After a six-week volunteer drive, the County of Grande Prairie is ready to launch a pilot project connecting seniors with volunteers across the region.
The Keep in Touch program will hopefully reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation that many seniors in the region faced because of the pandemic through ongoing phone visits with volunteers, says Home Support Coordinator Dale Bond. She adds they’re starting with seven very committed volunteers.
“We value that seniors were faced with some pretty challenging times, and we just want to make sure there is a venue for them to have that conversation.”
Bond says they’ll be matching seniors with volunteers depending on the needs of each participant and with times that would fit for the volunteer and the client.
“They’ll be matched with the same person each week, and it will become kind of a partnership,” she adds.
Bond says the applications for volunteers and seniors for the phone call remain open for the foreseeable future and believes it will organically grow.
“I anticipate it will most definitely grow as people will feel and see the impact and share that, and I have no doubt that the difference we can make in people’s lives will be pretty monumental,” she says.
The Keep in Touch Program was made possible through the COVID-19 Mental Health and Addiction Community Fund.