Volunteers using telephones to enrich lives

      Senior citizens often find themselves alone and living far from loved ones which can leave them depressed or feeling unwanted.
      As a way to bridge the gap of loneliness among seniors, a group of Sun City Summerlin residents are picking up the telephone and in the process enriching their own lives and the lives of the people they call.
      "Our Caring Caller Program is a perfect example of how Sun City volunteers are helping seniors across the valley," said Sophie Cooke, who coordinates the Sun City group. "There are a lot of seniors that are confined to their home and have no one to call and check up on them. Sometimes all they need is a phone call to make them feel they are cared for."
      Cooke began calling seniors as part of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) under the wing of Catholic Charities of Las Vegas. After spending a year calling seniors for RSVP, Cooke decided to bring the program to Sun City.
      "We had a Charity Day here in Sun City so I decided to start asking people to join us in doing it," Cooke said. "I felt we could do our own here in Sun City."
      Two of the volunteers who joined Cooke were John Shott and Nell Biggs. For both of them, calling seniors in need is both rewarding and their way of giving back to the community.
      "It was something good I could do for others right from the comfort of my home," said Shott, who also volunteers for Medicare. "I just saw a flier here in Sun City and decided to go ahead and do it."
      Biggs offered a personal reason for her involvement with the Caring Callers program.
      "My mother was homebound at the end of her life and relied on that call from her volunteer," Biggs said. "She waited all week to talk to her caller and it really gave her something to look forward to. And since it meant so much to her I figured I would give back and do it for someone else."
      The primary reason for the Caring Callers to phone their companion is to check to make sure the usually homebound person is not in distress. Many times seniors are separated from their family and do not have anyone who can call on a daily basis.
      "A lot of times we're just calling to make sure they are not hurt or in danger," Biggs said. "That's when I really worry. If I call one of my clients and they are not there or (don't) pick up, we usually send someone over to check on them."
      Cooke adds the Caring Caller program is really a cheap insurance policy for seniors living alone.
      "Sometimes people may fall and be injured and no one notices because they don't talk to anyone," Cooke said. "If they have someone calling them and something like that happens then we can get them help right away."
      Biggs agreed and said that type of accident occurred with her mother.
      "My mother had a stroke and ended up lying on the floor for hours before someone came to help," Biggs said. "Had someone been calling they would have found her much earlier."
      The Caring Callers volunteers are encouraged not to have any contact with their clients as a way to ensure a dependence is not created.
      "We love helping these people but we cannot get too close to them," Cooke said. "There have been times when we have met some of them face-to-face but not usually."
      All three of the Sun City Summerlin volunteers feel good they are making a difference with the area's senior population.
      "It's just something we can do to help some people that don't have the same support group we do," Shott said. "I'm hoping we make a real difference with these folks."