Aging Well in Waldo County Seeks Volunteers for Second Season of Vital Program
[BELFAST, MAINE, December, 2020]—With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic last March, volunteers with Aging Well in Waldo County–the nonprofit organization established to address the needs of our aging friends and neighbors– kicked into high gear to reach out—by phone or postcard– to every county resident over the age of 80.
This was the start of Waldo Calling. In the spring of 2020, 40 volunteers reached out to over 1400 seniors to assist in addressing unmet needs. Some people just needed to hear a friendly voice every once in a while or on a regular basis, others needed to know where to find masks. Some needed assistance with yard clean-up after last winter’s storms. Others needed information on which grocery stores made home deliveries, or how they could get an emergency delivery of heating oil. Still others said they were just fine, but appreciated the call. Several people who lived alone appreciated hearing a friendly voice on a weekly basis.
With the onset of winter, and the surge in cases of COVID-19 in our state, more and more seniors are finding themselves homebound and alone, and Waldo Calling will be reaching out again, starting in January.
If you are interested in being a volunteer to make initial phone calls, and/or to spend an hour or two a week to make regular calls, please email Deborah Shepherd at debkshep@gmail.com. All volunteers will receive a packet with a list of seniors to be called, a sample script for phone calls, contact information for county resources, as well as pre-printed postcards to send to those whose phone numbers are not on the list.
If you would like more information about this program, please email Deborah Shepherd at debkshep@gmail.com.