Our free Phone Companions service helps older adults feeling isolated and lonely rediscover the joy of connection over the phone. Whether you choose to receive companionship or volunteer to provide it, you’ll experience the meaningful benefits of building a friendship.
When signing up to be paired with a Phone Companion, you can expect:
• Once Friends & Co completes your over-the-phone assessment, we will start the pairing process.
• The pairing process can take up to a month, depending on companion availability.
• Upon pairing, you will receive a call from a Friends & Co staff member or volunteer and an email with the following information about your match – their full name, phone number, and city.
• Your background-checked companion will also receive your name, phone number, and some information you shared during your phone assessment.
• Your companion will call you to introduce themselves within a week. This first phone call is a time for you to share more about yourself and figure out when and how frequently you and your companion would like to chat. Most Phone Companions chat weekly.
• If your companion doesn’t reach out within a week, please contact us at 612-746-0737 to let us know.
• If you and your companion decide you would like to meet in person, please contact us at 612-746-0737 before proceeding.
Our Phone Companions service is available to you if you:
• Are 62 years or older
• Live in Minnesota or Western Wisconsin
• Are looking for meaningful connections
Questions about this service? Contact us @ 612-746-0737 or companions@friendsco.org
Interested in becoming a volunteer Phone Companion instead? Learn more here.