While 2020 will undoubtedly go down in world history as one of the most challenging years for humanity, as the pandemic and political unrest spiked stress levels and mental health issues, out of these problems came many stories of love, compassion and togetherness. For one young Panamanian who found himself stuck stateside in Miami at the onset of the pandemic, Baruj Avram quickly saw how the stay-at-home mandates could really impact his well-being and morale.
Alone with his thoughts, the 21-year-old pondered what it must be like for those who perhaps are old and alone without any family during this time. Though he at least had his family back in Panama to call home to when he needed his spirits lifted, Avram couldn’t imagine what it feels like to have no one to call. After doing some research online about what could be done to connect with elders, Avram discovered a whole demographic that was unbeknownst to him: elder orphans, senior citizens who are in nursing homes and have no family or connection to anyone outside of their homes.
“I’m from Panama and Panama was completely locked down,” he says. “I was forced to quarantine by myself for eight months and after a few months went by, I spent my birthday alone and I just felt so lonely. I wanted to connect with people who were going through the same thing. Then I discovered elder orphans and knew I had to help.”
Diving even deeper into the world of elder orphans, Avram was shocked to learn that almost 35% of elders in nursing homes have no family and receive no visitors from the time they enter an elderly home to the time they die. With this, he knew he had to do something. Compelled to make a difference in the lives of elder orphans, Avram established a non-profit organization with partners Steven Manocherian, Natalie Manocherian, and Daniel Manocherian to launch Calls4Care.
Designed as a platform that pairs volunteers with elder orphans, Calls4Care has facilitated more than 2000 relationships. By undergoing a simple interview, volunteers are asked about their interests, skills and life experience in order to pair them with fitting elder orphan matches. From there, volunteers are able to connect with their matches over the phone. Despite the fact that the pandemic held so many people back from connecting with others, Avram paved the way for strangers to become friends with Calls4Care. To learn more about Calls4Care and to find out about how you can become a volunteer, visit their website.
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