitor
A Friend Is Waiting For You
Somewhere in your neighborhood – or a city close by – there’s a senior who would love to have you share some time with them on a regular basis. Friendly Visitors is a program of Meals on Wheels by Senior Outreach Services, a non-profit agency, which matches volunteers with isolated seniors in cities and towns throughout Contra Costa County.
We have more seniors than volunteers and this waiting list is growing, – people waiting for someone like you. We’re expanding our efforts to match seniors with a friend to brighten their lives and hope you would like to become a volunteer Friendly Visitor.
OUR CLIENTS:
Most of our clients are in their 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s. They’ve lived full lives and often maintain an active interest in current events, the arts, and hobbies. They may be in the same generation as your parents or grandparents. Many of our volunteers particularly enjoy spending time with a senior, because their own parents or grandparents don’t live close by or have passed.
CLIENT NEEDS:
The seniors on our list are not as mobile as they used to be, and/or their families may be far away and they seek companionship from a Friendly Visitor. Many will say they are not lonely, but will talk non-stop from the time a volunteer arrives till they leave. Top interests for activities with a Friendly Visitor are talking, reading, going out to lunch – or possibly taking them on a trip to do grocery shopping or to a doctor’s appointment.
WHERE:
We have a list of seniors, covering all of Contra Costa County: from Antioch to Lafayette, Richmond to Walnut Creek – and many more locations. We have profiles that describe their interests, and what they would like from a Friendly Visitor. Our updated system allows us to share these profiles with you and work to find the best match between you and a senior who’s waiting for a friend.
FLEXIBLE HOURS:
We know many of you are eager to make a difference and touch the lives of others but can’t see how to fit it into a busy schedule. Friendly Visitors is a program with great flexibility. There’s no fixed time slot - you and your senior can agree upon a time that works for you both – even on the weekend or perhaps an evening. Friendly Visitors may well be the most flexible way to sign up for a personal, one-on-one volunteer experience.
INTERESTED?
• Call Susannah Meyer at 935-937-8311
• E-Mail Susannah at smeyer@mowsos.org
• An application will be sent to you, please complete it and return it to Susannah Meyer.
• References will be checked.
• Each prospective volunteer is interviewed to determine the best match for him/her and a senior. An individual training and orientation is also done at this time.
There are 120 seniors waiting for a person like you to meet with them. We need your help.