Laura's Story
Published on 05 July 2021 11:00 PM
Meet Check In and Chat volunteer Laura!
Jim was matched with Laura in November 2020, and the pair have enjoyed a weekly friendship call ever since. Laura works in the voluntary sector as an information and evaluation manager (she’s great with statistics!).
Laura explained the most frequently asked question people have is what she talks about on her weekly calls with Jim. She said, “Some people might be worried about finding something in common to talk about, but the Age NI matching process looks for similar interests and personalities to give a good match. After the first call, we hit it off right away and I think Jim was just delighted to have someone to chat with. It was very easy. I could tell he was a fun, social, family-loving man, but it quickly became clear to me how much he was missing this and it was really bringing him down. I just made sure I showed up for him every week at our agreed time and we chatted away about anything and everything. Jim is such an interesting and fun man that every week the call ends with a giggle and a big smile on my face. I’m really glad to have been there to support him through some challenging times.”
Volunteering for Check In and Chat is not only beneficial for a lonely older person, but brings a huge sense of personal achievement and fulfilment to the volunteer too. Laura said, “Calling Jim has been an extremely rewarding experience and I feel we have formed a strong connection during this period of isolation. Knowing that I helped brighten someone's day and have given them a chance to speak about anything that is on their mind gives me a warm and content feeling. Best of all, Jim has taught me so much about football, fishing and the value of family.”
Massive thank you Laura and all our amazing Check In and Chat volunteers!
If you would like to enquire about volunteering, contact 028 9024 5729.
We need your help to train and support more volunteers, so that we can provide friendship calls to break the loneliness for more older people like Jim. Sadly, even as life returns to normal, isolation is a way of life for many of the 80,000 older people who live alone in Northern Ireland.