113th Annual Meeting Volunteer Honorees: Senior Companions

JFCS will host its 113th Annual Meeting from noon to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 14, at JFCS (5905 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley). At the event we will acknowledge the contributions of longtime, dedicated volunteers Kori Savitt and Senior Companions Elizabeth Balaeva, Lyudmila Baltyukova, Barys Brehman, Nadezhda Bronshteyn, Zhanna Gromyko, Igor Sagalov, Sam Shurslep, Viatcheslav Trusov, and Grigoriy Veksler. To RSVP for the Annual Meeting, click here!

Several of the Senior Companions recently spoke about their experiences volunteering for JFCS:

“It is such a pleasure working with JFCS and knowing that you appreciate my work and my time. Volunteering and helping people gives me a lot of joy and happiness.” – Elizabeth Balaeva

“Volunteering adds variety to my life and makes it more interesting. This program allows me to be a part of the community and help other people.” – Lyudmila Baltyukova

“I like to help people who need help.” – Sam Shurslep

“It feels good to be needed and helping people to be less isolated.” – Viatcheslav Trusov

“Volunteering makes me healthier and improves my mood. I feel satisfied when my clients are happy with my service.” – Grigoriy Veksler

Through a partnership with Lutheran Social Services, JFCS offers the Senior Companion program, which pairs active seniors aged 55+ with isolated and homebound seniors. While assisting with basic errands – such as grocery shopping or going to the pharmacy, visiting the library or a museum, or walking around the lakes together – our companions help prevent loneliness and isolation and enhance social connections for our clients, many of whom spend the majority of their time alone.

Senior Companions develop strong relationships with clients, and not only do clients benefit, but the companions are enriched by the experience of helping others while also maintaining a sense of purpose, meaning, and belonging in their own lives. Each Senior Companion receives a monthly stipend, partial gas mileage reimbursement, and a daily allowance for coffee/tea. Contact Natasha Koyrakh at 952-542-4850 for more information.