The Caring Callers Program was developed as a telephone-based intervention utilizing Senior Companion volunteers to reach older adults at greater risk for loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. This pilot program consisted of trained volunteers who provided supportive, weekly calls as well as community resources with their Caring Callers clients. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the experiences of Senior Companion volunteers in the Caring Callers Program through the lens of productive aging. We completed semi-structured interviews with 18 Caring Callers volunteers. We used Rapid and Rigorous Qualitative Date Analysis (RADaR) which yielded four themes: (1) reciprocity; (2) purposeful use of time; (3) learning new skills; and (4) gaining perspective. Our findings provide insight for gerontological researchers examining volunteering as a productive aging activity and offer strategies for designing peer-led, telephone-based interventions to promote social connectedness in an unprecedented time.

Caring Callers Program 是一项基于电话的干预措施，利用 Senior Companion 志愿者帮助在 COVID-19 大流行期间面临更大孤独风险的老年人。该试点计划由训练有素的志愿者组成，他们每周为他们的爱心来电者客户提供支持性电话以及社区资源。本研究的目的是通过生产性老龄化的视角，定性地探索“关怀来电者计划”中高级同伴志愿者的经历。我们完成了对 18 名 Caring Callers 志愿者的半结构化访谈。我们使用了快速和严格的定性日期分析 (RADaR)，它产生了四个主题：(1) 互惠；(2) 有目的地使用时间；(3) 学习新技能；(4) 获得视角。