Interfaith Caregivers of Polk County coordinates volunteers to provide rides, visits, chores and other services to seniors and adults with disabilities or chronic illnesses. We have many stories to tell of people that need your help to stay independent and living at home. These are feisty seniors and disabled adults who want to “age in place”. With a little help from you:

• A man gets rides to and from dialysis three days a week; a distance of 48 miles!
• Volunteers rake a yard full of leaves for a man who'll soon celebrate his 100th birthday.
• A woman enjoys weekly visits with her husband at the local nursing home.
• Nine seniors get monthly food boxes delivered to them by a volunteer who drives a 45 mile route.

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We coordinate services at no charge to our clients. There are no income requirements to receive our services. Our volunteers donate their time and miles.

But there are costs to provide this community outreach program like part-time staff, phone service, insurance, and rent, volunteer background checks and orientation, postage, supplies, and other expenses.

In 2012 our volunteers, friends, clients and their families are generous supporters of our efforts (55% of our funding). We receive donations from churches, service groups, businesses and fundraisers (14%). United Way and local and regional foundations also support our work to help our neighbors (30%). In 2012 donations totaled $146,263.

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Generous donations allow us to recruit more volunteers to assist more clients:

• We arrange rides for three ladies to do their grocery shopping every Thursday.
• An Osceola woman gets rides three days a week for dialysis in St. Croix Falls.
• A man newly diagnosed with cancer gets daily rides to radiation treatments.
• We arrange rides for a 35 year old vision-impaired man to grocery shop.
• A young man with developmental disabilities has a volunteer call or visit every week.
• We shop and do errands for a woman with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair.

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According to AARP, "Eighty percent of seniors say they want to stay in their own homes as they grow older."

Think of a frail, elderly person you know or someone with a chronic illness. Maybe it is someone like your mother, your grandpa, or your disabled neighbor. They are comfortable in their own home or apartment. They wish to remain independent and involved their community. Interfaith Caregivers helps them do that!

In 2012 Interfaith Caregivers assisted 492 clients! Our volunteers drove 70,896 miles and donated 7,709 hours to help their neighbors with rides, visits, chores and other services at no charge.

Yet the most important things are building a relationship… sharing time and stories… smiles and hugs…knowing that someone else cares. Interfaith volunteers and clients often develop friendships which last years.

We are the local contact for family members that live and work far away. Sometimes we are someone’s only "family".

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In 2012, our 170 volunteers drove:

• 6,818 miles to get people to their cancer treatments, often to Wyoming or Maplewood, MN or to the recently opened cancer center in New Richmond.
• 4,338 miles to take clients to dialysis
• A total of 16,072 miles for rides to get clients to other needed medical services.
• Plus, they drove a total of 30,806 miles to give clients the other local rides our clients need

Join us in giving the gift of independence to neighbors in need.

To learn more; www.interfaithpolk.org