FriendshipWorks Looking for Volunteers

FriendshipWorks, a network of trained volunteers that provide support and assistance to elders in Boston and Brookline, is currently recruiting volunteers who are looking to provide support and assistance to elders living in Boston and Brookline. Many elders and adults with disabilities face loneliness every day. Volunteers for FriendshipWorks helps alleviate some of that loneliness through visits and support.

“Our work would not be possible without our dedicated volunteers who are making a real difference in the lives of the elders they are helping to support” said Janet Seckel-Cerrotti, Executive Director of FriendshipWorks. “Our volunteers have joined us in our pledge to make a difference each day in the life of an elder in our community – match-by-match, one-by-one, until we end elder isolation.”

Research shows that being socially isolated is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is twice as harmful as obesity. It is FriendshipWorks’ ongoing mission to reduce social isolation and replace it with the warmth and comfort that only a caring and dedicated friend can provide.

Clara Ann Coffie-Jackson has been a volunteer with FriendshipWorks for 17 years. She says she, “just loves doing it.” Often, the volunteers get as much out of the friendship as those they are supporting. “It’s a gift that God gave me to serve. Once I started to see the needs of the elders, and that they appreciate the help so much, we became like family.” In addition to serving as the Internal Medicine Supervisor at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates in Boston, Clara Ann has two matches through FriendshipWorks who she sees and assists regularly.

Zippy Ostroy, a FriendshipWorks volunteer for ten years, began as a Medical Escort Volunteer and now works in the office managing the agency’s bookkeeping. After retiring and moving to a new community, she looked for a place to contribute her time and skills to something she cared about, “There are so many ways to do good. You have to find what works for you, and FriendshipWorks is what worked for me,” said Zippy. “There is a great need for this kind of support. Every person we support is so appreciative and happy to have someone to connect with. It is amazing to know that I made a difference in someone’s life.”

There are a number of ways to be involved with FriendshipWorks. Friendly Visiting involves visiting elders in their homes to provide companionship and assist with simple household tasks or errands; Medical Escort Volunteers accompany elders to medical appointments; PetPals are canine and feline volunteers (and their owners) who are screened and trained to visit residents in long-term care facilities; and Friendly Helpers provide short-term assistance to community elders when they need a little help such as clothes shopping, picking up prescriptions, or running errands.

Find out how you can make a difference in someone’s life by visiting www.fw4elders.org or calling 617-482-1510.

About FriendshipWorks

FriendshipWorks (formerly MATCH-UP Interfaith Volunteers) is a network of trained volunteers that provide support and assistance to elders in Boston and Brookline. With 30 years of experience recruiting, training, and placing volunteers for this purpose, FriendshipWorks’ mission is to decrease the social isolation, enhance the quality of life, and preserve the dignity of elders. FriendshipWorks partners with congregations of all faiths to identify people who need assistance and find volunteers who share the organization’s goal of helping a neighbor in need. FriendshipWorks cooperates and shares referrals with area hospitals, long-term care facilities, health, government, and human service agencies. www.fw4elders.org