Friendship Centers
Cause: Human Services, Seniors
Mission: Promoting health, dignity and quality of life throughout the journey of aging. Our vision is to lead the way in delivery of comprehensive services that enrich the lives of older adults and their families.
Friendship Centers is a nonprofit organization serving older adults in five counties in Southwest Florida.
In 2017, we were THE safety net for close to 15,000 seniors living in our service area. We provided over a half million individual “units of service” to older adults in the arenas of medical and dental services, care-giving, meals, exercise classes, lifelong learning, economic assistance, and socialization. Through state and local partnerships, we were able to improve the health of thousands of uninsured seniors on limited incomes.
Tens of thousands of older adults in Southwest Florida have benefited from the Friendship Centers’ programs and services since our founding in 1973 by Brother William Geenen, a member of the Brotherhood of the Holy Cross Order of Notre Dame University.
As an organization, our goals are to:
- Empower older adults to live active, healthy lives to improve all aspects of health.
- Promote good nutrition and physical activity to maintain healthy lifestyles.
- Provide crisis/supportive intervention and help promote financial stability through education and community resources.
- Allow older people to maintain their independence and live in their own homes for as long as possible.
A belief in People Helping People, has been the foundation of the Friendship Centers for more than 45 years. More than 600 volunteers serve in nearly every facet of the organization. Our award-winning centers and our clinics have drawn national and international attention as models for the delivery of programs and services to older adults.
