Faith in Action is an interfaith care-giving initiative originally started nationally by the Robert Johnson Woods Foundation. It brings together volunteers from many faiths to provide non-medical assistance for neighbors who have long-term health needs. They run errands, provide rides, talk and listen, read or help pay bills, thus helping care recipients stay independent as long as possible.
The Foundation began supporting faith-based efforts to meet this challenge in 1983 with the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers Program. It introduced the Faith in Action name in 1993. From the beginning, it provided three-year start-up grants for programs throughout the United States and its territories. The Foundation concluded its sponsorship of the program in 2008, at which time there were more than 670 local active programs joined in the Faith in Action National Network. Local programs operate in 48 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. There are 33 in Illinois.
Southeast Lake County Faith in Action received its charter and a start-up grant in September, 2003. With offices in Highland Park, it is a joint activity of Congregation B’nai Torah, Zion Lutheran Church, Holy Cross Catholic Church and Christ United Methodist Church, several local social service agencies, government and community leaders. It serves care recipients in 11 suburbs in the southeast corner of Lake County (from Highland Park in the southeast to Libertyville in the northwest) and draws volunteers from its congregations and the community at large, and would be happy to have additional sponsoring congregations to support its efforts.
Volunteers go through a training class that provides them with information on topics that will enhance their ability to help the people they will be working with. This includes information on available community and medical services. Executive Director Audrey Gordon, a retired University of Illinois-Chicago professor, was a moving force in setting up the local program and teaches the volunteer classes. While still at the University, she was involved in planning and establishing hospice programs around the Chicago area.
The local movement to care for seniors at the congregational level began with B’nai Torah’s senior rabbi, Jonathan Magidovitch. He hired Dr. Gordon to start a senior services program and then discovered there was a seed grant to set up an interfaith program. Rabbi Magidovitch went to the Southeast Lake County Clergy Association with the idea and enlisted other congregations and their leaders to our coalition.
The initial board was recruited with the idea of involving senior service organizations in the communities we would be serving as well as government officials from these areas.
In 2006, SELCFIA obtained designation as a 501c3 charity, opening the way to new fund raising opportunities. The coalition congregations, all supporters of interfaith activities, have long histories of service to their congregations and the community at large.
Today, we are working together to add volunteers and funding, the keys to meeting an increasing number of requests for help.
