It??s a two-way street for volunteer companions

The Wairarapa Organisation for Older Persons (Woops) is calling out for volunteers to join its service in the battle against loneliness and isolation experienced by some of the older members of the community.
Woops co-ordinates the Age Concern-accredited visiting service in Wairarapa, and has 60 volunteers on the books who go out and spend at least an hour a week visiting those who might otherwise lead very lonely lives.
But the service's coordinator, Carol Campbell, said as the population in Wairarapa continues to age ?V with one in four expected to be over 65 by 2026 ?V the numbers of people not getting their basic human need for interaction and communication with others fulfilled, will continue to rise.
So a plea is out not only for more volunteers, but also more potential clients who might not know about the service, Mrs Campbell said.
"We're always looking for new visitors, especially in South Wairarapa. We need more visitors, and we want more clients as well."
She said while "greyheads and glasses" make up the greatest proportion of volunteers, there is a wide variety of people chipping in, including a retired doctor and a former cop.
She said becoming a visitor to the elderly is not only a good, community-minded thing to do for someone else, but is also good for the volunteers.
"It's mutually beneficial."
One person who has benefited from her visits to the elderly is Trish Cooper, who recently received a long service award for her voluntary efforts.
Mrs Cooper has been visiting people since 1998, and currently has three people she goes to see.
She said the relationships she has built up go well beyond the visitor/client dynamic, and she said she has come to see one person, Grace Dommett, 90, as something of a mother figure.
The fact she enjoys it so much came as something of a surprise.
"I started from the point of view for my own benefit. I wanted to fill in my own time and thought visiting would be good. Then when I started visiting them I started enjoying talking to them.
"There's so much knowledge that comes out. They have wonderful stories. They love reminiscing and I thought I'd be bored with all that, but I'm not."
People who might have concerns about personality clashes needn't worry, she said, as Mrs Campbell matches clients and visitors beforehand, and then makes the introduction herself.
And chances are you'll know instinctively if it will work out or not.
"I find that as soon as you walk in you know, more or less, just by getting into conversation for 15-20 minutes. You can suss it out. It doesn't always work, but it does mostly."
Mrs Dommett said when Trish first came to see her four years ago, they hit it off immediately.
"When we first met, we just thought this was right. We just talked and we haven't stopped since.
"We've said a few words in that time, and never fallen out. We always put the world right."
?? People interested in volunteering for the visiting service should ring Carol Campbell at Woops, on 06 377 0066.