About Us
The Center for Volunteer Caregiving is a nonprofit organization created in 1992 to provide unskilled volunteer services to older adults and adults with disabilities living independently in Wake County, such as friendly visits, help around the house, transportation to medical appointments and basic needs shops, and respite visits for unpaid family caregivers.
What We Believe
In everything we do, we will act with integrity and compassion.
Mission
Engaging the diverse Wake County community by providing volunteer service solutions in an inclusive and welcoming environment to improve the lives of seniors, family caregivers and adults with disabilities.
Vision
A community of belonging where all people are welcomed, connected, cared for and valued.
Values
Acting with integrity and compassion in everything we do.
Our Story
While attending an AARP conference at the age of 85, John Meares, Sr., a member of the First United Methodist Church of Cary heard about a Faith in Action program and brought the idea back to his community. Local churches organized, wrote a grant and were awarded a $25,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Wake Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers was established in 1992 with a goal to unite the faith community and other volunteers in a concerted effort to offer neighborly assistance to older adults, adults with disabilities and family caregivers. In 2000, the name was officially changed to The Center for Volunteer Caregiving.
The Center will celebrate its 35th anniversary in 2027 and has a proud history of consistency to its mission. From its inception, the organization has provided volunteer services for escorted transportation for basic needs, help with chores around the house and respite for family caregivers. The original program model, still relevant, focused on a systematic approach to volunteer service that included training and support for volunteers, coordinators to help organize efforts, established process and procedures with professional guidance and liability insurance coverage. This approach bridged the formal and informal systems of caring and has been a vital solution to helping people remain at home as long as possible in the Wake County community.
The Center for Volunteer Caregiving is governed by a Board of Directors with nine members. Board composition includes representation from the geographic areas served with corporate and community members representing legal, human resources, financial, information technology and social services. Funding is diversified and includes federal, state, and local grants, foundation funding, and individual and corporate donors.
Client referrals come from the medical community, other nonprofit organizations and self -referral. Priority is given to those of greatest social and economic need without the support of family and friends. Direct service clients average approximately 650 with significant more reached through educational workshops and phone support.
Active volunteers typically number about 250 and vary in time commitment from 2-4 hours weekly to a few hours a month. Volunteers are recruited from the faith community and community at large with increasingly more finding The Center through an internet search.
The Center for Volunteer Caregiving is a member of the NC Center for Nonprofits, a member of the NC Coalition on Aging, and a 2013 and 2022 GSK Community Impact Award winner. It is no longer simply a grassroots organization, but a fully aligned partner with the nonprofit community serving older adults and adults with disabilities in Wake County.
