Due to the coronavirus pandemic forcing many seniors to stay home, the organization has switched to a virtual support model, which includes assisting seniors with online grocery orders, setting up prescription deliveries and even just calling their more than 900 clients to check in on their mental well-being, according to an April 30 news release.
The senior population has been particularly singled out during the pandemic as they are considered high-risk for the disease.
“It’s been a transition for us, but we have been very pleased with the response so far,” said Vickie Orcutt, executive director of Faith in Action. “We have had so many clients tell us they are so grateful we are still here and that the phone calls mean the world to them.”
Faith in Action provides about 1,000 rides per month to grocery stores, shopping trips, doctor visits and other needed errands, the release said. They also maintain a medical supply closet for seniors in need of things like wheelchairs, walkers and other necessities during recovery.
These days, services provided are limited to phone calls and limited individual rides for medical necessities only, the release said.
Faith in Action recently rolled out a Buddy Program, which will pair volunteers with seniors to provide twice weekly phone calls to visit and assess any needs, it said.
The organization’s single fundraiser for the year, a concert that was to take place April 30, has been postponed indefinitely. However the organization is making contingency plans on how it will fundraise in the future. For now, they are planning on participating in the upcoming national Giving Tuesday Now online fundraising program set for May 5, the release said.
“We are taking it one day at a time,” Orcutt said. “Our main goal is to be here for seniors at this critical time and hopefully beyond.”
