Community Visitors Scheme making meaningful connections

Local residents are being encouraged to befriend an older person through Lutheran Care’s Community Visitors Scheme.

The scheme matches volunteers to elderly people looking for social connection.

The pair meet to chat, read, work on a hobby or activity, with an aim of creating a friendship and reducing the amount of time the older person spends alone.

Older people can be nominated, and Community Visitors Scheme team leader Sonja Williams works as a “matchmaker” in assigning them to a likeminded volunteer – who said the program is mutually beneficial to those involved.

“There’s lots of flexibility around the match, if it doesn’t work out, there’s another volunteer who it will work for,” she said.

Mount Barker residents Janice Webb and Ian Walden were matched about four years ago, and Janice meets him for every fortnight for a chat.

“The best thing they ever did was send her to see me, it’s fantastic,” Mr Walden said.

“I really love it, I really look forward to it. 

“We get on like a house on fire.”

Ms Webb said they chat about “anything and everything”, including Mr Walden sharing his knowledge of South Australia.

We have a chat and I go away feeling better,” she said.

“We chat away and it’s really good, it’s a connection to the community, it means that time is just for Ian.”

Volunteer Jan Crawley also volunteers, writing letters to one person and making calls to a Kangaroo Island resident.

“For me, it’s just to bring a bit of sunshine to other people’s lives, I’m quite happy and content with what I do,” she said.

“I think it’s good for the soul. 

“The benefits are to the people who are probably lonely, a lot of people today, (neighbours) aren’t friendly at all.

“That’s the beauty of being there for them.”

Ms Williams said volunteers are only required to volunteer one hour per fortnight, which makes it easy for people who work full time or have busy lifestyles.

“(Volunteers) get as much out of it as they feel they give, or they say they get more out of it,” she said.

“The volunteers are just amazing and they do the most wonderful, really valuable service. It’s free for the recipients.”

For further information, visit:  (www.lutherancare.org.au/community-visitors-scheme/) or phone: (0419 866 385).