|
|
| |
 |
|
|
| |
|
| Phone: |
610-541-0790
|
| Contact: |
Olga, Program Assistant
610-541-0790
|
| Web: |
www.compeer-subphilly.org
|
| Hours: |
M-F: 10:00 AM - 5:30 PM
|
|
|
Compeer matches caring adults in one-to-one, co-equal friendships with people of the same gender who are in mental health recovery. We encourage volunteerism among caring adults and support from the local community. We also train, guide and monitor volunteer relationships with Compeer friends.
Compeer of Suburban Philadelphia currently supports friendship matches in Montgomery and Delaware County. Because of Compeer friendships, people are registering to vote, celebrating holidays with others, and reintegrating into their communities with the help of their volunteer friend. That's the good news.
The bad news is that many people in the counties we serve are on a waiting list for a volunteer friend. These people are isolated, lonely, economically disadvantaged, and are part of the community mental health system. They may lack family contact or experience severe depression.
The dictionary defines "Compeer" as a peer, a companion, an equal. The Compeer program offers the opportunity to change a lonely life. We match caring adults like you with those who need them the most.
Although it is sometimes difficult to accept, mental illness can happen to anyone. In fact, one in every four families is affected by some form of mental illness. And, like any other illness, it can strike anyone in any walk of like. When it happens, the need for a friend to turn to is never greater.
Yet most people referred to Compeer are alone, without the vital support of family and friends. Compeer recognizes that mental illness can be the "loneliest illness" and believes that volunteers can provide the comfort and motivation needed to help people in mental health recovery lead happy, productive lives. Compeer bridges the gap in traditional support systems for individuals diagnosed with a mental illness.
Being a Compeer is as simple as going for a walk, having a conversation, going to a movie or picking up the phone. Through Compeer, a volunteer can help change someone's life for the better and it's just as simple as being a friend.
A Compeer volunteer is a man or woman who shares a friendship with someone socially isolated by mental illness and economically disadvantaged. He or she is a sensitive person who understands and accepts someone who may feel misunderstood or rejected. Compeers spend at least four hours a month together, seeking to have weekly contact wherever possible.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
| © 2003 Swarthmore Borough. All rights reserved. |
|
|
