Callie was feeling lonely. Moving from the city to the suburbs and caring for her mother was isolating, and it was hard to make new friends. Most of her time and attention was focused on her mom, but she still wanted someone to talk to.
Though Callie had been receiving services from Advocates, it was actually an NPR story that introduced Callie to the organization’s Friendship Project. Friendship Project matches community members with people facing life challenges to create meaningful connections. Participants connect in person and by phone and text, attend virtual and community activities together, and build authentic friendships. The pairings bring joy while reducing the negative health impacts of loneliness and social isolation.
“Initially, I signed up to be a participant because I wanted a friend. I needed community. I started to realize that I was only interacting with treatment providers who were paid to be around me,” says Callie.
While waiting to be matched with a volunteer, Callie started attending Friendship Project events and had an idea. “Maybe I’ll be a volunteer first while I get matched with a friend. In the past, I had a job where I worked with individuals who had intellectual disabilities, and I knew that this was the kind of person I wanted as a friend.”
Friendship Project manager Maryellen Killeen knew just the friend for Callie. “The Friendship Project makes thoughtful pairings. I really feel like our match came along at a perfect time, for myself and my buddy,” Callie shares.
Together, Callie and her friend have attended Advocates events together, such as Woo Sox games and a game night at Natick Mall. They also enjoy doing crafts, going to the dollar store, and running errands together. “If I can kill two birds with one stone—have fun and then do an errand—it helps everyone,” says Callie.
At one game night, the two friends were playing Uno together. Before they knew it, another pair of friends joined in, and then another. “All six of us were playing together. My friend was nervous at first. She told me that she doesn’t make friends. I told her that she has friends now. She needed to make a connection as much as I did, and it gave us both confidence,” she says.
Callie has also made caring connections with her friend’s family. She was invited to their Fourth of July barbecue. “They’ve all been so welcoming. It’s been a real lifeline for me,” says Callie.
Through the Friendship Project, Callie’s social network has continued to grow: she has been matched with a second friend. “We realized that we have a lot in common, and we’ve met up a few times,” she shares excitedly.
Callie has come a long way from when she first learned about the Friendship Project. “When I first found out about the Friendship Project, I had zero friends. But I’ve gotten more confident to reach out to new and old friends regularly, and I now have all these connections. I can’t say enough about the Friendship Project,” she says.
