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WHEREAS, the Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers of Southwestern Pennsylvania is a Community Partnerships program of Family Services of Western Pennsylvania, an independent non-profit organization with a mission is to maximize the independence and overcome the isolation of the frail elderly in Allegheny County . IVC engages hundreds of compassionate volunteers to help more than 1,000 older adults each year live safely and independently ; and,
WHEREAS, Interfaith Volunteers Caregivers is a Faith in Action program, established by the Jewish Healthcare Foundation in 1993 after identifying a large number of older adults living in isolation in their own homes or apartments, and trains, mobilizes and supports a network of 40+ diverse religious congregations and dozens of community based volunteers to assist the vulnerable and frail elderly in their neighborhoods with many tasks of daily living, enabling them to remain independent in their own homes for as long as possible ; and,
WHEREAS, Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers matches volunteers with vulnerable seniors for transportation assistance, escorts to medical appointments, grocery shopping, errands, friendly visiting, telephone reassurance, bill paying and snow shoveling through their Faith in Action Caregiving Program. They offer At-Home Therapy for seniors and family caregivers struggling with depression, anxiety or grief. Their program, Safety for Seniors home safety initiative, trains volunteers to conduct residential safety assessments, mitigate fire and fall hazards and make referrals for safety modifications.
WHEREAS, all Allegheny County residents aged 60 or older may be eligible for free volunteer services from IVC, or its sister Faith in Action programs, without regard to income, race, religion or religious affiliation with no proselytizing .
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers for its remarkable work on behalf of seniors in these hard economic times and congratulates them for a sustainable and reliable scope of service for senior citizens in Allegheny County; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby declare March 29, 2011, to be "INTERFAITH VOLUNTEER CAREGIVERS DAY" in the City of Pittsburgh.