Pat Prouty, a south Omaha resident, has had two back surgeries to help her spinal stenosis.

The first was unsuccessful, and her back still causes her pain. She is also very limited in her activities:

She cannot do any lifting, which makes grocery shopping difficult and said even vacuuming is painful.

But thanks to the Faith in Action project by Interfaith Health Services, Prouty is able to get the help she needs at the grocery store each week.

"It's great when they take me to the store," she said. "I have real bad problems with my back and I can't lift much. I really appreciate it."

The program, which was limited to southeast Omaha, started in the summer of 2005.

They recently received a grant to expand into Sarpy County and will start with Bellevue.

"We received a grant from the Sarpy/Cass Department of Health and Wellness to expand into Sarpy County, and we decided to start with Bellevue," said Julie Chytil, the program coordinator.

The Faith in Action project matches volunteers from churches and community groups with individuals with long-term health needs to help them remain independent.

"They help out with non-medical needs," Chytil said. "Rides to the doctor, weekly grocery shopping or just a friendly visit or phone call."

The program information sheet also says help might include light housework, meal preparation, helping with paperwork or letter writing, and simply reading to someone.

Chytil said the program is mainly geared toward matching seniors, but anyone with a long-term health need can get help.

The addition of a new staff member is helping the program reach out to more people.

"Because of the grant, we were able to hire a bilingual community health worker," she said.

"We are working to reach out to Spanish speakers. We have the Spanish-speaking volunteers, but we don't have anyone for them to help."

Chytil said she hopes to work with churches, even ones that already have similar projects, to spread the word about the program.

"It's very hard for people to admit that they need help," she said. "You can get referred, but people don't know about the program."

Individuals or groups who are interested in volunteering or using the services provided can call 660-2652.
Both English and Spanish speakers are available.

"You may not know if someone down the street needs help," Chytil said. "But we want to bring out those needs and start matching up the services."