Sparking friendship across generations
Community Club Program Launched
If you bumped into Laurelle and Cecily on one of their weekly Tuesday afternoon adventures you would not guess that they only just met in October.
Sipping coffees and hitting the shops, the unlikely 79 and 54-year-old pair are a sight to be seen.
Laurelle and Cecily are just one of over one hundred pairs who met through C Care’s Community Club program which was launched in July last year.
The program matches volunteers and seniors with shared interests for regular visits.
Maintaining old and new friendships is a known protective factor for seniors’ mental and physical health, bringing joy and meaning at a time when life might be slowing down.
Community Club’s volunteers are diverse in age, but are united in their desire to build meaningful, lasting bonds and are keen to listen and learn from what older people have to share.
Befriending someone in a different stage of life helps everyone contribute and gain.
“There’s nothing I like more than going down the street for a coffee with a friend,” said 81-year-old Leon who lives in a Caulfield aged care home.
“It’s great that David can take me out and we can enjoy a good time together.
“He’s a lot younger than me, but that doesn’t really matter.”
With the Jewish community in Australia feeling increasingly isolated since October 7, the
C Care program has never been more important.
Sue is an 84 year old retired artist and the current global climate stirs painful memories of her childhood in the Warsaw Ghetto.
“I can’t help be reminded of hiding in silence in the dark,” she said.
“But my C Care visits bring me joy and give me confidence.
“They remind me I’m not alone”.
For more information go to ccare.org.au/community-club or email community@ccare.org.au.
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