Staying Connected

HOW THE FRIENDLY CALLERS CLUB IS TACKLING SENIORS' LONELINESS

Every chapter of life comes with a unique set of challenges. For seniors, one of the most commonly experienced challenges is loneliness. As many as one in four seniors (adults aged 60 years and older), reports feeling lonely and experiencing social isolation, according to research from Meals on Wheels America. Providing solutions that reduce the negative impacts of loneliness and social isolation is integral to the wraparound, essential services Meals on Wheels provides. Sometimes, it starts simply with a phone call.

Meals on Wheels of Southwest OH & Northern KY launched the Friendly Callers Club in early 2024. It is a social connection program in which a volunteer caller is trained and matched with a homebound senior to engage in weekly phone calls and provide supportive conversation for older adults. 

Deb Clinkscale, an Isolation Intervention Specialist with Meals on Wheels, manages the Friendly Callers Club. She says, “We can’t completely cure isolation but it goes a long way when someone can say, ‘I know someone is going to call me and check on me once a week.’ Each client is important—and our time together matters.”

Making a phone call once a week might seem like a simple task, but Deb says its benefits are deeply impactful. “It’s really humbling when clients say, ‘I was having a bad day, and I know God put you in my life. I needed to hear that today.’ They look forward to these calls. I don’t take that lightly. People’s lives are being affected.” 

Margo Rose, a Meals on Wheels client who receives home-delivered meals and actively engages in health and wellness programs, is a Friendly Callers Club volunteer herself. She knows all too well how difficult it can be to tackle loneliness and a friendly touchpoint matters greatly for older adults. One of the seniors she is paired with is a 98-year-old woman who does not have much family in town and cannot easily leave her house. Margo sees herself as the woman’s contact with the outside world and knows how meaningful a regular phone call is.

“I remember when the weather was bad, and I just wanted contact—I just wanted human contact. When someone would come visit me, it was like, ‘Thank God, there’s someone to talk to.’ I like to think my weekly call is like that,” says Margo. 

One of the enjoyable aspects of being a Friendly Caller for Margo is giving others the opportunity to share their stories. She says, “People have amazing stories. They've had amazing lives and they want to share that. They really do. And it's a beautiful thing when they can open up and share their lives with you.”