Five Years of Friendship — and a Beautiful Quilt
How one Friendly Visitor match in Northern Virginia shows the power of connection
Dorothy recently celebrated her 101st birthday. For the last five of those years, she and Wanda have been celebrating something else, too: a friendship that started with a weekly visit and a shared love of quilting.
Wanda and Dorthoy have one of the longest-running Friendly Visitor matches at the Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia and are one of the best examples we have of why the friendly visitor program is so special.
Quilting gave Dorothy and Wanda their first common ground, and it gave them a project. Quilting is the kind of patient hobby that takes hours of handiwork, and Dorothy and Wanda did it side by side, planning, choosing fabric, and talking while their hands stayed busy. After countless visits and hours of careful work, the pair recently completed a queen-sized quilt together.
Meet Dorothy: 101 years young
Dorothy grew up in Iowa and came to Northern Virginia to work in accounting for the federal government, which she did for nearly 40 years.
Dorothy has always been an active member of her community. She spent years as an usher at both Wolf Trap and George Mason University’s Center for the Arts, which let her indulge a lifelong love of live performance while meeting new people and giving back to her community.
Meet Wanda: a teacher who never stopped giving
Wanda is originally from Panama City, Florida and one of four sisters who all became teachers.
Wanda has spent her life helping others, in the classroom and in the community. She taught high school math in Fairfax County Public Schools for 30 years, then spent another 16 years as a substitute teacher. She has volunteered with SCNOVA for a decade.
When the chance came to visit regularly with Dorothy, Wanda took it, in no small part because of the quilting connection. Her own mother was a quilter. Now she is one, too.
Why connection matters for older adults
Loneliness isn’t a small thing. The CDC reports that 1 in 3 adults say they have felt lonely in the past 12 months, and older adults who live alone, manage chronic illness, or no longer drive are especially vulnerable to the effects of social isolation.
Those effects are measurable. Prolonged isolation is associated with higher risks to physical and mental health, and it can quietly shrink a person’s world — fewer calls, fewer outings, fewer reasons to get dressed and look forward to a Tuesday.
A weekly visit can be the best medicine. In 2025 alone, Shepherd’s Center volunteers made more than 500 connections through our Friendly Visitor and Friendly Caller programs, in person and by phone.
There’s often a misconception when people consider volunteering that it’s only about giving. Shepherd’s Center volunteers consistently share that they receive just as much from the experience themselves. The hour on the calendar becomes something everyone looks forward to each week.
What the Friendly Visitor program actually looks like
The Friendly Visitor program pairs a volunteer with an older adult for regular, in-person visits. There’s no script and no checklist. A visit might look like:
- Working on a shared hobby — quilting, knitting, puzzles, gardening
- Looking through photo albums and hearing the stories behind them
- Sitting down for coffee and conversation
- Playing cards or a favorite game
- Simply keeping company for an hour
Matches are made thoughtfully, based on shared interests, personality, and location. Some friendships, like Dorothy and Wanda’s, last much longer than the weekly visit.
SCNOVA also offers a Friendly Caller program for participants who prefer a regular phone call, and Handy Helpers for small home repairs, yard clean-up, and technology assistance.
Become a Friendly Visitor
If you have an hour a week and a willingness to show up and be good company, you already have what this takes.
Get Started by learning more about the Friendly Caller Program or Friendly Visitor Program. If you are ready to sign up, please complete a Volunteer Application. You can also call us at (703) 281-0538.
Who we serve
The Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia is a volunteer-based, non-denominational nonprofit serving older adults in Vienna, Oakton, Dunn Loring, Reston, Herndon, Great Falls, and parts of Fairfax. Our programs are free, and no referral or income qualification is required. If you or someone you love could use a regular visit, a phone call, or a ride to an appointment, reach out. That’s what we’re here for.