So how are people expected to manage? They may find themselves home alone with little contact from family or friends. Their adult children may live hundreds of miles away or may be unable to visit due to a nine-to-five job. Perhaps a person’s spouse has a physical impairment, or an individual is caring for a disabled adult who can’t be left alone. Remaining independent is important to all of us, but it’s the little things that can make it difficult.

Hailey, who recently celebrated her 95th birthday, looks forward to visits from Williamsburg Faith in Action volunteers.

A local organization is working hard to fill these needs by providing a broad range of “little” services to the growing population in our area. The Williamsburg-area Faith In Action (FIA), an affiliate of a national movement, was established here in 2002 and now serves approximately 350 people in the areas of Williamsburg, James City County and Upper York County. About 60 of those are considered “repeat care receivers,” some of whom require multiple services. Others may call with a one-time request, or only call sporadically.

Volunteers fulfill requests for non-medical needs such as transportation, friendly visits for companionship, respite for caregivers, light housework and yard work, minor home repairs, shopping and other errands. The help provided to each care receiver is tailored to that person’s needs and requests. These services are free of charge and have no eligibility requirements. The primary mission is to enable people to live as independently as possible, for as long as possible. Transportation is the most requested service, followed by visitation and respite for caregivers. FIA staff members can make referrals to other local agencies if a care receiver needs additional services.

On a recent Saturday morning I accompanied volunteer Bea Holm to visit her care receiver and friend, 95-year-old Jerlean Hailey. Hailey, who was raised in Toano, left for New Jersey in the 1930s, where she spent most of her adult life. Four years ago she retuned to a greatly changed Williamsburg and now lives in an apartment complex. Hailey, a lively woman with a good sense of humor and an excellent memory of Williamsburg’s past, admits to having slowed down in recent years; but she stays busy visiting with relatives, crocheting colorful blankets and toys, and working jigsaw puzzles.

Holm (right) admires a crocheted blanket Hailey (left) recently made.

And though Holm is more likely to chat with Hailey or help her with a puzzle than she is to perform any physical household chores, the social interaction is rewarding for both women. Because Hailey’s ability to leave her home has decreased, she looks forward to her regular Saturday visits from Holm.

Emphasizing the enjoyment Holm finds in her volunteer work, she comments, “I get more out of these visits than she does!” On this particular visit, Hailey provided Holm with several blankets she had made so they can be given to others who might need them.

More than 200 volunteers, each of whom is screened and trained, currently serve the Williamsburg branch of Faith in Action. They are assigned tasks according to their preference and to their ability to provide a particular service. Some volunteers make “reassurance calls” to people who are unable to or choose not to leave their homes. Other volunteers use their own vehicles to transport care receivers to medical appointments, hair salons, grocery stores or other local destinations. On one occasion, an FIA volunteer realized that a care receiver had lost a relative and she offered to drive the woman to the out-of-town funeral and back.

FIA Executive Director Anne Johansen raves about the numerous FIA volunteers and the variety of tasks they perform for the many Williamsburg residents in need of extra help. She stresses the importance of the “one-on-one relationships” between the volunteers and their care receivers, thus allowing a higher comfort level for the participants.

Johansen, along with Program Coordinator Rita Smith and part-time employee Jeane Gillespie, make up the core staff. Smith, who entered the program first as a volunteer, says she and Gillespie match each volunteer with a care receiver as they receive requests. Local FIA funding comes primarily from the United Way, James City County Social Services, the Williamsburg Community Health Foundation, a network of faith groups and churches, and private donations.

FIA coordinators Rita Smith (front), Anne Johansen (l) and Jeane Gillespie (r).

Some, but not all, of the volunteers are affiliated with area faith groups or congregations. FIA partners with many local agencies in an effort to provide the best possible range of services to its care recipients. Both the Williamsburg and James City County departments of social services make referrals to FIA on behalf of many of their elderly or disabled customers. The Peninsula Agency on Aging works closely with FIA, as does the Historic Triangle Senior Center. Williamsburg’s Faith in Action program often fills any gaps in services while working closely with other organizations to avoid duplication of services.

Dr. James Barton, a local physician and FIA board chairman, believes FIA is helping not only his patients but also many other people in the community. Barton notes that the fast-growing population of older residents in this area, many of whom have moved here without family members or other support systems, has increased the need for more services like the FIA provides. Thus, the need for more volunteers is crucial. Barton says, “It’s a great way to change lives—both yours and your neighbors.”

To learn about volunteer opportunities, to request services from the organization, to offer financial support, or for more information about Faith in Action, call 258-5890.