History

In 1992, the Polk County Aging Department began a three-year planning process required by the state of Wisconsin. A requirement of the planning process was to meet with other county departments serving elderly and disabled people and to identify the unmet needs of this population.

An Elderly Taskforce was established as a result of this meeting with the purpose of finding ways to fill the “gaps” that were present in the service delivery system already in place. Information regarding a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation program called Interfaith Caregivers was presented to the Elderly Taskforce as a way to address some of the problems that existed in the lives of frail, elderly and adults with disabilities. Interfaith Caregivers of Polk County, Inc. was conceived as a result.

The Elderly Taskforce then applied for a $25,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This eighteen month grant was awarded in 1995 to start a volunteer caregiving program in Polk County.

A board was established and a mission statement and bylaws were written. The organization completed its articles of incorporation and was approved for non-profit charitable status 501 (c)(3).

A full-time program director, Carol Medchill, was hired in December 1995.

Adequate funding for a non-profit is always a concern, so the program director became a part-time position at the end of the grant. The program transitioned through several directors. For a while two church coordinators shared the responsibility on a volunteer basis.

Then board member, Shirley Johnson, became the program director. She worked ten hours per week in the position from 2000-2004.

Current program director, Karen Krupa, was hired in June 2004. The 20-hour per week position was expanded to 30-hours per week as the program added more clients and volunteers.

A Volunteer Coordinator, Kay Foulke, was "promoted" to a paid position for 15 hours per week in May 2006 to assist with the growing needs of clients and volunteers.

Experience Works provided a program secretary for 20 hours per week starting in 2007. This position is paid for with federal funding.

As the number of clients continued to expand, a Program Assistant was hired for 10 hours per week in July 2007.