Agency Seeks Volunteers
Compeer Chester County, a nonprofit organization that pairs people living with mental health conditions with volunteer friends from the community, recently held its 20th annual Friendship Luncheon at Dutch-Way Family Restaurant in Gap. The event is held each year to celebrate the special camaraderie among the compeers, which the dictionary defines as a companion or peer.
More than 50 people attended the event, which was led by Donna Kueny, program manager. The guest speaker was Rob Chisholm. "We'd invited Rob to speak since he launched Compeer Chester County in 1999 and served as its first program director for 15 years before retiring," said Sherry Thompsen, Compeer program coordinator.
In his talk, titled "Reflections on 20 Years of Compeer," Chisholm discussed that while people in recovery from a mental illness are treated by professionals and various therapies, they may lack the support of personal friends.
That, he said, is why the Compeer program is so important and successful. "Compeer friendship matches are proven to create connectedness, offering measurable outcomes for both matched partners, such as overcoming feelings of social isolation, loneliness and hopelessness," he stated.
Chisholm remains involved in the program and still maintains two one-to-one Compeer friendships.
During the event, the volunteer pairs were recognized, as well as members of the Compeer Advisory Council. The event also included a costume contest.
Compeer Chester County is a program of Mental Health Partnerships (MHP), supported by the Chester County Department of Mental Health/Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (MH/IDD) and private donations.
According to Kueny, Compeer volunteers are paired with individuals of the same gender and geographical area who share common interests. Individuals in the program have been diagnosed with conditions such as depression, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, and they are referred to the program by a therapist or case manager. "People accepted in the program are screened, and they have the support of their mental health professional," she said.
Volunteers, who must be age 18 and over, are required to undergo an interview, get a background check and take part in a training session. Volunteers are asked to meet with their friends for four hours minimum each month for one year. The pairs can share activities such as meeting for lunch or going to a sporting event.
As of this month, Thompsen reported that there are 45 Compeer one-to-one matches in Chester County; six calling matches, where pairs talk on the phone; and two e-buddies, where the friends communicate via email or text.
"We need volunteers for everywhere in the county," Kueny said. She mentioned that some volunteers with the program are students at West Chester University.
To learn more about Compeer Chester County, readers may contact Kueny at 610-436-4445 or dkueny@mhphope.org. More information, including a volunteer application, is available at http://www.compeerchesco.org. Readers may also learn more about the organization at http://www.facebook.com/CompeerChesco.
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