Veteran social program seeks volunteers

At a recent veteran volunteer meeting at the Center for Development and Civic Engagement (CDCE), Chief Michael R. Dobbs announced the need for volunteers at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System for Compassionate Contact Corps.

The Compassionate Contact Corps is a virtual social prescription program where trained volunteers are matched with veterans who are experiencing loneliness or are socially isolated, according to a news release.

Volunteers typically call veterans weekly for 15-60 minutes to provide socialization and companionship via phone or video calls. Volunteers come from organizations that support veterans, such as the American Red Cross, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, churches and groups such as the United States Daughters of 1812.

Many are veterans themselves, but that is not a requirement to volunteer for the program.

The program has been featured in multiple VA articles and blogs and was mentioned in The New York Times series on the future of health care. It has also been recognized by The Beryl Institute and was designated a signature program by American Red Cross in 2021. Ten of the original program coordinators have received Secretary Honor Awards for their work developing the program. Across the nation, more than 700 volunteers made more than 13,000 calls to veterans.

The program is at some stage of implementation at more than 80 VA facilities across the country. It is a phone-based intervention and volunteers are trained by the CAVS CDCE team. Calls can be made from home. The negative impact of loneliness and isolation has been found to seriously impact health issues and treatment.

Citizens from everywhere in Arkansas are needed. And Arkansas does not have enough volunteers for this project.

For more information, contact Mike Barnes, CDCE Specialist and CCC Point of contact at Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, 2200 Ft. Roots Drive, North Little Rock, Ark., 72114; or (501) 257-3288.