Project BUDDY was initiated during the COVID-19 partial lockdown to offer lonely and isolated seniors a call once a week from volunteer buddies. The initiative started by Eleanor Yap, the founder of Ageless Online, works with U 3rd Age, and is being supported by the Council for Third Age. So far we have had over 170 volunteer buddies who have signed up to make the calls (from age 17 to 70) and we are getting referrals from the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), Sikh Welfare Council, Care Corner and Alzheimer’s Disease Association (ADA). We have since temporarily stopped volunteer buddy signups but the seniors looking for buddies signup remains open.

To find out more about Project BUDDY and to signup, go to: https://agelessonline.net/want-a-buddy/.

Project BUDDY has been featured on several media and mentioned by several organisations:

• Channel NewsAsia – www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/mental-well-being-during-covid-19-the-rise-of-intimate-sharing-12755980
• 96.3 hao FM (Facebook) – www.facebook.com/963haofm/
• SG United – www.sgunited.gov.sg/stay-engaged/help-others
• Singapore Kindness Movement – https://pride.kindness.sg/helping-seniors-post-circuit-breaker/