Senior Connections

Joining Senior Connections is a great way to get involved in your community, remain engaged, and make new friends. Whether you are someone who feels lonely and/or is socially isolated, or if you want to help someone who feels lonely or is socially isolated – your involvement in Senior Connections can make a difference in your community.

Whether you are under the age of 60, and want to volunteer with seniors in your community, or if you are over 60 and want to act as a friend and mentor to a younger individual – this program is welcoming to all. Senior Connections is also great for people searching for activities for seniors and senior companionship.

The qualifications for Senior Connections are simple. All volunteers must be at least 18 years of age and participants must be at least 60 years of age, must live within the geographic borders of the program*, must desire an intergenerational friendship, and commit to a weekly visit, either in-person or by phone, with a Senior Connections match. We ask that all parties plan to participate for at least a year, if possible.

All volunteers and participants will need to pass a background check and also complete an orientation.

Participants must live independently (not in an assisted living or skilled care setting) and must show no signs of significant memory loss or mental illness.

Senior Connections thoughtfully works to match volunteers and participants with similar interests or qualities. As part of the onboarding process, the program director will meet with each participant and volunteer to create brief bio for each person. Before you meet with your match, you will receive a bio for that person. If you don’t think the match makes sense, you can let the program director know. Otherwise, the program director will coordinate the first meeting.

Social relationships play a significant role in emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Research demonstrates that our need for social connection may be as fundamental to our biology as our need for food, water, and shelter. Studies have shown that lack of social connections can have negative effects on our biological health, and has been linked to cardiovascular disease and stroke, weakened immune system, increased cognitive decline, and dementia. Some of the most at-risk groups for loneliness and social isolation are young adults and older adults. Today, more older adults than ever before live alone. Senior Connections works to bring seniors and young adults together to forge meaningful relationships that can reduce loneliness and social isolation. Finding new friends near you, even if you don’t feel lonely or socially isolated, can be a rewarding endeavor.

Intergenerational friendships present us with new ways of looking at the world. Forging friendships like these creates opportunities for learning, growing, sharing, and supporting each other while strengthening the fabrics of our communities.

Senior Connections was founded in 1991 in Evanston as a program of a local church to serve the community free of charge. While the program was initially conceived as a senior service, over the years, Senior Connections has adapted and now looks holistically at the epidemic of loneliness and social isolation in our country. Today, we recognize that all participants in this program have something to give and something to gain – whether they are 19 or 110 – we believe people of all ages must play a role in reconnecting our communities. In 2019, Senior Connections became part of Chicago Methodist Senior Services (CMSS). Read about Senior Connections Co-Founder and First Director, Ellen Butkus, here.

No, Senior Connections is not affiliated with any church or religion. While the program was first formed through a church, it is no longer affiliated with a church. Senior Connections is a program of Chicago Methodist Senior Services (CMSS), a non-sectarian, non-profit organization. CMSS welcomes individuals of all faiths and backgrounds to participate in our programs and to receive our services. We do not center any programs or services around religious beliefs.

The Chicago Methodist Senior Services (CMSS) team is happy to answer questions and discuss the program with you. Call us at 847-869-0682 or send us an email at seniorconnections@cmsschicago.org.