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Interfaith
volunteer program benefits elderly, caregivers
By
Janet Kornblum, USA Today When Lee Wyrick's wife died four years ago, he didn't want to live anymore. ''I prayed every night that God would take me away,'' says Wyrick, 88, of Sewickley, Pa., near Pittsburgh. Pat King, 64, also of Sewickley, understood his kind of loneliness. She had lost her husband in January. In August, King and Wyrick were matched by Faith in Action, an interfaith program that aims to connect volunteers with older and disabled people who need help. King takes Wyrick out to eat once a week and includes him in her family's holiday celebrations. ''Pat has made a very big difference in my life,'' Wyrick says. ''I always tell everybody God brought Pat into my life.'' King, who works full time as an office coordinator, says the program ''is helping me, too. I have somebody to look after and care about.'' Faith in Action, which administers 1,000 community programs across the country, is running a public service campaign to encourage more people to visit with seniors and disabled people -- especially during the holidays, which can be lonely for them, says Burton Reifler, director of Faith in Action. Experts say millions of older Americans need extra help at home. There are about 35 million people 65 and older in the USA, according to the 2000 Census. Of those, nearly half (14.7 million) live alone, and 1.6 million live in institutional housing. Even short visits can be a great gift, says Bonnie Lawrence of the Family Caregiver Alliance, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco. ''It is a lovely gift for the person at home -- but it's also a lovely gift for their caregivers and gives them a little respite.'' Faith in Action is only one program that matches seniors and disabled people and volunteers. Many local charitable programs and area agencies on aging also run volunteer programs. Faith in Action can be reached toll-free 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday at 877-324-8411 or through its Web site, faithinaction.org. The Eldercare Locator service, run by the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging, also can refer people to local programs. The toll-free line is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET Monday through Friday at 800-677-1116. Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
