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The Buddy Program – Pairing student volunteers with senior citizens for companionship & support

About
Who we are
The CompanionForSeniors – Buddy program is an initiative run by OurParents venture in collaboration with StudentsCare, a US based Non-Profit organisation.
In the Buddy Program, student volunteers from reputed colleges are provided training and offered a platform to interact and engage with senior citizens.
The goal of the Buddy Program is to encourage a supportive relationship between senior citizens and students to foster a symbiotic growth with care and share.
More on StudentsCare – training partner for CompanionForSeniors Buddy Program
"We understand the importance of having someone by your side when you need it the most. We believe that everyone deserves love, friendship & caring companionship in their golden years."
Who is the program for?
- Seniors
- Caregivers
-
Student Volunteers
Becoming a senior is after years of graceful ageing. Moving into the silver years one inherits knowledge and hands-on experience in dealing with life. The Buddy Program allows a multi-generational bridge between the Buddy and the Senior. For the Senior, it helps in feeling valued, loved and engaged. In the long run, it balances their physical as well as mental health.
Contact us today to learn more!
With the passing of time, life throws innumerable challenges in our daily lives. One of the senior couple can fall sick or deteriorate in health, inhibiting their physical and mental abilities. The entire load of caregiving becomes the responsibility of the spouse, who irrespective of the limitations of age and health, is forced to take over this role. In such situations, it helps provide respite for the primary caregiver when they connect with Buddies, someone who can share empathy and compassion.
Reach out to us today to learn more about connecting a Buddy for the senior citizen in your life.
Are you someone who is looking to connect with happy seniors, perhaps learn new skills, get new knowledge and most importantly provide a sense of purpose in your life? You can be that someone!
Senior Citizens may not be as active in their lives as they used to be. They may feel lonely or isolated missing their children and grandchildren. As a Buddy, you can help them feel less lonely by being a friend or companion for them. Volunteers who complete the program are also awarded a certificate of completion. This can be a great value add to your resume and further enhance career prospects.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up for the Buddy program today!

The Buddy Program
Are you a college student who is looking to make a social impact? Do you want someone to share common (or maybe not so common!) interests with while volunteering for a social cause? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you!
Become a Buddy for a Senior Citizen today!
It's a simple 3-step process

1. Pair up
A senior citizen & a Buddy are paired up after careful consideration.

2. Connect
The Buddy connects with the senior citizen via phone calls and video chats.

3. Make memories
Buddies and seniors make meaningful and heartfelt connections through chats and conversation.

Buddy Program
How does it work?
The Buddy Program pairs seniors with student volunteers who are willing to provide companionship and support. Volunteers will also receive training on how to interact with older adults so that they can be a positive influence on our seniors. We believe that this volunteer experience will not only improve the lives of our seniors but also give them some much-needed company while they are otherwise alone.
The program is designed for college-going students who want to volunteer their time to help seniors in their daily lives. The student will be paired up with a senior citizen and together they will learn about each other’s likes, interests and hobbies through video conferences and/or phone calls.
If you have further questions, check out FAQ or contact us today!
Buddy Program
Role of a buddy
A role of a Buddy is to simply be a caring companion. Buddies engage with seniors through informal chats, more so perhaps by listening to what the senior has to say. The interaction may be over some online games, puzzles, sharing recipes, talking about their day, and much more. Where video chat is not possible, Buddies can talk to the senior over the phone.
Have more questions? Check out our FAQ or Contact us for more information.
Ready to become a Buddy?
Fill up the interest form & someone will be in touch with you.
Sign up
and make a difference today!
Benefits of the Buddy Program

Make an impact in a senior citizen’s life today!

Add an attractive volunteering experience to your resume

Get a stellar certificate on successful completion

Learn from a wealth of knowledge from seniors
"It's hard—nobody wants to be alone when they're older, but sometimes that’s just how things are. With the Buddy Program, the best part is having people who care about you!"
Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions? Check out answers from our most frequently asked questions
Student Volunteers
The Buddy program is an initiative run by OurParents venture to connect qualified student volunteers from reputed colleges with senior citizens. This will help in an inter-generational exchange allowing the students to benefit from the knowledge and experience of the seniors and in return offer companionship and support to the seniors. The aspects of the Buddy program is modelled and supported by US based non-profit organisation ‘Students-Care’
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The program is in its first phase of rollout involving students from reputed colleges in the South of India. We involve students from streams of arts, science medical interns and students from Management Studies. The primary focus is to have passionate volunteers for the cause. Qualified student volunteers from the approved colleges will be selected based on psychometric tests and the screening process.
At the next phase of the rollout, we will involve others willing to participate, provided you qualify the validation criteria.
Buddies are groomed to have empathy and show compassion to one another. The interaction with the seniors gives them an opportunity to learn from their life experiences. It will also help share a broader perspective on life and help dispel negative stereotypes.
Readiness, maturity, empathy, compassion, motivation and above all an interest to work with Seniors. Buddies are also required to maintain appropriate boundaries and have the ability to cope with challenging events. Buddies should also have excellent communication skills, be kind, considerate and fun to be with.
Buddies are expected to be good friends who are willing to listen, talk, share, lend a sympathetic ear and offer emotional support to their assigned seniors. Buddies need to be observant in picking up cues to understand the senior’s feelings and offer help where required.
The Buddy is expected to have tact and respect for elders in their communication. They should maintain confidentiality at all times to protect the senior’s privacy and only disclose private information to the OurParents Help Desk to facilitate necessary aid when required.
The Buddy should not seek or expect any favours (monetary or otherwise) from the senior. Similarly the extent of connection must be restricted to phone or video calls only. Home visits or personal meetings with the seniors are not allowed.
You will need to fill up our Interest Form first to sign up for the program. Once we receive your contact details we will be in touch with you for additional documents such as a copy of your Aadhaar card and PAN (permanent address). Based on these details, the OurParents.in office will qualify and revert back when a new batch is being inducted.
Volunteers are also requested to provide an approval letter from their college administration. After this, a one-to-one meeting with the panel members will be held before completing the final registration formalities.
All Buddies will be provided detailed handouts about the Buddy Program.
There would be an induction program along with video tutorials conducted by the training team at StudentsCare. This will be followed by training on psychological first aid and some basic counselling sessions. Monthly training sessions will also be conducted to cover the modules and interface with Buddies to share feedback and to clarify doubts.
Yes, a certificate of participation is awarded on successful completion of the term. It will be awarded by StudentsCare, an US-based Non-Profit who are also our knowledge partners, involved in the training and monitoring activities of the Buddy Program.
A careful process of matching is carried out before finalising the schedule. A Buddy is allotted one or more seniors based on their interest and willingness to participate. Though we have an induction process for the seniors and the Buddy, it takes some sessions of interaction to develop a mutual understanding. We will be handholding through the process until the Buddy is and seniors are comfortable.
The Buddy is expected to engage for 3 hours a week or a minimum of one hour at least on a weekly basis.
Conversations can be centered during the weekends or through the week, suiting the convenience of the senior. However, it is expected that the Buddy maintains the time and schedule as discussed and agreed with the senior they have been assigned to. Buddies are not allowed to call at random hours or cancel a previously scheduled call without prior intimation with the senior.
Seniors
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Caregivers
The details on the Buddy program can be found on our website www.companionforseniors.com. The Buddy program is an initiative of OurParents organisation, the details of which are available on the website www.ourparents.in.
For further information you may also contact us at this number +91 93826 04235 or send email to buddyprogram@ourparents.in
The Buddy extends help and support to the seniors like proxy children. They can be a one point contact to help solve any requirements they may have. Buddies are trained to extend empathy and show compassion to the seniors. They are trained to understand the emotional state of seniors and are also trained to engage them in good conversations, games, and informal chats to ensure they do not develop anxiety or a depressed state of mind.
The Our Parents initiative is currently launched for seniors to connect with Buddies. In the first phase the services are currently only extended to the retired members of BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited). Hence, currently the services are offered without any registration or membership fees.
Contact Us
Get in touch
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For further enquiries call
+91 93826 04235