Overview
Faith in Action is an interfaith volunteer caregiving initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Local Faith in Action programs bring together volunteers from many faith to work together to care for their neighbors who have long-term health needs.
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:
- picking up a few groceries or running errands
- providing a ride to the doctor
- friendly visiting (talking and listening)
- reading or helping to pay bills.
With this volunteer assistance, members of the community who have long-term health needs can maintain their independence for as long as possible. Although, each Faith in Action program is unique in the services provided and care receives being served, there are five basic characteristics (Program Model) all programs have in common.
Starting in 1984 with the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers Program and continuing in 1993 with the introduction of Faith in Action, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has supported faith-based community efforts to help meet this challenge with 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 condition.
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. View the executive summary. View the full report.
These efforts have helped to create hundreds of interfaith volunteer caregiving programs across the country. Search by state or zip code to find a program in your area. The national program office offers Faith in Action programs support and advice on developing successful, sustainable caregiving programs that can serve their communities for many years to come.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
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.
