The founder of Senior Friendship Centers, Brother William Geenen, famously said that “isolation is the malnutrition of the elderly.” As a nonprofit supporting four counties in Southwest Florida, Senior Friendship Centers has helped seniors feel more connected for almost 50 years, with a mission to promote health, dignity, and quality of life throughout the journey of aging.

Senior Friendship Centers is the safety net for close to 15,000 older adults living in our service area, providing services and programs such as caregiving resources, nutritious meals, exercise classes, adult day services, lifelong learning, support groups, economic assistance, and socialization. As an organization, our goals are to:

• Empower older adults to live active, healthy lives to improve all aspects of health.
• Promote good nutrition and physical activity to maintain healthy lifestyles.
• Provide crisis/supportive intervention and help promote financial stability through education and community resources.
• Allow older people to maintain their independence and live in their own homes for as long as possible.

In these unprecedented times, many seniors have been isolated, lonely, anxious, and unable to get the services, food and supplies that they need. Many are at risk of serious health conditions as a result – dementia, heart disease, stroke, suicide, falls and premature death are all more likely when someone experiences social isolation.

Your support allows us to provide safe opportunities for connecting in the senior centers, a hot meal, caregiving resources, adult day services, and more. As we chart a path to post-pandemic recovery, your support will continue to be the solution for providing seniors with a safety net of resources, connections, and hope.

The gift of time is also highly valued. Volunteering is one of the keys to healthy aging. And it truly makes a difference in the lives of the people we serve.

If you’d like to get to know us better, sign up for a tour or contact us to inquire about a special presentation for your organization. Click on one of buttons below to find out how you can get involved.

Every day at Senior Friendship Centers people are developing new relationships and healthier habits, participating in brain stimulating activities, volunteering to serve those in need and learning new ways to improve their own lives and those of others. Our main program areas are health and wellness, social engagement, caregiving, and supportive aging. Our services are powered by hundreds of volunteers who devote their time to helping older adults successfully navigate the journey of aging.

A belief in “People Helping People,” has been the foundation of Senior Friendship Centers for almost five decades. Here are some of the ways you can get help.

• Make a donation. Every program and service we provide requires funding, which largely comes from our donors.
• Volunteer. Our volunteers are greeters, teachers, dance instructors, servers, technology or legal experts, musicians, office assistants and more.
• Become a member. Join us for a fitness class, lifelong learning, daily music and dancing, or a cup of coffee with friends at one of our Activity Centers.
• Help us identify seniors in need in our community. Do you know someone who could use a friendly telephone call or is in need of services? We can help.