Faith in Action Georgetown celebrates 20 years of serving seniors in Georgetown this year and they plan to kick it off with boots on!
On May 21, the organization will host an outdoor concert at Reunion Ranch in Georgetown, starring country music artist Cory Morrow. The event will feature food trucks, bars and a fireworks show will close out the festivities.
The concert will be a fundraiser for the organization, which is committed to providing essential transportation services to seniors who no longer drive.
Born out of the growing need for medical transportation for seniors, Faith in Action became a nonprofit organization in 2001 to provide free rides for the increasing number of seniors residing in Georgetown. Throughout its life as an organization, evolution and change have been an essential part of its story, but no more so than in the last year.
“Faith in Action has gotten very good at reinvention,” said Vickie Orcutt, Executive Director.
Initially a collaborative effort between a group of local churches, the need for services quickly outgrew the original service model, requiring a full-time coordinator and an advisory committee to support its mission. As time evolved, so did the organization, calling for several rebranding efforts, including one in 2012 after Faith in Action Caregivers was renamed Faith in Action Georgetown. In 2017, Faith in Action adopted a new logo and branding to better reflect its underlying mission: Driving Seniors.
In 2020, as COVID was altering the operations of most nonprofits, Faith in Action Georgetown was forced to reinvent itself once more. Thankfully, the organization had lots of practice.
“We pivoted in our fundraising, in our service model, in our volunteer recruitment … everything had to be revisited and viewed through the lens of ‘how can we do this safely and still be effective?’,” said Orcutt.
One essential change was the move to a virtual benefit concert, something new to the organization and to its participants. The choral event, which is usually held in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church Georgetown moved to an online format in September, inviting choirs and performers to submit videos of their acts to the organization. Chet Garner of The Daytripper emceed the event in a pre-recorded session which was stitched together with the performances and then aired on YouTube, Facebook and on FIAG’s website. It turned out to be their highest grossing event in the history of the organization.
“I think everyone knew we were in need of their support,” Orcutt said. “And the whole community really stepped up to support us, and they continue doing so.”
Its volunteer model has had to change drastically as well, requiring mostly online training and virtual interaction, a challenge considering that the average age of its volunteer base is 68. Faith in Action relies on individual volunteer drivers to take seniors to medical appointments, which, with the pandemic has been tricky.
“Some of our volunteers have felt nervous about getting in the car with people outside their families right now,” Orcutt said. “So, it’s put us in a bind to deliver all the rides requested as quickly as we’d like.”
Faith in Action implemented stringent safety protocols for drivers and riders, including requiring face masks, requiring temperature checks, requiring riders to sit in the back seat and providing hand sanitizer. However, even with these in place, it’s been a challenge finding enough ready drivers in these uncertain times.
Still, the organization has pressed on. In January, the organization resumed on their Go-Van-Go services. The van, recently retrofitted with plexiglass dividers, allows for small groups to make grocery trips several times a week. Ridership has been limited to one person per row to allow for personal distancing. Riders must request their trips in advance and there is a set schedule for rides. It’s a far cry from the shopping trips the van used to run before COVID, but it’s a start, Orcutt said.
“We hope to introduce other rides soon, so our clients can get out and connect to the community again,” said Orcutt. “But we have to take one step at a time right now.”
While Faith in Action Georgetown continues to adapt its programs for an ever-evolving world, there’s one thing Faith in Action knows for sure: change is certain, and its often necessary to remain viable.
The Faith in Action Georgetown Cory Morrow benefit concert takes place at 8 p.m. at Reunion Ranch. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at www.faithinactiongt.org/events. Food trucks and two bars will be on site. No outside food or drinks allowed. Beach chairs and blankets welcome!
Check out the video interview with Vickie Orcutt and Miranda Bradley at Faith in Action about the organization’s services and their upcoming concert featuring Cory Morrow:
To learn more about Faith in Action Georgetown, visit their website: www.FaithInActionGT.org or follow them on Facebook or Instagram. To learn how to become a client or volunteer, call 512-868-9544.
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