Volunteer Supportive Friendship Program

Compeer, an old English noun, means companion or peer. The WJCS Compeer Program matches volunteers in one-to-one relationships with adults recovering from mental illness. Compeer recruits, interviews, screens, trains and supports the volunteers, who commit to visiting or calling their Compeer friend for a minimum of four hours a month for one year. By sharing friendships, volunteers help to offset the loneliness and isolation that accompany mental illness. They provide supportive friendship, advocacy, increased social interaction, positive role models and access to educational and recreational activities in the community.

Compeer Calling matches volunteers who make weekly phone calls to people in treatment for mental illness who request this service.