In 1994, a group of caring people saw there were needs not being met for the elderly and, as a result of that observation and many hours of hard work, Faith in Action STNY (initially known as Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers Program (IVCP) and then listed as the Volunteer Caregiving Program of the Greater Hornell Area,
Inc.) opened its doors in 1995 in Hornell, New York. It served three towns: Hornell,
Arkport and Canisteo until 2003. Tippy Irwin was the first Executive Director and served until 1999, Betty Jones was the second and in 2003 Dick Russell became the longest-standing Executive Director, retiring in 2025. Many churches have been an integral part of our success. From 2003-2006, the program spread throughout the western region of Steuben County and started serving the eastern region in 2007. As the program grew, assistance was received from the Office of Aging (Steuben County), the United Way of the Southern Tier, and the Christ Episcopal Church of Corning, along with private donations from civic organizations and friends that support the mission.
Currently, Faith in Action serves all of Steuben County. In 2022, Faith in Action started preparing for an expansion into Chemung County. By 2024, with the help of the United Way, foundations, churches and civic groups under the direction of Dick Russell, Faith in Action Steuben expanded services into Chemung County. In 2025, Faith in Action Steuben changed the d.b.a. to Faith in Action STNY (Southern Tier New York). In 1995, the program served 60 people and today there are over 1000 people that have been served. The program currently has several volunteers serving a two-county area. Faith in Action provides transportation, friendly visits, shopping/errands, light housekeeping, light yard work, minor home repairs and respite care in the home. As the demand for Faith in Action's services continues to increase, we know that the Lord our God is the reason for our greatest accomplishment of putting Faith into Action.
