RSVP Fall 2020 Newsletter

The Volunteer Voice
A Newsletter for Members & Friends of RSVP of North Central Iowa
Volume 10  Issue 1  Fall 2020

On September 24, RSVP celebrated volunteers and the service they provided during the

2019-20 program year. It may have looked different, due to COVID-19, but it was still fun!
Here’s a glimpse of the day:

Eighty-one volunteers ‘drove through’ the celebration.
They were greeted by RSVP staff Mary Ellen Smith,
RSVP Advisory Council Member, Patti Hanson, Dean of
Continuing Education, and Dr. Steve Schulz, NIACC
President. Each volunteer received a sack lunch and
a bag of “goodies.”
Volunteers donated
409 lbs of food to the
NIACC Student Pantry and Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank.
It was great to see so many volunteers.
Thank you for your generosity!

Page 2 The Volunteer Voice

Tips & Tidbits From the Director —
National service is changing… The Corporation for Na-
I tried having my mother’s phone dis- tional & Community Service is changing its name to…
connected, but the customer-service AmeriCorps. And, RSVP volunteers are now AmeriCorps
rep told me that since the account was Senior volunteers. However, the purpose of national ser-
in my dad’s name, he’d have to be the vice remains the same: help make service to others a
one to put in the request. The fact that cornerstone of our national culture while connecting volunteers and organi-
he’d been dead for 40 years didn’t zations to tackle the nation’s most pressing challenges.
sway her. Then a solution hit me: “If I So, you will start seeing the logo below as part of RSVP of North Iowa’s
stop paying the bill, you can turn off branding. In fact, you can even refer to yourself as an AmeriCorps Senior
the service, right?” “Well, yes,” she Volunteer! Just remember, RSVP is for people who are 55 and older who
said reluctantly. “But that would ruin want to use their talents and skills to serve those in need and help improve
his credit.” -Jeannie Gibbs their community. RSVP is part of a national network of volunteers who…
Bring Out the Best of America!
The old man was sitting on the exam-
ining table in the doctor’s office having The Pen Pal program has been modified, due to COVID-19,
his hearing checked. The doctor
poked his light scope in the old man’s for the 2020-21 school year. In general, the program is smaller,
ear and said, “Hey, you have a sup- serving approximately half of the classrooms and students. Some
pository in your ear!” “Rats,” said the schools and teachers chose to not participate this year, which
old man. “Now I know where my hear- means we had more volunteers than students. The most
ing aid went.” significant changes include:

While he was  RSVP staff paired volunteers and students
 Profile forms were exchanged with the first letter
-  Letter deadlines will be set with each letter to allow for

The day after visiting a fair, my wife schedule changes
was in agony. "You know you’re past We hope that these changes will be specific to this year only.
your prime," she said, "when you hurt Many teachers (and volunteers) who took this year off indicated
all over and all you rode was the mas- that they plan to participate again (hopefully) next school year.
sage chair." Thank you, to those serving this year, particularly for your under-
standing and flexibility. We are confident the letters will bring
The sight of my mother cleaning her some joy to students and volunteers during this time of isolation!
dentures fascinated my young son. He
sat riveted as she carefully took them
out, brushed and rinsed them, and
then popped them back in. "Cool,
Grandma!" he said. "Now take off your
arm."

The cable repairman was on my street
and asked me what time it was. I told
him it is between 8 am and 1 pm.

Page 3

Brrrr! It’s cold out already! Winter weather is quickly descending upon us, but that’s no
reason to lose motivation to stay active, healthy, and engaged. The winter slum can
be rough in normal situations, and this year it is even more important to find
creative ways to refresh your mind, body, and soul to avoid feeling isolated.

Here are a few ideas to stay engaged this winter:

 Do some at-home exercises and stretches to  Try a new hobby, learn something new, and
maintain or improve flexibility and balance connect with others through a variety of
and to keep your bones healthy. online classes that are available through
NIACC Community Education and the Lifelong
 If weather allows and your health permits, Learning Institute.
head outside or mask-up and head to a near-
by mall for some walking. Walking has many  Make someone smile by writing letters and
benefits including greeting others you see sending them through the MAIL! Write to a
walking too! relative or friend that you haven’t seen in a
very long time. Write to senior citizens who
 Take a virtual fieldtrip and peruse the online are isolated in a local nursing home to help
collection of over 500 exciting destinations them feel less alone.
available through Google Arts & Culture.
 As you know, volunteering has huge positive
 Stay in touch electronically. With so much impacts on you and those you serve! It can
technology available, you can see and talk decrease stress, anxiety, and depression. It
with friends and loved ones whenever you provides you with a sense of purpose and
wish. If you need help setting up and using allows us to focus on someone else for a
FaceTime, Zoom, or another app to stay con- change.
nected, just let us know!

Making a concerted effort to keep ourselves mentally and physically healthy is oh-so
important. Do something nice for yourself or for others… you won’t regret it!!

Speaking of volunteering…

RSVP is looking for more volunteers to serve in the community. Some local agencies have been hit hard
by the coronavirus, in terms of, they need more volunteers. The need for quality volunteers with a
passion for helping others is on the rise in North Iowa. Please consider helping one of these partnering
organizations:

 Habitat for Humanity (NEW to RSVP): Habitat is in need of volunteers in their Re-Store to greet
customers, operate the cash register, test donations to ensure they work, and some light fixing
of donations.

 Hawkeye Harvest Food Bank (Somewhat new to RSVP): The food bank has a variety of duties
from sorting food, to stocking shelves, to greeting clients.

 Jail & Prison Re-entry Services: JPRS continues to assist ex-offenders virtually and is in great
need of caring people to serve as mentors to those re-entering the community.

 VITA: If you like numbers, this opportunity is for you. Volunteers are IRS-certified and provide
basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals. Training is provided.

All of these non-profits have taken extra precautions to keep volunteers healthy and safe during
COVID. Please consider trying something new! Contact Theresa, Volunteer Coordinator, for details.

500 College Drive | Mason City, IA 50401
Phone: (641) 422-4256 | (888) 466-4222 ext. 4256
Email: [email protected] | Web: www.niacc.edu/rsvp

To make life a little better for people less fortunate than you, that's what I think a meaningful life is.
One lives not just for oneself but for one's community. -Ruth Bader Ginsburg

The Common Read is part of the
NIACC Leadership Series and engag-
es the College and community in a
unified activity.
Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha is the pedi-
atrician who first researched and
revealed lead in the blood of chil-
dren in Flint, Michigan. In her pow-
erful book, What the Eyes Don't
See, she shares her first-hand ac-
count of her work discovering the
Flint water crisis and her own story
as an immigrant, doctor, and scientist. Named one of Time magazine's "100 Most Influential People in
the World," she sets a powerful example for how everyday people can fight for justice, self-
determination, and the ability to build a better world.
Join Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha and Dr. Charlene Widener, Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student
Learning at NIACC, for a virtual conversation on Wednesday, November 11 at 6:30 p.m. The conversa-
tion will be livestreamed for our community to view and may be accessed on the NIACC YouTube page
or the NIACC Performing Arts and Leadership Series Facebook page when it airs.
The RSVP Book Club will meet on Wednesday, November 18 at 9:00 a.m. via Zoom. If you would like
to participate, contact Molly, RSVP Director.