Friendly Visitor Program marks growth in Warwick

WARWICK — Friendly Visitor Program Coordinator Marie Lucas has completed her initial training and has begun to put her all that she’s learned into practice.
Lucas assumed her volunteer coordinator role earlier this year and has been immersed in her orientation to the scope of the programs’ framework.
The part of the responsibilities Lucas said she enjoys the most is meeting with seniors and residents with disabilities to determine if the Friendly Visitor Program can meet their need.
Some neighbors may enjoy a weekly visit from a trained and screened volunteer. If this is the case, the coordinator's role it to match the volunteer and the neighbor, based on shared interests and volunteer availability.
As coordinator, Lucas will arrange the first meeting to ensure the neighbor and volunteer match is a good one. She will continue to monitor the circumstances to ensure mutual satisfaction.
Weekly visits can be for a range of reasons: Social visits, doing food shopping for or with a neighbor, a trip to the library or the bank, a routine appointment, help with paperwork, or maybe even a card game.
The Friendly Visitor Program is geared to help neighbors from being isolated in their own home. The program can also provide occasional assistance rather than routine weekly services.
There is no charge for services and that makes it such a viable option for many.
The Friendly Visitor Program is approaching the close of its first year. The Town of Warwick in partnership with the Orange County Office for the Aging and Jewish Family Services began providing services in Warwick last May.
Hundreds of services have been provided to date and nearly 100 neighbors have benefitted from these services. Currently there are 50 trained and screened volunteers participating in the program.
Lucas is looking forward to the continued growth in the number of neighbors being assisted and volunteers providing services.
Call 986-1124 ext. 400 for more information about receiving services and becoming a volunteer.
May 7th is the next volunteer training opportunity and will be held at the Albert Wisner Public Library.
This article and photograph were provided by Jean Corbi Ciappa, a member of the Friendly Visitor Program's Board of Advisors.