CONTACT of Mercer County, NJ offers a telephone Reassurance program to help reduce loneliness and social isolation among older adults. It’s a free daily outreach service for senior citizens who live alone. Anyone 60 and older who lives in Mercer County can sign up for the free service. A different schedule can be arranged if a call every day is too much.

The calls are typically general well-being checks, although sometimes volunteers are able to determine that a client in the Reassurance Program is in distress. Over the years, volunteers have identified clients who have fallen or had a medical emergency, and have been able to get those people the help they need.

“Our volunteers have one or two clients, and they call them every day at the same time,” Letcher says. “It’s a few minutes of conversation, but it’s also a safety check.”

Call 609.737.2000 if you or someone you know would like to receive a friendly, Reassurance phone call each day or on a regular basis. If you would like to be a volunteer to contact others, please call 609.737.2000.