Friends in Action Receives National Award!
Friends in Action was recently selected as one of five recipients of a prestigious national award from the MetLife Foundation and National Alliance for Caregiving: the Innovations in Caregiving Award. The award is the result of a national competition resulting in grants to adapt best practices in family caregiver education and support. Read more about this incredible honor by clicking here.
Welcome to Friends in Action!
Friends in Action is a volunteer-based organization that provides compassionate, friend-to-friend assistance to frail elders and their families. Our volunteers provide a safety net to older persons living alone and without help. Our volunteers provide relief to families who are weary from the demands of caregiving. Each elder helped is an accomplishment of hope. Friends in Action is how elder care should work.
Since 2004 we have been making a difference in the lives of seniors in the Treasure Valley. Our volunteers, partners and donors prove that by working together we can do more than we ever thought possible to improve the lives of our valued neighbors.
You can help us broaden our capacity to serve seniors and their families. We invite you to learn more about our services. We thrive on new and experienced volunteers and are always ready to welcome you as a volunteer. Become a service partner. Become a donor. Help us promote participation, independence and dignity for all of our older neighbors. We welcome you to Friends in Action.
2011 Family Caregiver Conference a Success!
The next Caregiver Conference is January 26, 2013
Thank you to everyone who attended the Family Caregiver Conference on October 15. We enjoyed meeting over 265 family caregivers and sharing information and resources to help them THRIVE while successfully managing their caregiving challenges.
If you missed the Conference, you can watch Gary Edward Barg's keynote presentation at KTVB's website by clicking here. Many thanks to KTVB for taping and broadcasting Gary's presentation.
The Conference was made possible by the generous support of many wonderful partners. Many thanks to Norco for being our Presenting Sponsor; to Sage Community Resources for their Major Sponsorship; to Kindred Healthcare, Regence BlueShield, and KTVB for being Event Sponsors; and to AARP, Hearts for Hospice and Home Health, and St. Luke's Regional Medical Center for being our Resource Expo sponsors. Each of these partners is committed to excellence and providing meaningful services to families providing care. Thank you for your support!
Plans are underway for the next Family Caregiver Conference: Saturday, January 26, 2013. The Conference will be held at Boise State University's Jordan Ballroom. The one-day educational event will provide valuable information, community resources and support for family caregivers from across Southwest Idaho.
Quotes from Recent Friends in Action Volunteers
"In my quiet meditation time this morning, high on my list of gratitude was the wonderful time I had driving a client with total hearing loss Monday afternoon. Spending 3 hours in silence with her (shopping stops all over town), all the while sharing trust and a new friendship based on the language of love, was a grace-filled experience for me.
Thank you for providing me this opportunity. We, the volunteers, are the lucky ones in FIA's work."
Danell B.
"How humbling the experience has been to volunteer thinking my Senior needed me when in fact it was, "me" that needed her all along…life is delicious and always a wonder! Thanks FIA for changing "2" lives."
J. Henry
JOIN OUR WORKSHOPS!
Living Well in Idaho
Become an ACTIVE manager of your chronic illness.
Many people find it challenging to lead an active and fulfilling life when they have a chronic health problem. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, asthma, lung disease, arthritis and other chronic conditions can affect not only overall health but can have serious impact on quality of life and emotions. However, there are proven tools to help you manage long term health problems; cope with fear, frustration, fatigue and anger; and lead a vibrant life.
Living Well in Idaho is a workshop for people with chronic health problems and their family members. The Living Well program is proven at building the confidence and motivation of participants to manage their chronic disease(s) and take better care of themselves. It works!
The workshop consists of six consecutive classes held once per week.
- Download Schedule (pdf)
Powerful Tools for Caregivers: A Class for Family Caregivers
Are you helping a parent, spouse, friend, someone who lives at home, in a nursing home, or across the country?
This class will give YOU, the family caregiver, tools to: reduce stress, take care of yourself, communicate effectively with others, reduce guilt, anger and depression, make tough decisions, set goals and problem solve.
Classes meet once per week for six weeks.
- Download Schedule (pdf)