The town of Hinton announced that it is relaunching its Friendly Visitor & Caller Program, designed to connect volunteers with community members that could benefit from social interactions.
Hinton’s Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) pairs isolated individuals with volunteers. They spend one to two hours per week together hanging out.
The FCSS has played a big role in Hinton for almost 40 years. The organization promotes well-being among individuals, families, and Hinton’s tight-knit community.
The Friendly Visitors & Call Program helps Hinton’s residents feel hopeful, confident, and connected. Whether attending local events together or a simple phone call, the connection between volunteers and their partners goes a long way.
“The number of people living alone in our community with no assistance, no family or friends nearby is staggering. The loneliness and sense of isolation are depressing and destructive and can contribute significantly to negative health outcomes,” said Randy Smith, Individual Support Coordinator for FCSS.
According to a 2021 Census of Population, more than 1,000 people were living alone in Hinton. This total was much larger than the number of residents living with friends or relatives.
With this in mind, the Friendly Visitors & Callers Program is open to anyone that feels isolated, including parents, individuals with mobility challenges, and seniors.
This is just one of many programs offered in Hinton. Other programs focus on helping isolated caregivers and parents.
For example, the COMPASS for the Caregiver program is geared toward helping caregivers “balance their well-being with the challenges of caregiving.”
Caregivers Alberta offers the program and includes a multi-session workshop that helps caregivers deal with guilt, grief, stress, and more.
“Being able to share my problems and frustrations with other caregivers was the most meaningful part of the COMPASS program, especially because now I know that there are others having the same problem,” commented a program attendee.
