Saturday, May 16, 1998

Assistance program receives helping hand

By LORETTA FULTON / Abilene Reporter-News

Friend to Friend just got a helping hand.

The new program that offers free assistance to homebound people received a $25,000 Faith in Action grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in Princeton, N.J.

"This is our first grant to the care team," said Debbie Beard, coordinator.

The project was announced last September, and several care teams already are in place in local churches. In September, founders of Friend to Friend, Dr. Earl Shelp and Dr. Ronald Sunderland, with the Foundation for Interfaith Research and Ministry in Houston, came to Abilene to conduct workshops.

Since then the program has gotten off the ground and calls have been coming in to Beard's phone.

"We've already made some referrals," she said.

The $25,000 grant is to Sears Methodist Centers Inc., which operates Windcrest Alzheimer's Care Center. The Friend to Friend program will be administered by Windcrest.

The grant will pay Beard's salary as well as supplies, equipment, and other necessities of the program.

Beard asked that any churches interested in starting a team call her at 692-1533. Also, requests for assistance should be made to Beard, and she will contact the participating churches.

Each church has a team of people who volunteer to help with such basics as providing transportation to the grocery store or the doctor's office. They also might do light chores and sometimes will fill in for longterm caregivers

"With the help of the volunteers, the frail elderly, chronically ill, or individuals with disabilities may be able to stay at home and avoid nursing home placement that results from caregiver burnout," Beard said.

Aldersgate United Methodist Church has had a team in place for about three months, with 14 "very active" members, said Caro Russell, Aldersgate coordinator.

The team members so far have mainly assisted fellow church members, but as word spreads, they probably will be asked to assist people outside the church. Referrals may come from outside agencies such as the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, Beard said.

Friend to Friend is actually an extension of what churches already do, Russell said. It just provides a way to offer services to people outside the church.

"We're doing what churches are supposed to do in the first place," he said.