* Guest blog by Colleen Lowe, senior communications advisor with the Red Cross
October is Community Support Month in Ontario – a time to celebrate and acknowledge our staff and volunteers who provide support to vulnerable members of their communities every day.
Clients of the Red Cross telephone assurance program are often elderly or isolated
John Boisvert’s aunt was fortunate to live well into her nineties. “But she was basically alone for the last ten years of her life,” said John. So deciding to volunteer with the Telephone Assurance program at the Sault Ste. Marie branch of the Red Cross was an easy choice for John.
Volunteers in the Telephone Assurance program are matched with Red Cross clients whom they phone regularly. Often the clients are elderly or isolated members of the community. Making contact with them is a way to ensure they are safe and provide them with an opportunity for conversation.
Every other day, John phones his three clients. They are all elderly women. “Being a guy, you might think it’s funny to make conversation with older women,” said John. “But once I get them talking, they love to open up and tell me stories about when they were kids and what life was like in the past.”
John has been volunteering his time for the past two years with the program in Sault Ste. Marie. The satisfaction of making a difference in the lives of others is the reason he plans to continue. “It’s nice to be able to have a friendly conversation with someone and know that you’re brightening their day,” he said.
One of John’s clients struggles with depression. When he senses she is having a difficult time, John makes an effort to call her more frequently. “It’s a really good feeling to hear her giggle and wish me good night at the end of our conversation.”
Thanks for all that you do, John!