Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America has awarded a $125,000 grant to Little Brothers – Friends of the Elderly (LBFE) to support the organization’s Elder Friends Phone Companions program, which matches seniors with background-checked volunteers to share friendships by phone during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grant is part of Allianz Life’s $1 million senior services grant to address disparities in senior care and support in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. The program focuses on three areas: combating social isolation among seniors, fighting elder financial abuse, and enhancing caregiver support.
“Allianz Life’s grant to LBFE is a wonderful demonstration of confidence in our organization and our Phone Companions program,” said James Falvey, executive director of LBFE. “It is enabling us to reach more socially isolated and lonely older adults with the power of friendship during this disturbing time.”
LBFE launched the program across Minnesota in April following the social restrictions and lockdowns instituted to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
