Senior Companion Program Marks 30 Years of Service

On April 30 the Racine Dominican Senior Companion Program celebrated 30 years of serving the elderly and homebound of Racine County. On July 1, 1978, the program was created to alleviate loneliness of the many elderly men and women in Racine County by providing companionship and linking older adults with their churches and other community resources, thus enabling them to live out their later years with hope, meaning and dignity. The program is a free ministry of the Racine Dominicans, matching volunteer visitors with older adults who are homebound or in living facilities. It offers older adults a chance to reminisce, share experiences and relieve boredom.

“The Senior Companion Program helps to foster relationships between the older adult and local services, faith communities, spiritual care, family and friends,” Gloria Brown, director of the program, said. “Volunteers serve as advocates for those they visit as well, and they keep these seniors in the loop of life.”

Today the program has 80 volunteers who spend nearly 275 hours each month visiting, calling and writing to about 180 seniors and others in need. “I gain far more from visiting these people than I receive,” reflected volunteer Barbara Sharp, who not only visits homebound people, but provides transportation for other volunteers. “They have such wisdom. I enjoy their stories, and just listening to their experiences makes me appreciate life more.”

In 1978, Racine Dominican Sisters Michelle Olley and Brenda Walsh took the lead in creating the Senior Companion Program. They labored hard and long to seek funding, to recruit and train volunteers and to preserve the purpose of the ministry. As a result, SC Johnson & Son, Inc. bestowed a grant for the new program, and Ss. Emily Oszewski and Brenda finalized the guidelines for its use by working with the company.

Today, in addition to being a ministry sponsored by the Racine Dominicans, the program is supported by donations from individuals and organizations.