Support someone through consistent connection and shared experiences.
Compeer has trained over 8,500 people in WNY in Mental Health First Aid since 2014. Equip your organization with skills to support mental wellbeing.
Your gift helps create friendships that reduce isolation in our community.
The Compeer volunteer can be life-changing. We match volunteers with clients of all ages and backgrounds.
Compeer has trained over 5,000 people in WNY in Mental Health First Aid since 2014.
Your contribution allows Compeer to match more clients and provide needed training for our community.
We believe that the healing power of friendship – of just one caring friend – is life changing for an individual striving for mental wellness. With your help, Compeer provides good mental health through meaningful relationships.
A walk in the park. Playing a video game. Just checking in to say hello. When you volunteer with Compeer, you can be doing any number of things on a given encounter with your Compeer friend. You do what comes most natural for you. The most important quality of a Compeer volunteer? Being a friend. If you believe that you can be a friend to someone, then you have what it takes to be a volunteer. And we would love to have you join today.
Headquartered in Buffalo, Compeer was founded in 1973 in Rochester, N.Y., with just 12 volunteers at its start-up. Today, on average, 4,000 volunteers in Compeer locations around the world serve people with mental illness or emotional challenges.
The National Institute of Mental Health chose Compeer as a model program in 1982 and funded the development of similar programs throughout the nation. Today, Compeer is a model mental health organization with 40 locations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
We all need connection to feel supported, seen, and not alone. Yet for many people, that sense of belonging is out of reach. Social isolation is a significant and growing public health risk, especially for people living with a mental health condition. In fact, 1 in 4 people in the United States experiences a mental health condition in any given year, and too often, those people face increased loneliness and isolation. Compeer works to reduce these risks by building meaningful connections for people navigating mental health challenges. This takes many forms, from one-to-one friendships and group social activities to school-based mentoring and peer support. Strong communities are built on connection, and everyone deserves consistent, meaningful support.
of Americans will experience a diagnosable mental health condition in their lifetime, with half beginning by the age of 14. 1
is the increased risk of death due to loneliness 2
in the United States lack adequate social and emotional support. 3
Sources:
1 Mental Health America
2 National Institute of Health
2 US Surgeon General
Compeer is an ally with the BIPOC community. While we know we are not experts, we are learning. We ask that you join us as we do our part to dismantle racism and the systems that support it.
