Volunteer Spotlight
Mrs. Ella Delaney has been a Senior Companion
for Child and Family Services since 2005. She joined the program as a volunteer
out of the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Center (MOOT), where she is assigned
to work with two homebound seniors. One of her favorite parts about volunteering
with Senior Companion is helping her clients make the most of out of life and reach
goals that many take for granted. For example, Mrs. Delaney assists clients with
making meals and cleaning their homes, transports clients to their doctors’ appointments
or just lends a listening ear in their home and engages them in friendly conversations.
She explains, “before I became a volunteer, I took classes in gerontology to become
more familiar with the needs of older individuals. What I learned has helped tremendously
as I work with my current clients.”
Her typical day of volunteering starts at 8:30am. She begins her morning routine
by visiting her client and preparing a light breakfast for her. After breakfast,
Mrs. Delaney and her client read through her mail and organize the bills. Once all
the hard work is completed, they usually spend the afternoon doing an activity outside
the house such as grocery shopping or going to the mall. This opportunity allows
the client to enjoy a sense of freedom and have an opportunity to partake in conversation
with others. Every day Mrs. Delaney spends with her client can be different depending
on the needs of that person.
Senior Companions assist their adult clients in basic but essential ways:
- Offering companionship and friendship to isolated and frail adults
- Assisting with simple chores
- Providing transportation
- Adding richness to their clients' lives.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Senior Companion, please
call, 716-335-7200.