Left to right: Terry Cunningham (client) with Jim Daynes (volunteer).
How a cup of tea is helping combat social isolation
The Share a Cuppa program (founded by Nepean Food Services) started after COVID-19 and emphasised the need to increase social connections within communities, specifically with older people.
Whether it’s over a hot cup of coffee or tea, the goal of Share a Cuppa is to improve overall health and well-being with face-to-face conversations. These conversations allow people to relate with like-minded volunteers who visit their home for a chat over a cuppa.
People receiving visits reported that they looked forward to catching up with their paired volunteer and expressed gratitude for the connections made with them. Share a Cuppa volunteers like Jim Daynes have also reported their personal fulfilment from these interactions.
‘You don’t get to your senior years without a few stories to tell. Seeing the expressions on their faces as they recollect their memories is quite fascinating. I feel privileged to hear them share their vulnerabilities and stories with me and it encourages me to also share mine.
'One piece of information that I’ve been authorised to share is I happened to visit someone on the first-year anniversary of the passing of a person he was very close to. I wasn’t aware at the time of the booking that the date was important to him and I was truly grateful to be there for him.’
Make a positive impact to older people in your community by finding aged care volunteering opportunities.