Life in the big city can be especially isolating for older people who live alone. Most Citymeals recipients have outlived friends and family; many are homebound due to health issues and often have nobody to talk with other than their meal deliverer.

This kind of isolation increases the risk of anxiety, depression, heart disease and dementia for older adults. And a quarter of Americans over 65 say they are socially disconnected.

Our Social Calls program addresses isolation by matching caring volunteers with meal recipients eager to make new connections. Through weekly phone calls, new friendships can flourish. 

Social Calls volunteer Tracee — a freelance writer in Brooklyn — calls 99-year-old George in Staten Island every week. They love to chat about their shared love of baseball.

Every human being has a desire to be heard and to know that someone cares about them

This is a fully remote program and can be done from anywhere. Volunteers must be 18 or older and make a six-month commitment. Citymeals provides training and ongoing support. 

To sign up, create a profile on Volunteer Hub and attend a Social Calls orientation. You will then be paired with a Citymeals recipient based on shared interests. 

Questions? Contact our volunteer team at volunteer@citymeals.org or 212-687-1234.