Our Story
Our Foundation
Faith in Action is a network of interfaith, volunteer caregiving service providers with hundreds of locations throughout the United States. It was initiated by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a national charity dedicated to improving the health and health care of Americans, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey. The purpose was to provide start-up monies to create community volunteer programs across the country to serve people who are isolated or home bound due to long-term health conditions as the result of old age and/or disability. The initial grants were made in 1984. Over the course of twenty years, more than 1,500 local programs were funded and many continue to serve people with long-term health conditions.
Our Beginning
Faith in Action developed out of the concern from Monroe County residents over the needs of too many people, especially elderly and ill persons, falling between the cracks of various traditional service organizations. This group organized to develop a response and requested start up funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. On November 15, 1996 CARE with Interfaith Volunteers was born. In December 2002 the agency name was changed to Faith In Action Volunteers of Monroe County Inc and is affiliated with the state and national Faith In Action organization.
Our Present and Future
Since 1997, our volunteers have given over 50'000 hours and driven over 100'000 miles. These miles and hours have allowed the elderly and disabled in Monroe County to remain in their homes. We have done so much, yet there is still so much to do. An increase in the aging population has created an increase the services we provide. Now, more than ever, we need ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Extraordinary things like taking someone to a doctor appointment, doing light tasks around the house, delivering groceries, or calling them to say hello and asking about their day. There is no act of volunteering too big or too small. Volunteering is what you make it.