Rainbow Phone
The Rainbow Phone is a volunteer telefriend service by and for LGBTQIA+ people and people living with HIV.
The goal of the service is to counteract isolation and loneliness through positive social contact. We do this by matching volunteer telefriends with people who want someone to talk to.
A phone call usually lasts for about 20 minutes, once a week. It is up to the two of you to decide what you want to talk about.
The Rainbow Phone is available nationwide.
A telefriend is a volunteer who wishes to share their time with someone who needs it. Telefriends do not need to be health care workers or therapists, but people who wish to offer up their time. Our volunteers have a desire to take care of each other and our community, get to know new people, and share their time with someone who is also LGBTQIA+ or living with HIV. All telefriends go through a mandatory training course and sign confidentiality statements.
A telefriend host is an LGBTQIA+ person or person living with HIV who wants a telefriend. There are many reasons we might want a telefriend; because we don’t have anyone we can be open about who we are with, because we feel lonely at times, because we want to get to know other people like ourselves, and so on. There are as many reasons to want a telefriend as there are telefriend hosts, so if you want a telefriend then this service is for you!
How to get a telefriend?
After you have registered your interest in getting a telefriend through the registration form or gotten in touch with us, a coordinator will contact you. Then we will go through what the service entails, as well as guidelines and rules for the telefriend service. You will also sign a confidentiality statement.
After this the coordinator will match you with a telefriend we think is suitable. We do our best to make sure the matches are good for both parties. If you approve of the match we will then move forward and set up your first phone call.
Become a volunteer!
After you have signed up as a volunteer through the registration form or gotten in touch with us, a coordinator will contact you with more information and when the next training course will be.
The training course is mandatory and must be completed to become a telefriend. You will also sign a confidentiality statement.
After this the coordinator will match you with a telefriend host they think is suitable. We do our best to make sure the matches are good for both parties. If you approve of the match we then move forward and set up your first phone call. You will get a designated contact person and receive regular follow-ups throughout the process.