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. In the late 1990's a group of community leaders including clergy, medical professionals, and several working in social services identified a growing need for the elderly population residing in the Greater Latrobe area: many of our elderly residents were struggling to remain independent in their homes, but needed a variety of supportive services to succeed. Budget cuts in home health services, cultural changes, sending more children out of the area for jobs, and economic changes creating the "mega" grocery stores and closing the neighborhood markets, all contributed to the isolation and unmet needs of the growing elderly population. In the fall of 2000, the Greater Latrobe community leaders discovered the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's national model of Faith in Action programs. The model brings members of the faith community together with other organizations, agencies, businesses, and individuals to address the needs of a vulnerable population. In early 2001, the founding group organized a town meeting, inviting public and private industry leaders. They presented the problem and asked the "community" for support to start a new outreach program to focus on the growing needs of the elderly population. An impressive thirty congregations and organizations formed a Coalition to support the new initiative. Armed with this overwhelming support, the program was formed as part of the Greater Latrobe Ministerial Association and named the Latrobe Area Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers. A Board of Directors was formed, officers were elected, and bylaws were written and approved. With grant writing services from the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation, the group applied for a start up grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for its Faith in Action model. In the fall of 2001, the new program was awarded a $35,000 start up grant from the RWJ Foundation. . |
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• January 2002 a Program Director was hired; by April 2002 the first 25 volunteers were recruited, screened, and trained. • The first care recipients were served in May 2002. • February 2005 the program expanded services to the Ligonier area. • February 2005 the program launched a new team model initiative, recruiting teams of volunteers, including a team of over 20 transportation volunteers willing to take recipients to the doctor, hairdresser, and grocery store. Other teams included congregation teams; youth snow shoveling and yard work teams, facility teams visiting a local personal care home, and handyman teams. • May 2005, LAIVC became an agency with the United Way of Westmoreland County. • August 2005, the program officially changed its name from Latrobe to Laurel Area Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers to reflect the expanded area of coverage. Plans at that time included further expansion to the greater Derry area. • January 2006, the program had trained and registered over 400 program recipients, including over 200 volunteers and 200 recipients. • In 2006, the program experienced 150% increase in program participation and logged total hours for the first five years of over 15,000 volunteer hours. • January 2007, the program became an independent, stand alone non-profit corporation. • January 2008, the program serves over 240 recipients with over 200 trained volunteers! • January 2009, the program serves 297 with over 200 volunteers and plans moves to Derry in late 2009. • October 2009, the program expanded services to the Derry and New Derry area. • January 2010, the program serves 308 care recipients in 2009 with over 250 volunteers (adults and youth). • October 2010, program receives its PA Council on Aging (PCOA) award for excellence. • January 2012, the program serves 355 care recipients with 182 adult and 250+ youth volunteers. • January 2013, the program serves 400 care recipients with 300+ volunteers. • September 2013, the program launches its New Technology in Action service. • January 2014, the program serves 427 care recipients with 190 adult and 250+ youth volunteers. • January 2014, the program starts the Memory Book Pilot Program with the Saint Vincent College students. |
