Compeer is a network of 80 program locations throughout the United States, Australia and Canada using the power of volunteer friends and mentors to improve the lives of adults striving for good mental health. 

 

Now offered through Senior Friendship Centers in Sarasota, Compeer trains, matches and supports Compeer volunteers. Volunteers meet with their friends for coffee, go to the museum or just talk on the phone. Volunteers and their friends mutually decide when to meet and the activity they would like to do. It only takes a few hours a month.

 

No prior mental health counseling or experience is required. Therapists refer individuals they feel are appropriate to the program and meet with volunteers prior to placement. Training and support is provided by Compeer staff.  

 

Friendship relationships are essential to all of us. Friends add joy to our life, accept us for who we are, share our joys and are there during the rough patches of life. Compeer volunteers provide a vital friendship connection and, in turn, experience the personal reward of making a real difference in another person’s life.

 

Volunteers are carefully screened, including background checks and fingerprinting. They go through several interviews with the referring therapist and Compeer staff before they are matched with clients.

 

For more information on how you can volunteer, call, 941.556.3266 or e-mail jarchangeli@friendshipcenters.org.