Faith In Action
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Faith in Action | |
 |
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| Type | Volunteer Organization |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC |
| Industry | Community Volunteers |
| Website | www.faithinaction.org |
Faith in Action was founded in 1984 and is an inter faith volunteer caregiving initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Faith in Action programs consist of local community groups which unite volunteers from many different faiths to cooperatively work to provide care for their community neighbors who have long-term health needs. Many of these programs have volunteers who come from local AARP[1] programs.
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[edit] History
Founded in 1984 under the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers Program, Faith in Action was a continuation of this program and was officially referred to as such in 1993. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has been continually supporting faith-based community efforts to help meet the challenge faced by volunteer caregivers. The Faith in Action program was founded on the ideal of community volunteerism of neighbors helping neighbors. With more Americans living longer lives, many face the challenge of helping a family member, neighbor or friend who suffers from arthritis, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's, HIV/AIDS, or other long-term health conditions.
In 2003, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released a study commissioned to identify program characteristics associated with interfaith volunteer caregiving program survival. The study, conducted by Public/Private Ventures (P/PV), analyzed data collected from programs funded in Generation II (1993-1999) of Faith in Action.[2]
These efforts resulted in the creation of hundreds of interfaith volunteer caregiving programs across the country[3]. The national program office offers Faith in Action programs support and advice on developing successful and sustainable caregiving programs that serve communities on an ongoing basis.
[edit] Faith in Action and AARP
Faith in Action’s national partnership with AARP is a cooperative effort between these two organizations that provides community service opportunities for AARP members. Partnership activities focus on engaging AARP members as Faith in Action volunteers with selected community programs in order to reach out and help more people.
[edit] Faith in Action volunteer programs
Faith in Action volunteers come from churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship, as well as the community at large. Volunteers help those in need by providing non-medical assistance with tasks such as:
- Transportation
- Shopping
- Respite care
- Friendly visit
- Telephone reassurance
- Housekeeping
- Meal Preparation
- Household chores
- Personal care
[edit] References
- "What is the Faith in Action AARP Partnership?", Faith in Action. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
- Carla Herrera, Sarah Kathryn Pepper. "Faith in Action: Using Interfaith Coalitions to Support Voluntary Caregiving Efforts", Public/Private Ventures (P/PV). Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
- "Find Faith in Action Program", Faith in Action. Retrieved on 2007-01-12.
