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Depression and loneliness are biopsychosocial determinants of health, which contribute to functional decline and mortality among older adults living in residential care. Research in other settings indicates peer support may be effective at reducing depression and loneliness and enhancing social identity. Therefore, an innovative peer mentoring intervention was developed based on the social identity theory in which volunteers and residents (mentors) form a supportive team. Mentors meet weekly, receive education and then external volunteers pair up with resident volunteers to visit socially isolated residents (visitees). This pilot study was conducted to explore visitees’ experiences with the intervention and perceived outcomes. Data were collected for 74 visitees in 10 homes in Ontario, Canada. The effectiveness of the program was assessed over a 6-month period using qualitative interviews and quantitative outcome measures including standardized measures of depressive symptoms and loneliness. Attendance at other programs was also monitored. During their interviews visitees described strong emotional connections with their peers, which contributed to feelings of empowerment and an interest in becoming mentors themselves. Visitees reported reduced symptoms of depression (p = 0.02) and loneliness (p = 0.02), and a 60% increase in the number of other monthly programs attended was observed (p = ≤ 0.01). The findings of this pilot suggest that peer mentorship may be a promising means of reducing symptoms of depression and loneliness, which are extremely prevalent in these settings. These findings will inform revisions to the program that will be evaluated in future research examining the efficacy of this intervention.