Volunteers of Cork: A friendly voice at the other end of the phone for the past 12 years

TODAY we continue our Volunteers of Cork series. TIMOTHY O’MAHONY talks to Teresa Stokes, pictured right, who lives at Mount Nebo avenue in Gurranabraher. For the last 12 years, Teresa has volunteered with Friendly Call who are based in the Parochial Hall in Churchfield.

Friendly Call is a volunteer organisation who with the support from Cork City Partnership offer a free service of providing a daily phone call to elderly, isolated or vulnerable people in Cork city. It’s a resource also aimed at people who may suffer from a chronic illness or who cannot engage in an active way in the local community.

Friendly Call have more than 70 volunteer friendly callers who give daily calls to the clients of the service.

How did you begin volunteering?

I looked after my aunt for more than 20 years and when she died in 2011 I decided I needed a job which was hard to get so I went on a scheme and went to work in the Resource centre in the Glen. While there Brenda Barry from Cork City Partnership came to the centre and told me they were trying to set up the Friendly Call and would I mind ringing the seniors in the area and ask if they would be interested in a call, which I did and ended up being the first volunteer for Friendly Call.

Over the next following weeks I heard some fantastic stories but also some very sad stories but the one that got to me was when I rang a gentleman, started off with my usual ‘Hi, this is Teresa’ and before I could say anymore he said ‘oh my god it’s wonderful to hear your voice’. For the next 20-30 minutes he told me his wife had died, his family had their own lives to live and they just didn’t bother anymore. 

He had the phone in two years and I was his first call, for some reason this struck a nerve and straight away I rang Brenda and told her I wanted to be a volunteer I was the first volunteer and nearly 12 years later I am still there.

What is the best thing about being a volunteer?

I love volunteering so much I volunteer in the Drop in Centre, The Hut in Gurranabraher, the Senior centre in Knocknaheeny and the Sunday Afternoon Tea Dance in the Hut.

I volunteered all during Covid and as well as the Friendly Call I delivered meals on wheels and hampers and worked in the church office and more importantly I visited some of my clients because their mental health and their confidence went down the drain.

What impact does the Friendly Call service have on the clients?

I love talking to people and helping them if I can and most importantly, listening to them which is ultimately all they want.

We used to have a tea dance every few months so I know most of the clients. I can put a face to the person I am talking to on the phone and they are delighted they can meet us. It’s a wonderful element for the clients to be able to meet their friendly callers in person, so they know who they are talking to. 

So there is really a positive impact for all of our clients.

Give us an insight to what you actually do when volunteering?

Since the start of Covid I have 20 clients. I call them my gang and during the last few months two of them have passed away. It was like losing a family member.

I ring them and stay on the phone with them as long as they want, it can be anything from five minutes to an hour. I will ask them how they are, I will remind them if they have doctor’s appointments or if they got their results. I will tell all my news where I went over the weekend etc I try to treat them like a family member and they will tell me all their secrets. If I can make them laugh my day is made.

I think the phone calls make a huge difference to the clients lifes, especially to someone living alone possibly with no family and maybe with mental issues, depression and loneliness. It’s their only lifeline, someone told me they could sleep at night now because they knew we would ring in the morning. 

If someone doesn’t answer, we would make sure someone checks in on them, we would ring their contacts if they are living close by and I often called to make sure they are ok or we would get the community garda to call so they feel safe.

As a volunteer I hear so many sad stories that I think it gives me a better understanding of why people act the way they do. I think I am more tolerant now and I thank God every day that I can do the things I do and that I am healthy. You know the old saying ‘there but for the grace of God’.No one knows what is in their future, I could end up alone praying for someone to ring me.

With so much volunteering, how do you unwind?

To unwind I have two rescue Bichons and one Yorkshire terrier I inherited him from a neighbour that died over a year ago. I go to the beach which I love. I walk and read (anything). I love travelling also and the only thing is I think of my gang while I’m away, hoping they are alright and if they keep their appointments etc.

Colleagues and crew

In all the places I volunteer we have fantastic clients and volunteers, you couldn’t ask for a better group always helping each other.

Hopes for the future

I hope to keep on volunteering. A few weeks ago we had our first afternoon tea since Covid. It was great to meet the other Friendly Call volunteers and clients. We all enjoyed ourselves and because I love doing what I am doing at the moment I want to keep at it.

We are always looking for volunteers, we have over 400 clients and it is a fantastic way to keep in touch with the older generation they have fantastic stories to tell and we need to listen.

I recently heard a story about the mother of one of our clients, who was due to travel aboard the Titanic but ended up giving their place to someone else. 

There is wonderful history in the memories of our clients, and Friendly Call allows some of that history to be captured and some of these amazing storied to live on through a younger generation.

If anyone would like to volunteer with Friendly Call, you can learn more by visiting the website https://corkcitypartnership.ie/all-programmes/friendly-call-cork/ or by emailing friendlycall@partnershipcork.ie to register your interest.