Real conversations. Real connections. Real friendships.
A weekly phone call from the same friendly voice, for the people you love most — at any age. We match them with a caller who shares their interests, ring at a time that suits, and email you a warm update after every call.
The very first call is always on us — no commitment, no pressure. Nationwide.
Prefer to chat it through first? Message us on Facebook
We don't just ring up and ask how someone is. We take the time to match your loved one with a caller who shares their personality and interests.
Kindness Calling is not a medical service. We're a companionship service, focused on genuine human connection. Our callers are warm, patient, and carefully matched — and they always keep the family in the loop.
Peace of mind, delivered to your inbox.
We're best known for connecting older New Zealanders with a caller they can count on — but a friendly weekly voice can matter at any stage of life. Calls can be arranged by a family member, or by you, for you.
The heart of what we do — a warm, familiar voice every week, and peace of mind for the family.
When the house goes quiet and the kids have moved out, it helps to have someone to talk to who genuinely wants to hear about your week.
Recovery can be long and very quiet. A regular call gives the week a shape and something to look forward to while you're getting back on your feet.
Moved here without your usual support network? A regular friendly call can make a new country feel a little more like home.
Grief, divorce, retirement, an empty house — big changes can leave a real gap. We're here for the in-between moments too.
Living further from town shouldn't mean living further from connection. We reach anywhere in Aotearoa with a phone line.
Sources: Holt-Lunstad et al. (2010), popularised by the US Surgeon General's 2023 advisory on social connection; Valtorta et al., Heart (2016); US National Institute on Aging. Kindness Calling is a companionship service, not a medical or health treatment.
Mum of three · Ōpōtiki, Bay of Plenty
I am a 52 year old mum of three, and when my kids left home I found myself thinking a lot about loneliness — how quietly and quickly it can take hold, and how little we talk about it.
My daughter is a nurse, and she has worked in rest homes, hospitals, and aged care facilities. She has told me so many stories of people going through some of the hardest moments of their lives completely alone.
I started Kindness Calling because I believe loneliness does not have to be one of those things we just accept as part of getting older. It shouldn't be. Getting older is hard enough — watching the world change around you, losing people you love. You deserve a friendly voice that shows up for you, remembers your stories, and genuinely looks forward to your call.
And the beauty of Kindness Calling is that it goes wherever your loved one goes. Whether they are at home, visiting family, or even in hospital for a spell — if they have a phone nearby, we will find a way to reach them. Because connection should not stop just because life gets complicated.
"Everyone deserves to feel wanted, loved, and cared for. That is what Kindness Calling is all about."— Kelly
Four simple steps to a brighter week for your loved one — and peace of mind for you.
Fill out a short form about their personality, interests, and what they enjoy talking about.
You'll receive a profile and photo of their matched caller — like a friendly letter in the post.
Calls are scheduled weekly and always with the same caller, building a genuine friendship over time.
After every call, we send you a short email so you know how your loved one is doing.
If your loved one's regular caller is ever unavailable, we'll arrange a carefully matched replacement and notify the family — so there are never any surprises.
We will always endeavour to match your loved one as closely as possible, and keep the same caller on the line week to week.
Carefully checked, warm, and matched with care. Here are a few of the friendly voices on our team.
Mum of three with a passion for gardening, upcycling, animals, and a good cuppa.
Retired teacher who loves rugby, history, fishing, and reading aloud.
Loves bowls, baking, and knitting, and dotes on her grandchildren.
We will always endeavour to match your loved one as closely as possible.
A recorded interview with Kelly, verified photo ID, and two references we actually ring. Nobody is matched with a family before all three are done.
What is shared on a call stays on the call. Every caller signs a written confidentiality agreement before their first match.
Every caller is taken through our written emergency protocol and conversation guide, so they know exactly what to do if something doesn't seem right.
Every match is built around what your loved one loves. Here are just some of the topics our callers chat about.
Our callers can read aloud from a favourite book, share a poem, or simply listen — whatever brings joy.
Every caller is trained with a clear protocol should an emergency arise during a call.
Because it's just a phone call, we reach your loved one anywhere — home, hospital, or on holiday.
This is the thing that makes Kindness Calling different, and it's the reason most families stay. You don't have to wonder how the call went, or wait until Sunday to ask.
Within a day of every call, the nominated family contact gets a short, warm email. Not a clinical report — just a few lines about what they talked about, how they sounded, and anything they mentioned that you might want to know.
If your caller ever notices something that doesn't seem right, you hear about it that same day.
Morning,
Lovely long chat with your mum this morning — she was in great spirits. She talked me through the whole rose bed and told me off for not pruning mine yet.
She mentioned the wind had knocked over one of her pots and she hadn't got to it, so that might be one for the weekend.
Same time next Thursday. Have a good week.
— Andrea, her caller
An illustration of the kind of update we send. Every one is written by hand after the call.
Six promises we make to every family, and keep.
Not a rotating roster. One caller, matched on personality and interests, who remembers last week's conversation.
Something to look forward to and plan around, rather than a call that might come at some point.
A warm email to the family after every single call, and the same day if anything seems off.
We can usually arrange a free first call within a week of your enquiry, anywhere in the country.
Interview, verified photo ID, two called references, a signed confidentiality agreement, and emergency protocol training.
The first call is free, and after that you can stop any month. No contract, no cancellation fee, no awkward phone call.
We're new, and we'd rather say so. Kindness Calling has just launched, so instead of borrowing someone else's words we'll simply show you ours — and let the free first call speak for itself. As real families come on board and give us permission, their words will go right here.
We think you should know about all your options. New Zealand has some genuinely lovely free volunteer phone friendship services, and if one of them is the right fit, we'd honestly rather you used it.
| Free volunteer services | Kindness Calling | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | From $99 a month |
| How soon it starts | Often a waiting list | Usually within a week |
| Same caller each time | Not guaranteed | Guaranteed, with cover arranged if they're away |
| A set day and time | Usually flexible | Scheduled, weekly |
| Matched on interests | Not typically | Yes — with a profile and photo before the first call |
| Who's eligible | Often 65 and over | Any age |
| Update to the family | No | A warm email after every call |
| Length of call | Varies | A full 30 minutes, one or two calls a week |
The free services we'd point you to first are Hato Hone St John's Caring Caller and Age Concern, who run a phone friendship service through many of their local branches. They do wonderful work with volunteers. If you're on a waiting list, or you'd like a scheduled time and the same person every week, that's where we come in.
No hidden costs. No lock-in contracts. Cancel anytime.
For less than a bouquet of flowers a week, your loved one gets a friend for life.
All prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST where it applies. Billed monthly by card, and you can cancel any month — just let us know before your next billing date. There's no joining fee and no cancellation fee.
Yes, and plenty of people do. Most of our enquiries come from families, but you are very welcome to arrange calls for yourself — just choose “For me” on the enquiry form and leave the loved one's details blank.
That's a fair question, and we'd rather answer it honestly. The free volunteer services are genuinely wonderful and we recommend them warmly — particularly Hato Hone St John's Caring Caller and the phone friendship services run by many Age Concern branches.
They do tend to have waiting lists, calls are usually flexible rather than scheduled, and there is often an age requirement. What you're paying us for is a guaranteed day and time, the same matched caller every week with cover arranged when they're away, no waiting list, any age, and an emailed update to the family after every call.
Every caller has a recorded interview with Kelly, provides verified photo identification, and gives two references that we actually ring. They then sign a written confidentiality agreement and are taken through our emergency protocol before they are matched with anybody.
We want to be straight with you about the words we use: we don't currently say “police vetted”, because in New Zealand the official Police vetting service is only available to approved organisations, and we're a new business working towards that. As soon as we're able to add it, we will — and we'll say so here.
No problem at all, and no obligation to continue. We can try a different caller, or you can simply decide it isn't the right fit. That's exactly why the first call is free.
Plans are $99, $149 or $189 a month in New Zealand dollars, and prices include GST where it applies. The first call is always free. There's no joining fee and no cancellation fee.
Plans are billed monthly to your card. Most families have their free first call, choose the plan that suits, and set payment up after that — but if you already know what you want, you can subscribe straight from the pricing section above.
Yes. There are no lock-in contracts. Let us know before your next billing date and the plan stops at the end of the current month, no questions asked.
We arrange a carefully matched replacement caller and let the family know straight away, so there are never any surprises.
Absolutely, and we hope they are. The nominated family contact gets a warm written update after every call, and is told straight away about any change to the calling schedule or anything the caller notices.
No. Kindness Calling is friendship and companionship — a proper conversation with someone who looks forward to it. We are not a medical, nursing, counselling or emergency service, and our callers don't give health advice. If something urgent comes up on a call, our protocol is to contact the family and, where needed, emergency services.
Fill in the form below and we'll be in touch within 24 hours to arrange your free first call. It takes about a minute, and there's nothing to pay.
Would you rather just chat it through? Message us on Facebook.
Click any heading to read it. Nothing here is a surprise.
Kindness Calling (“we”, “us”) is a New Zealand-based companionship phone-call service. This policy explains how we collect, use and protect personal information, in line with the Privacy Act 2020.
What we collect. When you enquire or sign up we collect the contact details you give us (name, email, phone), information about the person the calls are for (name, age, interests, personality) so we can match them well, and brief notes from calls that we turn into the family update.
How we use it. Only to run the service — matching callers, arranging the free first call, writing the family updates, and billing. We never sell your details, and we never share them with anyone for marketing.
Payments. Card payments are handled by Stripe. We never see or store your full card number.
Storage and security. Information is stored securely and is only seen by people directly involved in delivering your service.
Your rights. You can ask to see, correct or delete anything we hold about you or your loved one at any time. Email kindnesscallingyou@gmail.com and we will action it.
The service. Kindness Calling provides scheduled companionship phone or video calls between a matched caller and the person you nominate, plus a written update to the nominated family contact after each call. We are a companionship service — not a medical, nursing, counselling, crisis or emergency service.
Free first call. Your first call is free, with no obligation to continue. Paid plans are billed monthly in advance and can be cancelled at any time. There is no lock-in contract.
Caller changes. We always try to keep the same caller matched to the same person. If your regular caller becomes unavailable we arrange a suitable replacement and tell the family.
Emergencies. Our callers follow a written emergency protocol, but we cannot guarantee an immediate emergency response and we are not a monitoring service. In a genuine emergency, always call 111.
Cancellation. Email us any time to cancel. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period, and we don't charge a cancellation fee.
Prices. Prices are in New Zealand dollars and include GST where it applies. We will always tell you in advance if a price changes.
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