Friends in Action, Boise

Join us for "The Prom"

2011-03-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

Save the Date - Come Dance With Us
The Prom - 5th Annual
Saturday, April 9, 2011, 8pm
The Knitting Factory
416 S. 9th Street, Boise, Idaho

New VISTA volunteer

2010-10-14T10:33:00.000-07:00

Friends in Action would like to welcome Phetsy Williams to our team. Phetsy will be joining us as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer. She brings new skills and knowledge to the table and we are excited to start working with her!

Time is Precious

2010-05-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Friends in Action Volunteers provided 349.5 hours of direct service to Boise's elderly community in April.

WOW!

2010-05-07T11:03:00.000-07:00

Friends in Action Volunteers provided 615 hours in the month of March! Way to go!

Volunteers Report Improved Physical, Emotional Health

2010-05-07T10:20:00.000-07:00

Great article about volunteering and how it can make YOU feel better! Click on the title of this post to take a look.

Huge Success!

2010-04-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

Our annual fundraiser The Prom was a huge success! If you would like to be a part of The Prom next year, stay tuned for more information! More photos to follow!

Priceless Service!

2010-04-21T10:22:00.001-07:00

Friends in Action volunteers provided 642 hours of service to elders in our community in the month of March. WOW! If you would like to become a part of our volunteer team, please contact our office. We are looking for volunteers to provide transportation to and from medical appointments & grocery shopping/errands, companionship, light housekeeping and yard work. We look forward to having you join our team!

It's Here!

2010-04-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

Did you know that it's National Volunteer Week? On behalf of Friends in Action, we want to thank you for the great work that you do to strengthen our communities.

Whether you help the elderly, read to kids, take care of our sick, feed our hungry, clean up our parks, or offer your skills to a nonprofit in need, you're helping to make our world a better place.

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER WEEK IS COMING

2010-04-06T08:44:00.000-07:00

National Volunteer Week is coming up April 18-24. 2010 commemorates the one-year anniversary of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the Volunteer Generation Fund, making the theme for the week -- Celebrating People in Action -- honoring individuals who take action and solve significant problems in their communities.

Help our Cause!

2010-03-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

$5,000 GoodSearch Giveaway - Three Days Only!

GoodSearch will donate a $1 for every toolbar that is downloaded between April 6th at 9am EST and April 9th at 9am EST up to $5,000!! Please download the toolbar right now by following this link - http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/friends-in-action

Our new Friends in Action toolbar is free to download and allows you to raise money for our cause every time you search or shop online! Once added to IE or Firefox, each time you shop at more than 1,300 stores (from Amazon to Zazzle!) a percentage of your purchase will automatically be donated to Friends in Action- at no cost to you (and you may even save money as the toolbar provides coupons and deals as well!). The toolbar also has a search box and each time you search the Internet, about a penny is donated to Friends in Action. http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/friends-in-action

Please hurry and do this now so that we can earn the $1 bonus per toolbar!

And, please pass this along to all of your friends. The two minutes it takes to add this toolbar to your browser can make a lifetime of difference for our cause!

Get the toolbar NOW! http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/friends-in-action

Happy Holidays

2009-12-21T11:45:00.001-08:00

Friends in Action would like to wish everyone a very Safe and Happy Holiday season! See you in 2010!

Elder Refugee Program

2009-11-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

Friends in Action Inc is highlighted in the Area Agency on Aging's Refugee Newsletter. See page 3 for a great article on how 2 Service Learning Students from BSU are making a difference!

http://www.sageidaho.com/files/000005/Fall09%20AAA%20Refugee%20Newsletter%20(2).pdf

First Group of Classes were a HUGE Success!

2009-11-16T13:29:00.001-08:00

Say Hello to our Class Leaders! Our first group of Powerful Tools for Caregivers classes were a HUGE success. Please stay tuned for new classes beginning the first of the year! For more information on PTC Classes, please contact our office @ 333-1363.

Positive Aging

2009-11-15T13:29:00.000-08:00

National Conference on Positive Aging
Date: December 7-9, 2009
Location, Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, Florida
The Third Annual National Positive Aging Conference: Wave of the Future will be a highly interactive gathering attended by diverse national leaders who are shaping a dynamic future for older adults throughout the world. Experts in the field of aging will lead plenary sessions and concurrent workshops, discussions, demonstrations, and experiential activities in four general theme areas: Life Transitions, Creativity, Wellness, and Community. Discover ways to work effectively with older adults entering retirement, hear ideas for energizing your services to attract a broader segment of your community, develop a network of contacts for sharing program ideas and developing strategies, and learn about model programs and effective practices.

http://www.eckerd.edu/positiveaging/index.php

2nd Annual "Shop & Share" Program

2009-11-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Just in time to kick-off the holiday season, Boise-based Morningside Products, a local distributor of affordable, luxury-quality bath and body products has partnered with Emmy Award Nominated Musician Curtis Stigers and the Chocolat bar to create unique gift sets for the Holiday! And the best part about it: When you purchase on-line, a portion of your purchase will be donated to the participating charity of your choice. So show your support for Friends in Action and a wonderful local business by ordering your holiday gifts on-line now!
http://morningsideproducts.com/shopandshare.html

http://www.fiaboise.org/documents/ShopShareFIAOct09.pdf

"This effort by Morningside Products is an innovative way for a company to support the community," said Sally Zive, President and CEO of United Way of Treasure Valley. "As a consumer in this economy, it is a great way to purchase wonderful products that are made locally."

Handy Resources

2009-11-09T11:35:00.000-08:00

Japan's Elderly Playgrounds Show Fun is for Everyone
(By Chika Osaka, Reuters India, October 26, 2009)
http://in.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idINIndia-43429620091026?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Older Do-Gooders Recognized With 'Purpose Prize'
(By Joseph Shapiro, National Public Radio, October 26, 2009)
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/10/older_dogooders_recognized_wit.html

H1N1 Update

2009-11-09T11:22:00.000-08:00

Influenza Updates and Information about H1N1
Flu activity is increasing in most of the United States with more than half of all states reporting widespread influenza activity. So far, most flu is 2009 H1N1 flu (sometimes called "swine flu"). CDC expects both 2009 H1N1 flu and seasonal flu to cause illness, hospital stays and deaths this season. CDC has issued recommendations regarding who should get vaccinated against seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu, including adults aged 65 and older. To learn more, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/flu.

2009 H1N1 Influenza Vaccine and Seniors
CDC answers questions regarding those aged 65 and older and the H1N1 influenza vaccine on this website with Frequently Asked Questions. To view this page and learn more about H1N1, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/vaccination/vaccine_seniors.htm.

National Family Caregivers Month

2009-11-04T10:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend:

National Family Caregivers Month (NFC Month) — observed every November — is a nationally recognized month that seeks to draw attention to the many challenges facing family caregivers, advocate for stronger public policy to address family caregiving issues, and raise awareness about community programs that support family caregivers.

It has been said that there are only four kinds of people in the world — those who have been caregivers, those who currently are caregivers, those who will be caregivers and those who will need caregivers.

Unfortunately, this is not an exaggeration. According to the National Family Caregivers Association (NFCA), over 50 million people are family caregivers in any given year providing caregiving services valued at $375 billion annually. A family caregiver is defined as someone who cares for a chronically ill, disabled or elderly loved one.

During National Family Caregivers Month reach out to a family caregiver you know, whether a neighbor, relative, co-worker, or friend and offer them a helping hand. Be specific — offer a ride to church, a nourishing meal, or a free afternoon. Volunteer with Friends in Action to provide respite for a family caregiver. Just a little bit of help makes a big difference for family caregivers.

Sincerely,
Stephanie Bender-Kitz

Executive Director, Friends in Action

Do you GoodSearch?

2009-11-02T11:38:00.000-08:00

I do!

Raise money for Friends in Action by simply making GoodSearch your homepage. http://www.goodsearch.com In the "who do you goodsearch for" make sure you put Friends in Action (Boise, Id) and every time you search the internet, a donation will be made to Friends in Action.

You can also add a GoodSearch toolbar easily at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/friends-in-action

Also, every time you shop online at 1,000 participating stores including Amazon, eBay, Target, Apple, Staples, Expedia, etc., a percentage of your purchase will be donated for free! The site also has thousands of money-saving coupons!

2009-10-30T12:17:00.001-07:00

Become one of Friends in Actions treasured volunteers today! Contact our office at 208-333-1363 or visit our website at www.fiaboise.org

Get Involved!

Current Needs

2009-10-30T11:55:00.001-07:00

Volunteer to get groceries for a frail senior once a month!

Volunteer to visit with a senior in Meridian for about 15-30 minutes a week.

Volunteer to walk with a senior in Meridian once a week.

Other volunteer opportunities are posted on Volunteermatch.com under Friends in Action!

Volunteers Needed

2009-10-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Friends are currently needed to drive elders to medical appointments, shopping and errands. Volunteer Friends are also needed to provide respite to family members who are weary from the demands of caregiving. Volunteer Friends are part of our Friend-to-Friend solution for supporting frail elders living in ...our community. This solution is simple and low cost. Volunteers are screened, trained and insured to provide rides, companionship, and help around the house for fragile seniors, and respite for family caregivers. Flexible schedules and smiles abound. Each elder helped is an accomplishment of hope. Friends in Actions works hard to meet the needs of every elder who calls us for help. Please help us spread the word about our Friend-to-Friend solution and our need for more volunteers!
Call today for information 333-1363 or www.fiaboise.org

Always recruiting Volunteers!

2009-10-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

To become one of our priceless volunteers, please call our office at 333-1363 or email to jessica@fiaboise.org.