$20,000 Grant Will Help Nonprofit Interfaith Caregivers Reach New Volunteers and Homebound Seniors

Feb. 2, 2013 - PRLog -- Mercer County’s homebound senior citizens and people with disabilities will benefit from a $20,000 grant that the Office of Faith Based Initiatives (OFBI), a Division of Programs in the Department of State, has awarded nonprofit Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County (ICGMC). The volunteer-based organization will utilize the funding to provide case management services and further diversify its “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” volunteer and care receiver base. Free services ICGMC provides include transportation to doctors’ offices, shopping, friendly visiting, light housekeeping and maintenance, telephone reassurance and occasional meal preparation -- enabling elderly and disabled care receivers to avoid institutionalization and remain in their homes independently, safely and with dignity.  

“Interfaith Caregivers’ more than 250 volunteers come from 25 interdenominational congregations, but we realize they are predominantly Catholic/Christian and older,” explains Acting Executive Director Jane Latini. “To enhance the scope of our services and reach more people in need, we need to further expand into Mercer County’s other religious communities, and engage volunteers from Collegiate campus ministries. This generous grant from OFBI will help support a part-time case manager to assist with these efforts.”

Also assisting will be project collaborators United Mercer Interfaith Organization (UMIO), Adath Israel Congregation, and Rider University Campus Ministries, Office of Service Learning and Office of Multicultural Affairs. “These three partners will be at the forefront in helping us identify and reach underserved communities and recruit new volunteers,” states Latini. “We are excited to work with them and very appreciative of this OFBI support!”

In 2012 alone, ICGMC served more than 300 homebound individuals throughout Mercer County and added 117 new volunteers. Close to 250 total volunteers from more than two dozen interdenominational congregations provided 11,812  hours of free caregiving services – an 8 percent increase over the prior year. ICGMC is preparing itself to meet predictions that the number of older people (aged 65+) in 2030 is expected to be twice as large as it was in 2000 -- growing from 35 million to 72 million and representing nearly 20 percent of the total US population. Census data from 2010 showed 22 percent of Mercer County’s 131,500 households already included someone 65 years or older, with 10.1 percent (more than 13,000) aged 65+ and living alone.

To request services, volunteer and/or donate to Interfaith Caregivers of Greater Mercer County, visit www.icgmc.org and/or call 609-393-9922.