Volunteer Companions for Older Adults

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

Helping Community, One Person At a Time
NCO receives funding to train companion volunteers for older adults

North Coast Opportunities (NCO) is pleased to announce the receipt of a $105,000 grant from Community Care Corporation to open a new volunteer program for inland Mendocino County called: Good Company. This exciting new program will focus on improving the independent living of older adults through a collaboration between four NCO programs: Caring Kitchen, Redwood Caregiver Resource Center, Emergency Preparedness in Communities (EPIC), and Volunteer Network.

Good Company was developed to decrease feelings of loneliness, improve health and nutrition, and increase the safety and wellbeing of socially isolated, older adults. Trained volunteers will serve as friendly visitors that bring companionship and much more. Good Company volunteers will provide disaster preparedness information, home safety checks, health and wellness information, and once a month enjoy a wholesome, nutritious meal with the client and their household. Meeting these goals may be difficult during Covid-19 shelter-in-place orders, but NCO will implement virtual processes and safety protocols to assist volunteers in forming these relationships.

To receive more information, to volunteer as a companion, or if you or a loved one, would benefit from a Good Company Companion; please call Joan Reynolds from NCO Volunteer Network at (707) 467-3200 or email at jreynolds@ncoinc.org. Interested volunteers can also register at volunteernco.org.

The Community Care Corps grant is provided in a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living in partnership with four national non-profit organizations: The Oasis Institute, Caregiver Action Network, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, and Altarum.

“We are proud to implement the brand-new National Volunteer Care Corps and make Community Care Corps grants in this first year of the program,” said John Schall, CEO of Caregiver Action Network. “There is no question that there is tremendous need for local nonmedical volunteer assistance for seniors, people with disabilities, and family caregivers – especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.