6. Phone Companions for Seniors

Who does it:
Temple Shalom in Succasunna, NJ

What they do:
Phone companions for seniors

Time commitment:
1-2 hours per day.

Who they do it for and why:
On weekday mornings, senior volunteers meet at the synagogue and make reassurance phone calls to homebound elderly people. These calls help the elderly maintain their independence while giving them contact with the outside world. Temple Shalom donates its facility to the program that is coordinated by Volunteers For Morris County/RSVP. The project is sponsored nationally by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, an office of the National Senior Service Corporation.

We would need:
¨ Someone to determine if such a service is presently provided in the Tulsa area. If so, does that organization need volunteers?
¨ If no such service presently exists, someone would need to determine how many homebound persons - both in the Jewish community and in the community at large - would benefit from such a service. That information is probably available from social service agencies.
¨ One or more persons willing to assume leadership of the project and manage it.
¨ A pool of volunteers willing to undergo brief (1-2 hours) training, then to commit to a regular schedule of phone duties.

If you are interested in organizing or participating in such a program, contact:
Jeanne Jacobs (phone: 747-1309, email timvp@templeisraeltulsa