Here is the story of Faith in Action, the acclaimed nationwide grant program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that brings together Americans of all faiths to provide volunteer care and support to those in their communities who are confined to their homes because of a chronic health condition or disability.

But this book is far more than simply an account of the Faith in Action program. Through a series of revealing in-depth interviews conducted in three very different parts of the country, Promise to Mary provides a unique and often profoundly moving glimpse into the lives of some of our most isolated and forgotten neighbors—as well as the remarkable volunteers, from all faiths and from all walks of life, who have come to their aid.

Paul S. Jellinek is a native of Madison, Wisconsin, and a founding partner of Isaacs-Jellinek, a consulting practice that works with private foundations and nonprofit organizations. He has a background in public health, health economics, and journalism, and served on the staff of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for almost twenty years. He and his wife are longtime Faith in Action volunteers.