FAITH IN ACTION PROVIDENCE COMMUNITY CAREGIVERS
HOLDS VOLUNTEER CAREGIVERS TRAINING

Margaret lives in her own place with her own stuff. Tracie helps to make it possible.

“Margaret is 85 and sharp as a tack, but her health makes it tough to get around. Tracie wants to help out in her community, but she has a busy job. Faith in Action brought them together. It’s people of different faiths who volunteer to shop, cook, drive, or just check in on some of the millions of Americans with long-term health needs. If you’re like me and have wondered how you can make a difference, volunteer with Faith in Action. A neighbor’s independence depends on you and me.”

– Della Reese, Entertainment Legend. Faith in Action Believer.

Faith in Action/Providence Community Caregivers is recruiting volunteers to work with care recipients and their families. A special training event will be held Tuesday, March 20, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital's Education Center. A light supper will be served. Volunteers are welcomed from churches, synagogues, mosques, and other communities of faith as well as the community at large.

Faith in Action volunteers help those in need with simple things, such as picking up groceries or providing a ride to the doctor. With this assistance, members of the community who have a long-term illness or disability can maintain their independence for as long as possible. "Helping a neighbor maintain his or her independence is an extremely rewarding experience, and we're excited to offer area residents the opportunity to experience the joy of volunteering through Faith in Action," said Jill Dant, Coordinator of Faith in Action Providence Community Caregivers.

The local Faith in Action program, which serves both Hood River and Klickitat counties, has trained 60 volunteer caregivers and looks forward to training at least another 10 people at this event. "Many people have elderly parents or grandparents who live quite a distance from them and need this type of assistance," said Dant, "and this is a great way to do something in honor of those people." The local Faith in Action program is currently serving 19 care receivers and has received many more requests for both long and short-term services.

For people interested in becoming a Faith in Action volunteer, but who can't make the March 20th training, additional trainings are scheduled for April 24th and May 20th. To sign up for any of the three training events, or for more information, contact Providence Community Caregivers Coordinator, Jill Dant at 541-387-6404.

Volunteer Caregiver Training Event
Tuesday, Mar. 20th, 2007
5:00pm-8:00pm
Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital Education Center
(A light dinner will be provided.)
Call Jill Dant at 541-387-6404 to register

Faith in Action is a national interfaith volunteer caregiving initiative supported by a grant from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with direction and technical assistance provided by Wake Forest University School of Medicine. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, based in Princeton, N.J., is the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to health and health care. It concentrates its grantmaking in four goal areas: to assure that all Americans have access to quality health care at reasonable cost; to improve the quality of care and support for people with chronic health conditions; to promote healthy communities and lifestyles; and to reduce the personal, social and economic harm caused by substance abuse - tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs.