Volunteer with Seniors and Disabled Adults

Apply on-line to become a volunteer… or e-mail MATCH-UP to express an interest in volunteering.

MATCH-UP volunteers help elderly and disabled adults with almost anything one friend might do for another: talk together, write letters, read aloud, go for walks, help get to appointments, visit by phone, and much more.

MATCH-UP attracts volunteers of all ages, backgrounds, and faiths. They come from congegrations, universities and schools, businesses and corporations, and the community at large. As they get older, some of our volunteers even become MATCH-UP seniors themselves, gratefully receiving our services just as they once gave their time and support.

We carefully screen all volunteers to ensure the safety of our recipients and train volunteers in working with older and disabled adults.

MATCH-UP relies entirely on volunteers to provide the services below:

Friendly Visitors develop one-on-one relationships with older or disabled adults. They visit once a week for about an hour and make an eight month commitment to visiting. Over time both people grow and learn from each other and often become great friends.

Medical Escorts accompany older and disabled adults to and from important medical appointments. This is a flexible opportunity and no car is needed.

One-time assistants help with elders' occasional needs such as gift-shopping, packing for a move, or visiting a sick relative.

PetPals and their dogs bring smiles and laughter to residents of long-term care facilities and nursing homes. Fill out our on-line PetPals application.

Strong for Life volunteers visit older and disabled adults in their homes and assist them with an exercise program designed to increase strength and balance and improve overall health.

Many older and disabled adults have come to depend on MATCH-UP in times of need. As a medical escort says, "People often say that they wouldn't be able to get to the doctor without me. It's not always that there's no one else there, for some have families that won't help. But for others, they've outlived most of their relatives and have no one else. It makes me realize how important it is that I help them."

And if you think this sounds one-sided with just the elders receiving the benefits, think again. Long-term, mutually-rewarding friendships often arise from MATCH-UP visits. Seniors share wisdom gained from a lifetime of experience and over time become one of the family. A volunteer says of her match, "She is one of my closest friends. To say you get blessed ten-fold is an understatement." Read more stories about successful matches between seniors and volunteers…

View a story by WCVB Channel 5 HealthBeat about a senior and her MATCH-UP volunteer friendly visitors.

View our most recent volunteer newsletter, MATCH-Update!

To apply to become a volunteer, submit our on-line volunteer application or call us at (617) 482-1510.

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