Become a Friend
Valentine's Day: Be someone who cares
The idea behind the friend activities is that you can sign up as a volunteer friend and make a new friend. That way, those who need a friend will also get one. It's a win-win!
You will learn everything you need to know about being a volunteer friend during a free three-hour course.
Red Cross friend brokers will match you with someone who is looking for a friend.
Then you can decide together what fun things you want to do. Would you like to have a cup of coffee or go to the gym perhaps?
You can sign up for a friend course all year round, even arter Valentine's day!
You are suitable to be a friend
Anyone can join our friend activities and become a friend to someone lonely. You do not need any special skills; you only need to listen and be present. Even one dependable friend can help with loneliness. We are always in need of new volunteers for our friend activities.
The friend course covers different ways of acting as a friend and volunteer. You will also learn about encounter situations and gain interaction skills.
Many ways of being a friend
For an elderly person living alone, the regular visits of a volunteer friend provide a sense of security and bring joy to the lonely everyday life. Simply being present and available can be enough, but the company of a volunteer friend can also often encourage an elderly person to move outside the home.
You can also accompany an elderly person on a trip to the doctor or the shops. Assisting with errands in this way means short-term and one-off help.
When a young person in need of a friend is paired with a volunteer, we pay special attention to their interests and wishes on shared activities. You can also be active together with your friend, e.g. engage in different hobbies, go to the movies, have coffee and attend games or gigs.
For an immigrant, a volunteer friend can be an irreplaceable support. You can become a friend for an immigrant or a family alone or together with your partner, family or friend. You can do everyday things together , like go for a walk, cook dinner or get to know the local sights.
Find your nearest friend activity course via the OMA Punainen Risti volunteer website by searching the activities by town or take the friend activity course online.
To find out more about the friend activities where you live, contact the Finnish Red Cross local branch or district office.
The everyday life of a family caregiver—taking care of a loved one full-time or alongside your own work—is demanding and can often be exhausting. As a supporter of the caregiver and a volunteer with the Red Cross, you play an important role in their daily life. As a friend, you can visit regularly and offer, for example, conversation or outdoor companionship to both the caregiver and the person being cared for.
Find your nearest friend activity course via the OMA Punainen Risti volunteer website by searching the activities by town or take the friend activity course online.
To find out more about the friend activities where you live, contact the Finnish Red Cross local branch or district office.
Do you like to send messages and exchange thoughts in writing? As an online friend, you can have anonymous one-to-one discussions with your friend in a manner that suits you both, using email messages or discussion applications. An online friendship is independent of time and place.
You can become an online friend by taking Friend course and Online helper at the Finnish Red Cross self-study course.
Volunteer friend visits or recreational activities bring a desired change and inspiration to people living in hospitals, assisted living facilities and care homes. As a volunteer, you can visit regularly as someone to talk to or provide help with outings and arrange events and group activities – alone or together with other volunteers.
As a prison visitor, you can provide a breath of fresh air inside the prison walls. The return to civilian life becomes easier when an inmate has not lost all contact with the outside. As a prison visitor, you can visit the same inmate a couple of times a month, or arrange group activities together with other visitors. You can decide on the group themes and objectives together. A prison visitor must be at least 25 years of age.
Find your nearest friend activity course via the OMA Punainen Risti volunteer website by searching the activities by town or take the friend activity course online.
To find out more about the friend activities where you live, contact the Finnish Red Cross local branch or district office.
As a volunteer, you can lead various groups and clubs or assist with arranging different events and trips.
The groups can offer recreational activities at assisted living facilities or other institutions, but they can also be open neighbourhood clubs or peer meetings where people in a similar situation in life can meet for discussion and activities. We also arrange group activities for immigrants and mental health rehabilitees.
Find your nearest friend activity course via the OMA Punainen Risti volunteer website by searching the activities by town or take the friend activity course online.
To find out more about the friend activities where you live, contact the Finnish Red Cross local branch or district office.
