one by one® story: Volunteer Campbell River
As people grow older, they may find themselves more isolated. Perhaps they’ve lost a spouse or loved one. Maybe they can’t get out of the house as often. The need to have someone to talk to becomes greater—even if that someone communicates through letters. That’s where Volunteer Campbell River (CR) steps in. A nonprofit focused on recruiting volunteers to assist seniors in many different programs, Volunteer CR asks people to put pen to paper to make seniors’ days brighter. The project, Brighter Buddies, invites young people ages 15 to 30 to strike up a letter-writing friendship with a senior through the pen pal program. As a thank you to new Brighter Buddy volunteers, Volunteer CR sends them a welcome package, complete with a useful water bottle gift.
Helping local seniors live brighter lives
The Brighter Buddies pen pal project is housed under an overall program called Brighter Day, which connects seniors and youth in the community.
For example, Brighter Day also hosts a senior tech support program. In this program, young people help seniors navigate technology, such as learning how to use video chat or setting up an email. Another project involves grocery shopping for seniors who can’t leave their home and paying weekly visits to those who might get lonely.
Gifts of appreciation for caring volunteers
Volunteer CR is incredibly grateful for the work their volunteers do for local seniors. The volunteers help seniors overcome feelings of isolation and loneliness, as one senior attested about her pen pal. Watching the senior and her buddy interact has been very touching to Volunteer CR’s staff. In one letter, the senior mentioned how her husband has since passed away. The 19-year-old buddy said—in a respectful and sensitive way—that if her pen pal ever wanted to talk about her husband, she’d love to hear about him. It’s for these reasons that the organization shows appreciation by sending new volunteers a welcome package. This includes lots of goodies, like a T-shirt, snacks, a button—and thanks to the 4imprint one by one® grant—a Colour Change Sport Bottle.
“Any time we get the chance to do something a little special for our volunteers is awesome. The water bottle gifts we received with the 4imprint grant are so cool. They change colors and are a great addition to our welcome package,” said Youth Engagement Coordinator Jada Owens.
A note from Cheryl
We’re honored to help Volunteer CR give their new volunteers a heartfelt thank you by adding a water bottle gift to their welcome package. If you’re interested in applying for a one by one® grant, visit onebyone.4imprint.ca.