The Little Brothers (Petits Freres), whose mission is to fight the isolation of seniors, will hold its traditional holiday meals in 12 regions of Quebec after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 pandemic-related health measures.

On Saturday and Sunday, volunteers from across the province are organizing festive dinners and socializing activities for lonely seniors during the holiday season.

"It's quite an adventure to do this again; we used to go to a big hotel, but this year we're doing parties that are a little more intimate,' said Little Brothers foundation executive director Caroline Sauriol.

The organization's activities also include a home care component for seniors who cannot get out or who have difficulty getting around. To include them in the festivities, volunteers call them, visit them and are present to listen if needed.

The Little Brothers initiative is spread across twelve administrative regions in Quebec, including Lanaudière, Chaudière-Appalaches, Bas-Saint-Laurent and Capitale-Nationale.

"Nearly 25 teams are busy everywhere. Even in Montreal, we have several celebrations because they are not all centralized. It's a big hive of activity since the beginning of December," said Sauriol.

Asked about volunteer recruitment in the context of the pandemic, she pointed out that most of the organizers are regular members of the organization, making the process much less complicated.

"For the Christmas period, everything went well! These are volunteers who know our Big Friends and were excited to be able to finally take over these parties. So recruiting is not that difficult," said the director.

She added, however, that Little Brothers is always looking for volunteers who are willing to offer "a little bit of their time and affection for seniors who are in need."

ONE IN FIVE QUEBEC SENIORS ALONE

According to Sauriol, there are more than 55,000 seniors living in isolation in Quebec. At The Little Brothers alone, some 500 people aged 75 and over have no ties to their families and are still waiting for a meaningful match.

"Volunteers are needed all year round," said the director. "It's important to love them and be there, not just at Christmas time."

She added that this type of volunteering also helps to "break one's own isolation, a scourge felt in all generations."

Since 1962, the organization has supported nearly 2,300 seniors living alone through 2,900 volunteers and has a province-wide presence through telephone twinning.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 24, 2022.