COMMUNITY
Albuquerque's Senior Companionship Program searches for more volunteers
Over 100 seniors are on the wait list
With only 13 volunteers and a waitlist of over 100 seniors, Albuquerque鈥檚 Senior Companionship Program is searching for more volunteers.
Albuquerque鈥檚 branch of the AmeriCorps Seniors鈥� volunteer program, Senior Companions, pairs an able-bodied senior with a senior in the city who鈥檚 homebound in the hopes of providing them with a peer-to-peer friendship.
鈥淲e do have a lot of seniors in our community who don鈥檛 have a support network, they don鈥檛 have family in town, their children live far away, they just don鈥檛 have a good support network anymore,鈥� said Jenna Stanton, case management coordinator for the Senior Companionship Program.
By pairing seniors together, the program aims to give seniors in Albuquerque a connection back into the community. The program helps them get out of the house, run errands and form a friendship with someone their own age.
One senior who joined the companionship program is 81-year-old Carol Waring. Waring moved to Albuquerque in 2013, where she has no family or relatives. Due to a disability and health issues, Waring was mostly homebound until being paired with her companion, 69-year-old Bernadette Blan.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not good to be alone, you will grow older faster,鈥� said Waring. 鈥淪he鈥檚 helped me stay independent mentally and emotionally, cause I like people.鈥�
Through her partnership with Blan, Waring now has 4 hours a week to shop, eat out and just visit.
The program also has many benefits for the volunteers themselves, according to Blan. By having rewarding work to do, she feels fulfilled and gets to remain active in her retirement.
鈥淚 enjoy just getting out and spending time with the individuals and learning about them, every one is different, I have three who I work with,鈥� said Blan. 鈥淵ou get really attached to them, after a while they鈥檙e like family.鈥�
While Waring and Blan say they鈥檝e found a good partnership, Stanton says there are many more seniors who are still waiting to be paired with someone.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 accurately give people a wait time,鈥� said Stanton. 鈥淧art of that is we just need more volunteers.鈥�
When a new senior volunteers, they are trained and spend time shadowing a more experienced volunteer. Then they鈥檙e paired with a few clients who are a good match for them. When pairing, Stanton says she looks for clients within 5 to 10 miles of where the volunteer lives. She also ensures that there is nothing that would disqualify that particular volunteer, such as a pet allergy.
Volunteers are asked to consistently volunteer at least 10 to 12 hours per week. Volunteers receive mileage reimbursement and supplemental insurance, and in some cases they can qualify for a nontaxable stipend.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeking the young, active seniors so we can keep the visits going and keep the help going,鈥� said Stanton.
The areas in the most need of volunteers are Uptown, Four Hills and Taylor Ranch.
