Friend to Friend is a cooperative program between Salina Shares and the Senior Center, developed by a Leadership Salina team in
the fall of 2019.
This is an effort to address the needs of the
aging, make meaningful connections and curb the feelings of loneliness throughout the holiday season.
We have chosen the sunflower as the symbol for our program, as they are known to turn towards one another on dark or cloudy days. Some of the original plans and procedures have been adapted to comply with COVID-19 restrictions, but the heart remains the same. Perhaps now, more than ever, those feelings of isolation and loneliness are very real.
We are asking for volunteers who would be willing to call or send a card to the elder they are paired with throughout September-December. You can also meet your elder at the Senior Center for lunch if you’d like, as social distancing and cleaning practices have been set up there. If you are interested, just fill out the Volunteer Application and return it to Salina Shares via mail, email, or in person.
If you are interested in receiving cards or calls, or visits once it’s safe, please fill out an Enrollment Form so that we can match your interests as much as possible with a volunteer. You may return those to Rosie at the Senior Center or to Salina Shares. Our hope is that individuals, families, groups and businesses will reach out to elderly individuals in the community. Keeping the aging population active and engaged will allow them to spend their senior years content and connected.