During June 2021, Amigos de los Mayores and Atresmedia Volunteers have begun to collaborate in this program of accompaniment to the elderly through reading of which three different social entities are already part, has 35 volunteers and accompanies a total of 76 older people. The participants
In this first call with Amigos de los Mayores (which will be extended after the summer), two groups have been formed and they have begun to read La sombra del viento, by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, the book chosen for the activity. The story of the novel takes place in Barcelona during the 1940s, a time that the participants of Amigos de los Mayores remember well. In this way, the volunteers from Atresmedia and Amigos de los Mayores work together with the aim of accompanying this group, which has witnessed a very hard year due to the isolation caused by sanitary restrictions. This activity, focused on reading, also allows the elderly to be the protagonists of their stories and generates a conversation around their opinions, experiences and interests.
«When I considered participe in this volunteering activity, I never thought that from the first moment I was going to be so excited» says Rafaela, one of the Atresmedia volunteers. «Apart from socializing, reading is one of my hobbies to which I spend a good part of my time. Meeting Mayte, Nuria and Paco has given me, already in the first meeting, more satisfaction than I had imagined. Their life experiences, their desire to dedicating time to living other lives through literature, already make me realize that my personal enrichment and my fascination have only just begun».
Testimonies show us that the volunteer experience is being very enriching, both for older people and for volunteers. Helena, another of the Atresmedia volunteers, explains that she has come across «a reading triangle connected by WhatsApp», since the participants of her group live in Barcelona and Zaragoza, and she lives in Madrid. «In the first meeting it was already decided that if we get to know each other in person it would have to be in Zaragoza. Thanks to the Book Club with Amigos de los Mayores I met Carme and Conchita. They are older, but they still live at their homes. Alone, even if they have a big family. They have the privilege of time and they have decided to share it. We have set homework for the next meeting and I don't know why I think they are going to do better than me».
Albert Quiles, director of Amigos de los Mayores, shared these words with Atresmedia: «For many people, the arrival of summer is the time of vacations, to break with the daily monotony, to rest and to travel. But there are other ways to do it, even without leaving home. This is the case of reading, a door to imagination, culture and socialization. From Amigos de los Mayores Foundation we appreciate our incorporation to the Atresmedia Book Clubs. In this first round, older people from Barcelona and Zaragoza will enjoy not only the pleasure of reading, but also the conversation and friendship generated around the club sessions.
In this way, Amigos de los Mayores collaborates with Atresmedia Volunteers in this project, supported by Grupo Planeta and framed in Crea Cultura, the Group's Corporate Responsibility movement aimed at defending and valuing creation and intellectual property and promoting culture and its authors.
Amigos de los Mayores’ main mission is to fight against loneliness and social isolation suffered by older people through the emotional accompaniment of volunteers and raising awareness of society, with the development of social projects and campaigns. This project, in collaboration with Atresmedia, allows them to continue working on this cause, which undoubtedly brings joy to both older people and volunteers.
