||| FROM LENA KASSA for ORCAS SENIOR CENTER |||
Among the Orcas Senior Center’s Companion Services, two programs stand out: Hearts and Hands and Buddy Check-In. While Buddy Check-In has grown and thrived during the pandemic, the Hearts and Hand home visit program has not. Hearts and Hands matches vetted and trained volunteers with seniors and people with disabilities for consistent, long-term companionship while monitoring physical and emotional well-being and it continues to make a difference for both volunteers and recipients:
“My volunteer’s friendship helps brighten the days of such relative loneliness.”
“Hearing the treasured stories of my care recipient’s experiences warms my heart and teaches me a lot about what’s really important in life.”
Now, with more and more people becoming vaccinated and COVID-safety protocols well-established, it seems an appropriate time to re-activate and re-energize Hearts and Hands. Volunteers who want to make a significant and meaningful contribution to improving the lives of their fellow islanders, and seniors or persons with disabilities who wish to benefit from the generosity of these caring volunteers, please contact Jim Glozier, Companion Services Coordinator, at 360-919-9318 or Jim@orcasseniors.org for more information. To read more about Orcas Senior Center’s Companion Services program, go to orcasseniors.org.
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