AVUS Connect® is United HomeCare®’s student-led Intergenerational Senior Assurance Program designed to address loneliness, social isolation and depression among older adults with volunteering.
As a community service project, AVUS Connect® was founded by Shawn Martinez, a student at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School (Class of 2023). AVUS Connect® has expanded to include other students from local high schools, under the umbrella of United HomeCare®’s Volunteer Department.
United HomeCare® is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization and licensed Agency dedicated serving the South Florida community since 1973 as a provider of comprehensive home care services for homebound older adults delivered in the comfort of their home.
United HomeCare® is proud to host Youth Volunteers for Intergenerational connectivity with older adults. We hope to bridge generations and foster relationships that will help to alleviate loneliness in older adults.
Call us at (305) 716-0710 to learn more about all of our volunteer opportunities.
History of AVUS Connect
AVUS Connect® is the brainchild of Belen Jesuit student Shawn Martinez (Class of 2023) inspired by a call to action to address isolation and depression among older adults. “Avus” means grandfather in Latin.
Student, Pomona College
On Christmas eve 2018, Shawn’s maternal grandmother passed away unexpectedly as the family prepared for the holiday festivities. Three months later, his paternal grandmother passed away leaving the family void of their matriarchs. Shawn states “grandmothers have the unique ability of bringing families together, as they are the main fabric that keeps families intact.” Shawn recalls how his grandfathers were negatively impacted by the absence of their lifelong partners. Their grieving process isolated them from friends and family, and caused them to suffer from depression. The problem became worse with the start of the pandemic and forced social isolation, which Shawn recognizes affected older adults and grandparents.
Watching both of his grandfathers slipping away in isolation and depression was the “call to action” that Shawn recognizes to be the bedrock of Jesuit education. “I started to contact my grandfathers by phone and had conversations with them, helping them embrace positive memories from their native Peru and Cuba. I then added the visual impact by communicating through my tablet and FaceTime and noted how upbeat they became when they had visual contact with me. I extended this with some of my grandfather’s lifelong friends and noted how “connecting” was the key to reduce isolation.” Shawn shared this idea with his parents and his high school counselor, Rafael Ledesma, who encouraged him to take this experience to the next level. This is how he came across the Volunteer Heroes of United HomeCare®, led by the team of Alina Palenzuela, Dolores Pollack and Blanca Ceballos.
Shawn highly appreciates the support he has received from the Belen Jesuit family; his counselor, Mr. Ledesma; and School Volunteer Coordinator, Teresita Gonzalez, but most importantly, taking the project from “concept” to reality was greatly achieved with the sponsorship and mentorship provided by the experts in elder care at United HomeCare® and the multi-disciplinary team of clinicians and home health aides that care for older adults.
A Message from AVUS Connect®’s Co-Founder
Lucas Bogardus
Student, Belen Jesuit Preparatory School
My name is Lucas Bogardus. I have been a volunteer in the AVUS Connect® program since February 2021. I am actually one of the Co-Founders of the program; I became part of the project after my good friend Shawn Martinez brought it up to me. I thought of it as a good opportunity to finish my service hours for school. As soon as I made my first call, I realized I had become part of something much bigger and more beneficial for the community than I thought.
AVUS Connect® was a huge eye opener to me about senior isolation and depression, seniors are forgotten members of our community. Just like anyone, they need someone to talk to, in order to not feel alone. They are truly human encyclopedias with numerous amounts of stories and lessons. I never would have thought I was going to learn so many new things from simply making a call. AVUS Connect® is just as beneficial to the seniors as it is to the callers, and I truly recommend volunteering.