Where service to the elderly
begins by being a friend

Little Brothers - Friends of the Elderly is a national network of non-profit, volunteer-based organizations committed to relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly. We offer to people of good will the opportunities to join the elderly in friendship and the celebration of life.

Our services are free of charge to the elderly.

Friendly
Visiting

Volunteers are the key to our most vital program within Little Brothers, our Visiting Program. In it a volunteer is matched to an elderly friend to visit on a regular basis and to provide companionship. Our Visiting Volunteers are caring people who develop a special relationship with their elderly friend - a relationship characterized by love and trust. The volunteer often becomes that special friend that has been missing in the elderly person's life.

Medical
Transportation

Low income, frail health, and scarce transportation services are major problems for the elderly in Houghton County. The staff and volunteers of Little Brothers deal with this by providing transportation to medical appointments with an escort and an arm to lean on.

We operate two cars and a wheelchair van for those who need it. We are the only wheelchair van service in the county that will bring a person to and from their own home. The other wheelchair vans will only pick up and drop off at nursing homes and other institutions.

In the last year, we made about 400 round trips to the doctor and hospital, with over a third with the wheelchair van. We are fortunate to have this van. It is leased to us for a token payment, but we needed a local committment of $10,000. D&N Bank of the Copper Country unhesitatingly provided this committment.

Holiday
Dinners

On Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Easter Sunday, we open 9 party locations for guests from Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon Counties. We send out approx. 600 meals to the homebound. 300 volunteers will escort our friends, bake desserts, wash dishes, peel potatoes, and perform the many other tasks for this effort. More than 100 local businesses and organizations donate hams and other food, and provide flowers and party supplies. All of this help will make our efforts possible.

Every year, three major holidays are celebrated in our large family composed of volunteers and elderly guests. These holidays are Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.

We strive to make the day extra special, for our elderly guests are those who would otherwise spend this day alone. We prepare turkey and stuffing or ham, sweet potatoes, white potatoes (made from scratch, no instant for us!), salad, dessert, and trimmings. We decorate the hall, light the candles, and have the coffee and cider ready for the early arrivals. We recruit musicians to volunteer their time and talents for the entertainment.

We enjoy a leisurely meal, serve dessert, listen to music, talk and catch up on things. At the end, each of our guests receives a flower to take home as a memento.

For those unable to come to a party because of physical infirmity, we package the meal with a flower, and arrange for a volunteer to deliver it. They stay and visit awhile and bring a smile to an otherwise lonely day.

For those unable to drive to the party, we arrange for escorts to pick them up.

Christmas
Packages

Too many of our old friends have no one to exchange gifts with, and have not received gifts for years. Through purchases and donations from the community, we put together 200 gift boxes of food, each providing a good holiday meal for two, or two good meals for one. Included are a canned ham, vegetables, fruits, coffee, candy, and a dozen other items, with attention to those with diabetes.

We arrange for a volunteer to deliver this gift, and we ask them to stay and visit. There's nothing like a friendly visit to lift the spirits and this gift represents our love.

Outings
   and
Picnics

Wood Cutting,
Splitting,
   and
Stacking

We provide chain saws, splitting mauls, and a power splitter. Fraternities from Michigan Technological University provide the labor and sweat to get the job done and provide wood for more than a dozen friends. We also deliver hardwood flooring scraps for those with wood burning space heaters and kitchen ranges.

A cord of wood is 8 by 4 by 4 feet. A winter woodpile can range from 4 to 10 cords. A dozen college kids can cut, split, and stack 10 cords during a Saturday afternoon. The hardwood flooring scraps come from Horner Flooring, manufacturer of the ProKing basketball floor. You've seen these floors used by the NBA and at the Olympics.

Other
Special
Occasions

We are quick to find an occasion to celebrate with our elderly friends. It wouldn't do to let a birthday slip by without a card and a small party. We also observe St. Valentine's and St. Patrick's Day, Mother's and Father's Days, along with GrandParent's Day in September.

We make sure our elderly friends are not forgotten.