Stories and Impact
Stories and Quotes from Our Volunteers and Seniors: The Power of Community, Support, and Friendship
Andrea and Rose: “Rose has shared many stories about her life as a child growing up in New York, her father was a bagel maker! She also has many stories about love, loss, and friendship. I also love that she speaks Yiddish and teaches me all these funny sayings. I also remember my friend once sharing when we were talking about our more than 60-year age difference, “I never thought when I was younger that some of my best friends weren’t even born yet!” It's fun to think that’s true for me, too! I initially signed up for Befrienders to offer connections to another person in my community, but have found that the connection I’ve built with my friend has been equally meaningful to me. I’ve learned so much about what it means to age, how to show kindness to strangers, and the importance of having fun.”
Susan and Marjorie: “It is a joy to check in and spend time with Marjorie. We know some of the same people, and she has met my daughter and asked about her. My daughter is cat sitting for my befriender and her daughter. It has been a blessing to meet and spend time with Marjorie and share her friendship with my daughter.”
Hannah, Emma, and Dean: “Joining Befrienders has enriched my life more than I could have hoped for. I was lucky to be matched with a couple, and I truly look forward to seeing and spending time with my seniors. They have lived incredibly interesting lives and tell me wonderfully detailed stories of their adventures. Whether we are discussing current events, having a laugh, watching the ducks swim, or playing a card game together, I truly value my time with them - they have become my true friends that I am very grateful for. “
Sheila and Zack: “Thank you for this, you guys have a great system, I appreciated that you were there at the match meeting to make it more comfortable for me to open up, great job! I think Zack and I are going to get along very well. I’m really excited to get to know him, he is very respectful and such a nice man!”
Shirley and Seanna: “I just want to thank you for Seanna, she is everything I could have hoped for with a Befriender, she helps me so much with everything, and you guys do such a good job!”
Carol and her matches: “God must really be working with me, he gave me my Kaitlin and Lucas, he gave me the girls who visited today, and now I have a ride to my doctor's appointment with Befrienders, thank you thank you, my head is on straight now and I don’t have to worry for now.”
Sandy's daughter, “Yes, absolutely, she brought up today that she is so happy that she is involved with Befrienders. They consider each other best friends. Her Befriender has motivated her. They go to a lot of Art festivals, go shopping together, bought each other gifts. Sandy has revived old interests, wood carving, and artwork. She has been super inspired to do this again because her Befriender takes her out!”
Brad and his matches: “I have felt both. I have felt very supported socially, and we do lots of activities together. I gave Mila advice once. I'm always open to advice, giving, and getting. I remember we did target shooting in my yard, and she is pretty good! I'm better than I thought I was. My Befrienders push me to do activities. Canoeing, hiking, restaurants, you name it, we’ve done it. One of my Befrienders put a rack together for me, well, for my CDs. I was inspired to buy a Canoe, I’m excited to try that out. I also started gardening more. This program is nothing but good.
Lynda: “Yes, very much so, I love her. One day she came into my room and said we are going to walk, and she encouraged me the whole time to walk! I did it! We walked so much, I was so tired afterward, and it felt good! We go places all the time. I've had her for over a year. She brought me her sewing machine and I fixed her pants, and my drapes, and it was so fun. I love the color of houses, and we go house watching, which I enjoy. I love it, I think Befrienders is the best program, and I wish they had more Befrienders for every senior!
Kelsye and Shirley: “This past weekend, Shirley wanted to go to an annual horse drive in Gardiner, but she didn’t want to drive, so my family and I took her. On the way down, she told us stories about the valley’s history and her experiences in the area over the years. We had lunch in Gardiner, got to pet the horses, and then watched the 2 minutes of excitement as the hundred horses ran down the main street in town, on the way to their summer home. It was such a cool experience and not something we ever would have known about were it not for Shirley! I’ve so enjoyed becoming friends with Shirley! She’s introduced me to so many things in the community, including Bozeman Night Live, the MSU Rodeo, the lunch crowd at Applebee's, a horse drive in Gardiner, and a new donut shop. She doesn’t mind when my 2-year-old tags along, either, which is great for my kiddo as their grandparents live out of state.”
