Leo spent 30 years farming in northern Colorado. When he retired, he found himself with something he hadn't had much of before: time.
So he decided to volunteer.
Kelly Peterschmidt, Founder and Executive Director of Porchlight Friends, matched Leo with Mike, a Vietnam veteran and retired Coast Guard member who earned an art degree after his military career and became an art teacher.
Now in his 80s and living with Parkinson's Disease, Mike's tremors made it difficult for him to paint. But he could still teach.
During their weekly visits, Mike began teaching Leo how to paint. They set up an easel and worked together on a garden scene inspired by Leo's backyard—a place filled with the fruits and vegetables he grows and shares with his neighbors.
Leo had always been interested in art but never had the time or training to pursue it. He discovered he was pretty good, eventually painting an entire wall mural at home.
It's the kind of friendship Kelly hopes for every time she introduces a Porchlight Friends volunteer to an older adult.
A match built for friendship
Porchlight Friends provides non-medical companionship to older adults throughout El Paso County, Colorado.
Volunteers drive clients to the grocery store, bank or pharmacy or cook meals. They can accompany someone to a doctor's appointment, or help with housework and repairs.
"We try to keep our older adults off those step stools," Kelly said. "Let us get up and do some of those things so they don't have a tumble that sends them to the hospital and into rehab."
Kelly coordinates 45 volunteer companions, from college students and stay-at-home moms to retirees and people who volunteer after working a full day. She gets to know both the volunteers and clients before playing matchmaker, considering their personalities, shared interests and what would make their time together meaningful.
"I really want this to be a friendship," Kelly said, "something that they both look forward to when they come together each week for two hours."
For some clients, their companion may be the only other person they see regularly. That friendship can be just as meaningful for the volunteers.
One volunteer put it simply: "My mom lives out of state and I can't see her every week, so I want to spend time with somebody else's mom."
Over time, those volunteers can become like family.
Through grief, illness, and healing
At 87, Helen lost her husband of more than 50 years when he suffered a heart attack and died in front of her. A few months later, doctors discovered a cancerous mass on her kidney.
Helen had always been healthy—she told Kelly she'd never even been to the emergency room. Now, while grieving the husband she'd relied on for decades, she suddenly faced doctor's appointments and surgery on her own.
Porchlight Friends stepped in right away.
Volunteers drove Helen to appointments and took notes for her. They made sure she had the supplies she needed after surgery and connected her with home healthcare agencies to support her recovery. Porchlight Friends stood by her side as she recovered from surgery and regained her independence.
Before long, she wanted to fulfill a deeply personal wish. Helen and her husband were both from Germany, and she wanted to return his remains to their home country to lay him to rest. Porchlight Friends helped her work through the paperwork and requirements.
Helen made the trip to Germany and brought her husband home.
Porchlight Friends couldn't change the losses Helen had experienced. But they could make sure she had support as she found her footing again. Two years later, Helen is doing well—and volunteers still visit her every week.
"This is your time."
Kelly wishes more people understood how much older adults still have to share.
"We see them at the end of life where they've slowed down, their cognition is not as sharp," she said. "But the lives they've lived are just amazing. You just take the time to slow down and listen to their stories and listen to their wisdom and just be present with them. There's just so much to be gained in meeting with these people."
Being present also means meeting people where they are.
"When they apologize for being slow, or say, 'I'm sorry I have this walker' or 'I'm sorry I can't remember that,' I just tell them, 'This is your two hours. We're going to move at your pace. If we only get one errand done in that two hours, that's okay. This is your time to just be you, and we're here for you.'"
There is something powerful in giving another person that kind of time. Time to tell the stories they've collected over a lifetime. To move at their own pace. To share wisdom with a new generation. To be listened to, known, and valued.
And, somewhere along the way, to become a friend.
As Porchlight Friends grew, Unison gave Kelly an easier way to coordinate volunteer visits. Volunteers can choose times that fit their schedules and receive automatic reminders—and since Porchlight Friends started using Unison, not a single volunteer has missed a visit. "It's exactly what we needed," Kelly said. "I'm absolutely loving it."
