United Way donated funds benefit FaithLink

Editor's note: This is the next in a series of articles about the member agencies of the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley.

PARKERSBURG - Residents throughout the area are receiving help getting a ride to go shopping or the doctor thanks to United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley funding to the Volunteer Action Center.

The money donated is used to help FaithLink, said Wendy Tuck, VAC executive director. FaithLink is one of five Faith in Action Programs in West Virginia.

"We're about empowering individuals," said Jean Phillips, community liaison of FaithLink.

The program's purpose is to make it easier for clients to stay in their homes. Phillips said transportation and observation are provided by the program, making sure everything in the home is operating correctly and the client has food.

"A lot of other organizations have cut funding" for transportation, said Melissa Ogden, service coordinator for FaithLink. While most people can still get transportation to a doctors appointments, they may have trouble finding a ride to the store.

FaithLink trains volunteers to become caregivers for clients. Some caregivers volunteer only a couple hours a week to take a client to a doctor's appointment while other caregivers will stop on their way home from work to take out a client's trash, Phillips said. Some volunteers participate as needed, to do large tasks.

"We are totally dependent on donations and volunteers," Phillips said.

"We're deeply grateful to the United Way for their donations," Tuck said.

Ogden said about 150 volunteers assist about 382 clients.

Tuck said the center works to connect nonprofit organizations with the items, volunteers and information needed to run the nonprofit more efficiently. The VAC provides offices for several organizations in the Dils Center to lower the costs of utilities and rent.

"The Volunteer Action Center is an umbrella corporation - we share every cost we can so the nonprofits have more money to put towards the service they offer," Tuck said. "If we can't help, we can almost always refer (people) to someone else who can."