Can you believe its almost the end of summer?  We have been very busy enrolling 21 new care recipients and training new volunteers.  Welcome Anna Mae Syme and Jil Coffman, our two newest volunteers!  I also want to thank our local TARGET Store in North Huntingdon for sending us 10 volunteers (employees) in July who worked with 4 care recipients and provided over 30 hours of volunteer service - GO TARGET!!

We also have students from Seton Hill College who will be doing yard work projects for 2 care recipients in September.  Also in September will be the United Way's annual Day of Caring, where 2 additional care recipients will receive volunteer assistance on various projects.  The annual Irwin Health Fair takes place on Saturday, Sept. 25...stop by our table and say hello or pick up information about the Faith in Action program.

First I'd like to thank the Catholic Heart Workcamp youth for all their hard work during the week of June 21st.  We had approximately 40 youths and 6 youth leaders provide over 240 hours of volunteer service to a number of our elderly recipients.  The kids cut grass, painted, trimmed bushes, weeded, and planted shrubs.  These youths should be applauded for the good work they do in our community every year.

And we held our first annual volunteer "Summer Picnic" at the end of June...what a great time everyone had!!  The food, provided by the Area Agency on Aging, was delicious.  The entertainment, The Clover Belles & Beaus, was a big hit.  The weather was wonderful and everyone had a good time.  Thank you for helping out, goes to Debbie Hunt, Gloria Bakin, and Phyllis Morgan...I couldn't have done it without you.  I also want to thank the following Steering Committee members for providing a gift basket for our door prizes:  Jim Gallagher, Debbie Hunt, Dee Haigis and Pastor Ray Lyon.

Our annual "Steelers Raffle Tickets" are now available for purchase.  Tickets are $20 each and you have two chances to win on each ticket; Steelers vs. Oakland Raiders on November 21; ticket includes transporatation to/from the game. Call us to get your ticket now!!

Where has the time gone?  June already, and it will be a busy one!  We're offering an enrichment training entitled, "Senior Safety...protect yourself from scam artists!", on Thursday, June 17 at the Norwin Public Library from 6-7:00pm. This program is being presented by retired PA State Trooper Lt. John Rock.  Seating is limited...you won't want to miss this one!  Call our office to register.

The week of June 21, we are again partnering with the Catholic Heart Workcamp to provide volunteer services to 6 of our care recipients.  Youth from all over the country will be converging on the scene here in the Irwin/North Huntingdon area to provide volunteer services such as gardening, painting, washing walls...you name it, they'll pretty much do it.  Last year this wonderful group of kids provided over 400 hours of volunteer service.

And last, but not least, our annual Summer Picnic is being held at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church/Mack Hall on Tuesday, June 29 from 11:30am to 1:30pm.  Food is being provided by the Area Agency on Aging and entertainment is courtesy of a wonderfully popular group, "The Clover Belles & Beaus".  Please register by June 15.

WOW!  I can't believe its the end of April already.  We've had a great 1st quarter...trained 12 new volunteers and enrolled 21 recipients.  Our volunteers provided over 300 hours of service...not bad when you think about the awful weather we had to deal with in February.  We have a client roster of over 100 recipients!

We participated in Senator Kim Ward's annual Senior Expo Event at Kirk Nevin Arena in Greensburg where over 500 senior citizens were in attendance.  The winner of our gift basket was Pam Kasparek of Jeannette.  We also gave a short talk at the annual Norwin High School Senior Citizens Dinner where over 700 seniors attended.

May 16 through the 20th, is our "Dining to Donate" fundraiser.  Cafe Supreme & Pizza Supreme will donate 15% of your bill to Brush Creek Area Faith in Action.  Enjoy a meal that's Filling - and Fulfilling!!  Call us for more information about this event.

I also want to welcome our new Lifelong Learning office assistant, Sara Rugh, who will be helping out with phone calls and other office support.

In spite of the weather, we've had a great 1st quarter so far.  We've enrolled 18 new recipients, held two Home Safety Check trainings (next one is March 27th at 9am), and added 11 new volunteers to our roster!  We're working on our Fundraising Plan for 2010 with some interesting ideas for events.  Nine of our clients received the Home Safety Checks and had grab bars and/or handrails installed by our contractor, American Home Masters.  Our new volunteers are: Michelle Antis, Gloria Bakin, Denise Cella, Laurie Gillott, Dee Haigis, Rob Jones, Roy Lenhardt, Renee Leszczynski, Bobbi Rizzo, Mark Testa, and John Wolfgang.

Are you filled with great ideas?  Interested in event planning and fundraising?  Then please attend our first Fundraising Committee meeting scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25 at 2pm at the Faith in Action office.  We really could use your input, excitement and new ideas for raising funds this year.

Fundraising doesn't ring your bell?  Are you a "mover & shaker" in the Irwin/North Huntingdon area?  How about serving on the Steering Committee?  Meetings are held at 8am the second Tuesday in January, March, May, July, September, and November.  We hold our meetings at the Norwin Chamber of Commerce office.  Please join us...we welcome your assistance.

As we near the end of 2009, I want to thank our volunteers for the many, many hours of service they provided to our recipients in the Irwin/North Huntingdon area.  Our volunteers gave almost 1,300 hours of transportation, supportive visits and phone calls, supportive helper, and so much more...friendship!

During 2009, we trained 50 volunteers who provided services to 70 recipients and we're still growing!  We have another volunteer training session scheduled for Wednesday, January 13 at St. Agnes Church.  We also have a Home Safety Check training session planned for Saturday, January 16 at our office.  If you're interested in attending either or both of these sessions, please call our office to register.

I would also like to welcome our new Steering Committee Member Deborah Hunt,CEO of Workability, LLC.  Debbie will be a wonderful addition to our already awesome group of movers and shakers here in the Irwin/North Huntingdon area.

Have a very happy holiday season...see you next year!!