In September 2020, the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) entered into a collaborative partnership with the Juanita C. Grant Foundation (JCGF) to support the needs of older adults in the community. The JCGF created the Village Connector Experience (VCE) to combat the increased prevalence of social isolation and loneliness in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Director of Development and Donor Engagement, Shelley O’Brien sent a request for volunteers. Always eager to contribute to the common good and help those in my community I volunteered. After completing virtual training in customer service, motivation intervention skills, and achieving at least a 90% proficiency rating I became a certified Ambassador.
As an Ambassador, I spent 2-4 hours each week talking to members for a term of six months. In November 2020, I received the names of three (VCE) members, but discovered that none lived locally, living in Colorado, Tennessee, and Vermont. In the beginning, I simply provided the members with a friendly voice, encouragement, and reassurance, as my call were to help them explore and navigate community resources available in their areas during the height of COVID-19.
In May 2021, I assumed the ability to return to some form of normalcy would eliminate the need for me to call the VCE members. Nevertheless, they chose to continue their weekly calls which organically morphed into phone pal relationships. In other words, each member and I act as relationship copilots mutually sharing our thoughts and opinions about a host of issues. However, we did not become phone pals overnight. Our relationships found sustainability through the progression of relationship landmarks such as:
- Commitment - a promise to do or give something.
- Consistency - the quality or fact of staying the same at different times.
- Care - effort made to do something correctly, safely, or without causing damage.
- Respect - a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way.
- Trust - belief that someone or something is dependable, good, honest, effective, etc.
After 20 months, we are still going strong. To support and encourage these vital connections through conversations, VCE recently expanded its service offerings to include the PALS Program:
- Personable - friendly or pleasant in manner.
- Attentive - concerned about the needs of others.
- Listenable - pleasant to listen to.
- Sharer - to tell someone about (your feelings, opinions, thoughts, etc.).
PALS is named for the major attributes required by ambassadors to sustain long-lasting relationships with their members. This extension program is important because social functioning remains malleable as we age and can be strengthened and improved throughout life for both members and ambassadors. Additionally, relationships are the key to happiness and longevity. The opportunity to share our lives with family and friends helps us support and be supported by others which lend to both emotional and physical well-being.
Being a VCE Ambassador has been a rewarding experience. I met three great ladies from around the country with vastly different life experiences from mine. Despite our differences in age, race, and religion we discovered our commonalities and have found ways to highlight them in our conversations. I’m overjoyed that the Juanita C. Grant Foundation is instituting the PALS Program as a natural extension of the initial program because it allows for connections both locally and nationally. Lastly, I’m thankful to work as an ambassador for the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System to share the programs and services offered by libraries around the country.
|