'It Would Really Make My Day': Nursing Homes Seek Volunteers To Spend Share Holidays With Lonely Residents

Care facilities and nursing homes in Green Country have lots of residents without any family members to visit them during the holidays, and now the facilities are asking volunteers to "adopt" a resident and spend time with them to make friends and avoid loneliness this holiday season.

Thanksgiving is approaching and for many people, the holidays are some of the loneliest times of the year.

It becomes even harder for those who are elderly and living in nursing homes or facilities without family left to visit.

This new program hopes to help those without family to make new friends.

Inside Anne Fry’s room at the Franciscan Villa care facility, there are photos of loved ones, decorations and knick-knacks to feel like home, and a lot of stuffed animals; prizes for this master Bingo player.

“We all enjoy Bingo.”

Anne became a resident here after her husband of 60 years passed away and she had a fall and needed to move out of her home.

"I found this place and I love it," she said. "It’s home and the people are all family.”

But Anne doesn’t have a family of her own here at that’s why being “adopted” for the holidays would be very special to her.

“It would really make my day," she said.

“We have residents that live in our communities who don’t have anybody to celebrate with," said Kimberly Green.

Green with the Diakonos Group runs nursing homes and care facilities all over Green Country and this year, she would like to see volunteers take time to meet residents and make some new friends.

"They are loving, they care about you, they treat you with kindness," said Norma Brewer.

Friends like Norma Brewer, a colorful woman who loves life and loves meeting people.

“New people, you get to meet them and you might have a lot of things in common. It makes it fun," she said.

These two wonderful ladies are just some of the dozens of nursing home residents in need of some extra friendship for the holidays– and maybe even for life.

“When you get my age, you kind of lose all of your family, it does get lonesome," Anne said.

“I have a list of residents in all our communities that want to have a friend for the holidays and hopefully these friendships expand beyond that," Green said.

People are encouraged to bring their families or even pets to meet different residents at long-term care facilities.

The Diakonos Group can match people if they have a preference for a location around Tulsa. They also have memory care centers for people who like those with dementia or memory issues.

TO MATCH WITH SOMEONE: Email: Kimberly.Green@DiakonosGroup.com