Joe and Matt are recent Compeer friends. However, within a short period of time they’ve gotten to know each other and become very comfortable with each other. Joe and Matt usually meet or talk by phone at least every week.
Matt says, “I’d previously volunteered with other organizations, but becoming friends with a person challenged by mental illness is new. This is an area where I have no experience, but thought I could help in some way. At our first meeting, we were both a bit quiet, not knowing what to expect from one another.”
However that awkwardness quickly changed! Within a few get-togethers, Joe and Matt reached the point where they had so many things to talk about that they barely had time to fit everything in. The two friends share many of the same interests so there’s never a shortage of things to talk about from sports, to politics to music and books.
As often happens with many Compeer one-to-one matches, Joe and Matt are truly friends, not just client and volunteer. About this, Matt says, “Sometimes even when I think we’re just making idle talk, Joe is listening intently. I only realize this when Joe asks me a question about something I told him two weeks earlier. Often I’ve forgotten the particular topic, but Joe has been thinking about it.”
Joe and Matt are truly a Compeer success story!