Conversing since 2020
Hello! We’re a charity led by passionate university students who started this initiative to help promote social connection in the Australian community, and fight loneliness and isolation.
We began in 2020, when COVID-19 lockdowns and distancing shone a spotlight on the effects of loneliness and social isolation. A small group of medical students from Monash University began a service, where community members could sign up to be matched with a dedicated student volunteer to have regular chats and grow companionship over the phone. Simple, right?
Since then we've been amazed at how we’ve grown, driven by students nationwide looking for a way to make a difference. Our phone service is still going strong, spearheaded by our passionate volunteers. Many of us speak multiple languages, and come from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds and walks of life. If you or a friend/family member might like a friendly chat to pass the time - we're here for you!
We have even diversified to new projects! Our volunteers now come to you with our nursing home programs, where we organise amazing activities to bring to nursing homes across Victoria. These include baking, pet therapy and music therapy, run in conjunction with our partners.
Even with COVID-19 a distant memory, social isolation continues to be a barrier to a healthy and happy life. We’re excited to grow new projects to bring our community together and find new ways to support social connection in Australia!
What do we do?
Phone Program
Our flagship program - connecting isolated individuals to our lovely health student volunteers.
Nursing Home Events
Our newest program - we come to nursing homes to run events for some laughs and some fun. Entirely for free.
Social Events
We run social events to promote connections and defeat isolation! (pictured above is our runway event)
Donations
As a student-run charity, we’ve touched the lives of more than 250 community members with the support of over 400 dedicated volunteers. We strive to fight social isolation and loneliness by promoting social connection within our community. Your generosity allows to continue and expand our important work, including being able to:
run more events that bring community members together to form long-lasting relationships
offer more robust mental health first aid training for our volunteers
support our phone service program with qualified mental health professionals
upgrade and maintain our technology to stay open and make our service accessible to as many people as possible
All donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible for residents anywhere in Australia. With your support, we can end social isolation, one conversation at a time.
Gallery
Threads of Connection
Connection is fashionable! Click view to see some highlights from our event.
'Learning Life Stories' at The Views
In this event, we visited The Views in Heidelberg and had conversations with the lovely folks there. We learned a bit about their life's stories.
Our Team
David Jones
Co-Director, Publications Officer
Harvey Norman
Co-Director
Aleiah Campang
Secretary
Myers
Treasurer
Jacqueline Fu
Phone Program Coordinator
Ruihan Huang
Phone Program Coordinator
Roma Chopra
Nursing Program Coordinator
Aimee Liu
Nursing Program Coordinator
Han Le
Fundraising Coordinator
Eisha Singh
People and Culture Coordinator
Sherry Wang
Outreach Officer
Sayed Shehab
Outreach Officer
Min Shuen Lee
Nursing Home Officer
Sahib Singh
Nursing Home Officer
Mannix Vincenzino
Audit and Compliance Officer
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you operate?
We are based in Victoria, but provide calls to anywhere in Australia!
What kinds of checks/training do volunteers
All our volunteers are health students, and hold valid Police Checks and Working With Children Checks. All our volunteers also undergo mandatory training as part of the signup process
Can you provide medical help?
No - we're not a crisis service or a replacement for professional medical care. If you think you or someone you know needs more formal care, we are more than happy to help point you in the right direction.
Does Conversation In Isolation cost money?
Nope! We are a 100% free, not-for-profit service. Keep in mind your regular mobile phone carrier charges may still apply
I don't really like my support person. Can I get someone else?
If you're not really getting along with your support person, get in touch with us and we'll see if we can assign you a volunteer who better suits your needs
English is my second language. Can I be matched with someone who speaks my native language?
Yes! Just indicate on the signup form what your mother tongue is. While we can't guarantee anything, if we have a support person available who speaks the same language, we'll do our best to pair you with them.
I identify as LGBTIQA+. Can I be matched with someone from my community?
Yes! Just indicate on the signup form that this is your preference. While we can't guarantee anything, we will do our best to pair you with someone from your community. You are by no means obliged to provide this information if you would prefer not.
Will this initiative continue post-COVID?
Absolutely! Our phone companionship service is going strong, and we’re planning exciting new events and initiatives to expand our operations to provide even more opportunities for social connection, including by bringing members of the community together. Keep posted for updates on more unique opportunities to build social bonds!
Contact Us
We are a registered charity!
Please consider donating :)
