The mission of beFriend, Inc. is to alleviate loneliness in the isolated institutional elderly community by matching them with generous-hearted volunteer friends to foster connection and compassion that benefits all. Our volunteers dedicate their time to visiting and befriending seniors, offering them the gift of connection, compassion, and care.
beFriend volunteers are called "friends" and are the most important part of our organization. Friends visit with our elderly seniors once a week for around an hour. They commit to a 6 month period to ensure consistency and time to develop a true connection. They offer companionship in the form of conversation, sharing, playing games, or helping with technology. As they offer care and connection they benefit from the wisdom and affection offered by our seniors. We build bridges and learn from each other.
Friends can be anyone in high school or older who can commit to a 6 month period of time to meet with their senior on a weekly basis (holidays and vacations can be worked around). Friends must be comfortable speaking with older adults and provide their own transportation to the senior living facility. Friends can go with a parent or in pairs as long as it is consistent. Volunteer hours will be verified and proof offered as needed.
Get to Know Us
beFriend is the product of seeing a need and wanting to fill it. Our founder, Amanda Hand, wanted her teenage sons to be able to volunteer with the elderly in senior living facilities when they needed community service and volunteer hours in high school. Her grandparents had lived in institutional settings and she knew how isolated and lonely many of the residents were. It seemed so simple to have young people volunteer to visit on a regular basis, however there was no straightforward way to do this. There were no established programs that helped to link the volunteers to those who would like and benefit from a visit. Amanda was volunteering in a few senior living facilities through her church and could see the need acutely so she decided to find a way to link the two groups. The idea is simple but we want to also ensure the safety and comfort of our volunteers and seniors so develop strong connections and interactions that will uplift and encourage both parties.
If you or a loved one is living in an independent or assisted living facility or a nursing home and would like to sign up to have a friend visit, please click here to see a list of facilities we currently work with or to request a partnership between your facility and beFriend.
