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VA Center for Development and Civic Engagement

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Compassionate Contact Corps

On this page:
About the Program  |   Awards and Recognition  |   Locations  |   How to participate or get more information  |   Additional Resources and News

About the Program

Woman holding phone with picture of VeteranThe Compassionate Contact Corps is a virtual social prescription program where trained volunteers are matched with Veterans that are experiencing loneliness or are socially isolated. The volunteer typically calls the Veteran weekly for 15—60 minutes to provide socialization and companionship via phone or video calls. Many volunteers come from Veteran service organizations and are Veterans themselves, but that is not a requirement to volunteer for the program.

Awards and Recognition

The program has been featured in multiple VA articles and blogs and was mentioned in The New York Times series on The Future of Healthcare. It has also been recognized by The Beryl Institute and was designated a signature program by American Red Cross in 2021. Ten of the original program coordinators have received Secretary Honor Awards for their work developing the program. In 2021, over 700 volunteers made more than 13,000 calls to Veterans.

Locations

The program is at some stage of implementation at over 80 VA facilities across the country.

How to participate or get more information

Volunteers — Contact your local VA Center for Development & Civic Engagement office (formerly known as VA Voluntary Service)

Veterans & caregivers — Speak with your VA primary care physician or VA social worker