Community and Volunteer Services

Friendship Line

"The Friendship Line reaches out to older adults, offering support, reassurance, counseling, crisis intervention, abuse prevention, medication reminders, well-being checks, and information and referrals. Our trained staff, volunteers, and students both receive calls and make outgoing calls, offering an ongoing connection for many depressed or lonely older adults."

Volunteers are needed for the IOA Friendship Line. To learn more or to volunteer please visit: Website: IOA Friendship Line

Engage as you Age

From the Engage As You Age website: "At Engage As You Age, LLC, we help seniors pursue the interests they've long enjoyed - and introduce them to new stimulating activities, too. We visit seniors in their homes and interact with them during short visits that complement the medical and non-medical care that they're already receiving.

All of our successful programs rely on trained, insured, bonded and carefully selected employees whose skills and interests mesh with those of our clients. During two- to three-hour visits held in the seniors' own residences, new skills are taught, laughs are shared and friendships solidified.

Our Activity Specialists are lively conversationalists who are eager to explore historical, artistic, political, scientific, legal, psychological, anthropological and business topics with your loved ones. We can also provide you with strong Scrabble, chess and card players, as well as letter-writers and informed readers.

We can send gifted artists and craftspeople to work with seniors to explore various art techniques or create scrapbooks to recapture memories. Or how about some patient, hands-on tutorials in how to master a digital camera, surf the internet, or email the grandkids?
At Engage As You Age, both our Activity Specialists and the seniors they serve are energized by their interactions."

Contact information: 415-690-6944
Website: Engage As You Age

Caring.com

This is an on-line networking, blog and resource website for caregivers. It was recently featured in the Silicon Valley Business Journal in an article by Emma Ritch. Signing up is free and the site pays for itself by selling banner ads. The resources seem valuable and the site is easy to use.
Website: Caring.com

Senior Center without Walls

This is a free telephone program that offers activities, classes, support groups, parties, and friendly conversation to San Francisco seniors.
Website: Senior Center without Walls

Senior Penpal Project

Tri-City Elder Coalition of Fremont, Newark and Union City are sponsoring a special penpal program between area seniors and local sixth grade children. This program has had a positive impact on participants on both sides.

For more information on the Penpal program or to access the resources provided on their website, visit Tri-City Elder Coalition.
Website: Tri-City Elder Coalition

San Mateo Tutoring Program

As reported in the San Mateo Times, Hillsdale MethodistChurch has a tutoring program that matches senior citizens with school children for after school tutoring sessions. These programs prove to be rewarding and stimulating for both parties while improving the child's academic progress.

To volunteer as a tutor, call Burke at 650-780-0601

Senior Driving Challenges

The California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Older Californian Traffic Safety Task Force have come together to produce two video resources for dealing with senior driving issues. The first video assists family members in addressing concerns about driving with the seniors in their family. The second helps seniors develop life-style strategies when it is time to stop driving.

The videos can be viewed free of charge on the CHP website. Website: www.chp.ca.gov

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