4 Metro East, December 4, Interfaith Housing Inc. gets help from VISTA By Donna Kirker Morgan teer. For The Patriot-News On her wedding day, Eleanor promised for better or for worse. The better days seem fewer and farther between now. Her husband is slowly deteriorating from Parkinson's Disease.
Eleanor is a fictitious name for a real woman living a real-life battle. Just a few Saturdays ago, this Middletown woman took her husband back and forth to the hospital. Finally, he was considered ill enough to be admitted. That day, like many others, left Eleanor exhausted, in tears, and feeling desperate. Middletown Interfaith Housing Inc.
has been trying for years to set up a program to help care givers like Eleanor. It now has new hope for getting that program off the ground with the help of the 26-year-old federal program called VISTA Volunteers in Service to America. But to accomplish that goal, the program is looking for volunteers. Over the years VISTA, known as the domestic Peace Corps, has been quietly growing despite federal budget cutbacks. The Pennsylvania director of VISTA, Jorina Ahmed, would like to see some of that growth happen in central Pennsylvania.
Headed by ACTION, the agency that coordinates all federal volunteer programs, VISTA has. seen its force grow from 1,500 in the early 1980s to 3,300 volunteers today, according to ACTION public information officer Bill Barrett. One. of those volunteers is Marcia Graves, currently committed to one year of service through the help line CONTACT Harrisburg, working with its deaf services. "'We are very interested in central Pennsylvania's development," Ahmed said.
"It feels good to be needed whenever someone calls," Graves said. "It's fun to work for VISTA, especially the first part when you get trained." The only other area group using volunteers in this immediate region is the Lancaster-Lebanon Literacy Council. The goal of these volunteers is not so much to work directly with the needy but to establish new programs for a community, such as setting up food kitchens for the homeless, establishing drug education classes, improving literacy programs or establishing a battered woman program. When volunteers leave a community, they usually leave behind something tangible. For CONTACT Harrisburg, the volunteers set up the Capital Area Interpretive referral service.
This program is available to any group or person needing a signlanguage expert to' attend its meeting' or any, other I CONTACT' also -used the continually as an advo- "It feels good to be needed whenever someone calls. It's fun to work for VISTA, especially the first part when you get trained." Marcia Graves cate for the deaf. The Literacy Council used its volunteers to set up a computer system, revamping training manuals and establishing outreach and public relations programs. Interfaith just qualified to get three VISTA volunteers. It hopes to use them to set up a senior companion program.
The companion program would use seniors from the Middletown area to help other niors such as Eleanor. In her case, for example, they would visit the care giver on a regular basis and allow her to rest or get out of the home to shop. Interfaith member Edith Boos- er said the volunteers also would Council. be used to administer the pro- Henry said the volunteers are grams already established by In- a special breed simply because terfaith: a low -income housing they make a year's commitment unit, transportation services for for little money. the elderly and and adult day "It is not difficult to set care.
up," CONTACT HarrisAcceptance into the VISTA burg executive Gerald Goessel program takes a good bit of pa- said. the most difficult thing per work, Booser said, but she is to maintain active recruitencourages other non-profit ment." groups not to be intimidated by Even on a national level, Barthe red rett said, recruitment is the bigOther people who have gest problem. Just this year VISworked with VISTA agree. TA has increased its recruiting "I think the volunteers are efforts on college campuses. fabulous," said Jean Henry, direc- To convince students to join, tor of the VISTA Program of the Barrett points out the many beneLancaster -Lebanon Literacy fits to becoming a VISTA volun- Volunteers gain management skills and learn about networking with local governments and other organizations.
And "demonstrating a commitment to the service will certainly look good on one'sresume," Barrett said. To be a volunteer you must be 18 and commit to one year of service. The volunteer receives a subsistence allowance for food, housing and. incidentals. Medical coverage is provided and a $75 a month stipend is paid at the end of service.
Interfaith and CONTACT are looking for volunteers. to be trained in February. Interested readers should call 944-4513 to contact Interfaith and 652-4987 to reach CONTACT. Non-profit groups interested in finding out more about how to get volunteers call the Regional ACTION office at 215-597-3543. SAVE MOTION SECTIONAL 2921 Walnut St.
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