Your Neighbors Faith In Action Award

After several months of waiting and a thorough review of our program and operation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has chosen us to be a Faith In Action designated program. The Faith In Action initiative, begun more than 20 years ago, is designed to assist communities in developing grass-roots efforts exactly like the Your Neighbors program. The Faith In Action program is built on the notion that helping a neighbor is a foundation belief deeply rooted in each of the world's major faiths. The mission of the programs is to assist people to remain independent by helping them in their home setting.

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 faiths 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. 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 (Building Blocks) 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. These efforts have helped to create hundreds of interfaith volunteer caregiving programs across the country. 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.