1 on 1 Friend & Mentor

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We believe that mental wellness starts with friendship. Think about it. How often do you call upon your friends to get a bite to eat, cup of coffee, or to connect on the phone? Maybe you go see a movie, watch a game, take a walk, or text to feel connected and supported. Whether celebrating or working through a stressful situation, your friend makes a meaningful difference to your life.

You can be that friend for someone experiencing a mental health challenge. In the Compeer program, our participants come to us because they are looking for social connections. Living with a mental illness, like depression or anxiety, has impacted their ability to maintain a meaningful non-familial relationship and in many cases has led to feelings loneliness and isolation.

Compeer friends are matched in a 1-to-1 friendship with a youth (age 6-21), adult (age 22-59) or older adult (age 60+). We also create friendships between military veterans and postpartum moms. A Compeer friend helps them socially, by being a positive role model, helping raise self-esteem, increasing social and communication skills, and encouraging independence. Visits occur virtually, in person, or over the phone. Your comfort level with visit type will be discussed during your screening. Compeer volunteers are expected to maintain a routine with their friend, communicating and visiting each week.

Compeer volunteers must be a minimum age of 18. Through the application and screening process you will complete a series of background checks, and interview, reference checks, and an orientation.

Ideally, volunteers will commit 1-year of service to this program, though we know this is not always possible. If you are not sure you have 1-year to commit, but are interested, please give us a call and we will identify a role that would be the best fit for your circumstances.

Compeer of Greater Buffalo serves all of Erie County, NY. A large majority of our clients live in the City of Buffalo. We utilize a number of factors to match a volunteer with a client, including location, but ask that you be flexible with your preferences as it is more likely that the person you are matched with will live in a zip code different than your own.

To learn more, schedule a 15-minute inquiry call with a member of our team. You may schedule here: https://calendly.com/compeerlisa/volunteer-interest.

If you know you'd like to apply, the application is available here: https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/5995423/Volunteer-Application