COLLINSVILLE/GRANITE CITY/TROY – Collinsville’s chapter of Faith in Action has recently expanded to Troy and Granite City.
Lisa Brennan, executive director of Faith in Action Collinsville, explained that the national organization aims to support senior citizens by organizing volunteers. The Collinsville chapter is now active in Troy and Granite City, and they’re looking for more community partners to help them help others.
“Our whole mission is to support people ages 60 and older in our communities,” Brennan said. “The more people in the community who understand what we do, the greater our success. Everybody wants to be a neighbor helping neighbors. So what we do is we just organize and get people out there and trained to do the work to support our seniors.”
Faith in Action volunteers help with yard work, provide rides to doctor appointments, perform minor repairs, shop, and organize social programs. The Collinsville chapter also has a full-time staff member who helps clients navigate Medicare benefits.
Brennan explained that most of their clients are homebound or have limited mobility. Faith in Action volunteers aim to support them.
In the past, the local chapter has been limited to the Collinsville School District. In 2024, they ran a pilot study in Troy and Granite City to get a better understanding of the region’s needs. They’re still looking for community partners in Granite City, like churches and rotary groups from whom they can pull volunteers. But Brennan said the Troy area “has really taken off,” with many volunteers coming forward.
So far, Faith in Action has partnered with Friedens United Church of Christ and Troy Methodist Church. They’re also working with Ministries Unlimited, and they hope to collaborate with the Triad School District soon. Brennan noted that Faith in Action’s work would not be possible without volunteers, and these groups have been great partners as Faith in Action works to establish itself in Troy.
“What a wonderful community,” she said. “It was very exciting for me to go in and talk to different groups, and yet there was always a connection between them. That’s a really tight-knit community. People are looking out for each other, so that’s a perfect setup for Faith in Action. We’re excited to be working with them.”
Faith in Action is still looking for community partners, especially in Granite City. Brennan noted that she is eager to speak with rotary clubs, Kiwanis groups, churches and other organizations that might have interested volunteers.
She added that seniors are the fastest-growing population in the U.S., with 11,000 people turning 65 every day. Faith in Action is always looking to grow so they can support more seniors in the Collinsville, Troy and Granite City communities.
“At our little organization, we have been working for the past few years just to build our own capacity so that we can be ready, because we have to grow just to stay abreast of everything,” she said. “It’s really beautiful to be a part of this.”
For more information about the local chapter of Faith in Action, visit their official website at FIACollinsville.org or their official Facebook page. Click here to learn more about becoming a volunteer, or contact Volunteer Manager Karen Saravia at 618-344-8080 to complete an application. To receive assistance, call 618-344-8080 or email [email protected].
