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RSVP's mission is to make a positive impact in the community by recruiting volunteers 55 and older to help deliver priority services to people of all ages, providing Dane County with a valuable resource.
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Foster Grandparents Needed
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In January, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) awarded RSVP of Dane County with a grant to administer its Foster Grandparent Program (FGP).
RSVP happily welcomes Daniela Sponseller on board as the new FGP Program Coordinator, and she's hit the ground running. "I'm excited to report that starting with the 2017-18 school year, we will be expanding the Foster Grandparent Program," Sponseller said. "We are currently looking for adults 55 and older, who meet eligibility requirements and want to help children become successful learners."
This rewarding position is a great way for people to really make a lasting impact in a Dane County classroom. "Foster grandparents share their time and love with children in elementary schools or Head Start programs in Dane County for 15-40 hours a week," Sponseller added. The expansion of the program will include placing 22 total volunteers in classrooms across the County during a three-year span.
If you are interested in being a part of this wonderful program or want to learn more, please contact Andrea Beaster, (608)441-7894 or [email protected] or Daniela Sponseller, (608)661-4271 or [email protected].
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RSVP Driver Services
Program
Earns Prestigious Natl. Award
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The National Volunteer Transportation Center (NVTC) awarded RSVP Driver Services Program with a 2016 STAR Award for Innovation. The NTVC STAR awards recognize outstanding volunteer transportation programs and the involvement of their volunteer drivers in promoting and providing transportation services to passengers, especially older adult passengers. RSVP was selected for this award among a field of 147 programs that submitted applications in 2016.
A team of professionals who work in the fields of transportation, volunteerism and aging, review the applications and select winners. In addition to preparing an application, each applicant submitted a story written by a passenger who received their transportation services. Carol Coughlin is the RSVP passenger who shared her story, which will be included in a book of 60 or more of these stories, compiled by NVTC, which will be published in the late summer of 2017.
The NVTC awards are coveted by agencies providing volunteer transportation services because it compares their program with hundreds of others across the nation. Initiated by the Beverly Foundation in 2000, NVTC assumed the role of organizing the awards in 2014.
The purpose of NVTC is to provide assistance and support to volunteer transportation programs across America. On an annual basis, these programs provide millions of rides and result in enormous time and dollar contributions of volunteer drivers. The fact that volunteer driver programs generally provide rides at a low cost for the programs and their passengers, and at the same time provide assistance needed by people with physical and cognitive limitations is why some people refer to them as . . . ."the hope of the future."
This is the third time that RSVP Driver Services program has been recognized on a national scale and along with the award, NVTC has awarded the program with a nice financial boost with a check of $7,000. Hats off to all of our wonderful drivers and coordinators who help this program perform with such excellence and to our partners in Focal Points across the County whose administrative support for these programs makes them possible.
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United Way Honors
RSVP Volunteer
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Senior
volunteers are more important than ever and that's reflected by the fact that for the third year in a row, an RSVP volunteer has won a United Way Community Volunteer Award.
Robert Rahn,
is a 2017 Distinguished Service Award winner for his volunteer work for the past 15 years with the City of Madison Police Department. Rahn devoted 100 hours every month, to lead a volunteer initiative which offers a way for retired police officers to remain involved in the department and continue to use their experience, training, and wisdom to help support the work of active officers. In addition to this honor, $250 was awarded to RSVP.
Other RSVP volunteers receiving nominations from the agencies where they volunteer are
Trudy Brule
,
Kay Frazier,
Kay Kaufmann,
Lynn Klink,
Mary Ploeser,
Sylvia Rausch,
and
Margaret Van Weelden.
Recent recipients include Karl Stadler who received the Mike McKinney Community Volunteer Award in 2016 and Jim Jenkins who received a Distinguished Service Award in 2015. In addition, RSVP received the Distinguished Service Nonprofit award in 2015. RSVP is so appreciative to our RSVP volunteers and happy that they have received these well-deserved awards.
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RSVP and Community Friend
Lori Wirth is Retiring
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Lori Wirth with former Fire Chief Amesqua
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OK ... corny play on words here, but Lori's last name should be spelled with an "o" rather than an "i." That's because of the great value Lori has added to our community in her 13 years with the Madison Fire Department. Lori has spent those 13 years as a public information officer, which doesn't nearly tell the whole story.
I first met Lori at about three a.m. at a fire scene. Through RSVP, I had volunteered with the Red Cross and was responding to help people displaced from the fire. I was new to the job, didn't have much idea what I was doing and was nervous as I could be. There was Lori, in her fire fighter's uniform, working with the residents who were out of their homes, making statements to the press, getting updates from the scene commander and making everybody's life easier. Her competence, friendliness and willingness to help, made me comfortable at the scene, and over the years she did so again and again. And the next morning, while I was able to sleep in a bit, Lori was likely still up, giving a fire safety class to school kids, or seniors or anything in between.
Lori began her public information career as a journalism student at the University of Missouri - Columbia, one of the country's premiere "J-Schools." After graduation, she became a TV reporter in Jonesboro, Arkansas, before moving to the larger market of Green Bay, Wisconsin. After becoming a young mother, Lori left the rat race of TV to work part time in advertising, and reporting for newspapers and radio stations.
Education being in her blood, Lori's next job took her to Blackhawk Tech in Janesville, where she did marketing and recruiting for college programs. That career was winding down when the Janesville GM plant slowdowns affected Blackhawk Tech. It worked out for the best for Madison residents, though, because along came the opening with the Madison Fire Department.
Lori was a firefighter. While she may not have operated a ladder or hose, her fire safety and home safety work was a huge factor in preventing many folks from ever having to experience fire and safety hazards. Fire prevention is as important as fighting others fires that do happen, and Lori was on the front lines of prevention. She was also a loyal and energetic Triad contributor, giving safety classes and working on the Triad planning group. And wherever she went she wore a big smile and had helpful and positive ideas to share with the community.
Lori is not retiring completely, just taking her skills and energy to another great organization. She will work 20 hours a week for Goodwill Industries, as a community relations and outreach coordinator. She's also the grandmother of three kids who all live in Southern Wisconsin. So she will be very busy. If things slow down, I'd love to recruit her for a role at RSVP!
It has been an honor to work with Lori Wirth, and we at RSVP and Triad wish her a long, healthy and productive retirement. Thanks so much, Lori!
by Jim Jensen
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Volunteerism's Impact
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RSVP happily celebrated National Volunteer week in April and Senior Corps week in May because we know that volunteers play a pivotal role in solving many societal problems. Volunteerism is also an important way that older adults can stay healthier, both physically and mentally, by being active, involved, contributing members of their communities.
In Dane County alone, our impact is tremendous: Our 1,600+ volunteers provide 180,000 hours of service each year, with a value of $4.2 million to the community. These services save taxpayer dollars because of the volunteer time contributed.
RSVP is able to reach out into the community and connect agencies with volunteers on such a large scale because of public funding. The Corporation for Community and National Service (CNCS), a federal agency that provides us with 29% of our budget, has been a stalwart supporter. CNCS knows that the value the RSVP volunteers add to a community is money well spent. They are essential partners and we are deeply grateful for their continued support of our programs, as well as the new funding they provided for us to expand our Foster Grandparent Program.
Dane County Department of Human Services shares this commitment to volunteerism, as the major funding source for our Driver Services program. Because we serve all of Dane County, this department sees firsthand the impact of their funding of the Driver Services program where volunteers delivered 84,438 meals to seniors in communities outside of Madison, and provided 8,585 rides to 1,144 senior and veteran passengers who had no other form of transportation.
We are also grateful for the continued support from the City of Madison, City of Monona, and State of Wisconsin. We would not be able to provide these important services without their funding. We thank our public funders and taxpayers for supporting the efforts of RSVP and Foster Grandparent Program volunteers. We encourage you, our volunteers, to share your stories with your legislators about how volunteering has made a difference in your life.
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Madison and Dane County
Celebrate Volunteers
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In April, CNCS celebrated Mayor and County Day of Recognition for National Service. To mark the event, the Dane County Board of Supervisors signed a resolution to thank those that serve and find ways to give back to their communities during their meeting on April 6.
In addition, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin and the Madison Common Council also thanked and recognized the National Service members
Senior Corps (RSVP and FGP), AmeriCorps, and VISTA volunteers for the positive impact they have in their community at their April 18 meeting.
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Thanks to our major Sponsor
MG&E
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Important Dates
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RSVP Events
Monday, June 21
8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
RSVP Annual Meeting
Oakwood Village
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RSVP's office closings:
Monday, May 29
Memorial Day
Bus Buddy Events
July 13
Wisconsin Veterans Museum
August 17
Madison Public Library
Bubbler Room
Cottage Grove:
May 23
10:00 a.m.
'Detecting & Reporting Financial Crimes Against Seniors:
What You Can Do to Help'
Taylor Ridge Senior Housing
510 Westlawn Dr.
June 27
10:00 a.m.
'
Downsizing with Ease:
Where to Start &
What Help is Available'
Taylor Ridge Senior Housing
510 Westlawn Dr.
Verona:
May 17
12:30-2:00 p.m.
'Defense and Arrest Tactics
'
Verona Senior Center
108 Paoli St.
June 7
12:30 p.m.
'K9 Program'
Verona Senior Center
108 Paoli St.
July 14
12:30 p.m.
'Community Paramedic Program
of Fitch-Rona EMS'
Verona Senior Center
108 Paoli St.
West Madison:
May 24
10:30 a.m.
'Scams, Frauds and Thefts. Oh My'
Meadowood Library, Room B
5726 Raymond Rd.
'Transportation Options for Seniors in Madison & Dane County:
An Overview
'
Prairie Park Apartments6530 Schroeder Rd.
'Money Safety for Seniors'
For more information,
contact Mary Stamstad at
Visit RSVP at Walgreens
Senior Discount Days
RSVP distributes File of Life packets & other info at Walgreens each month. Stop by and
enjoy the senior discount!
Tuesday, June 6
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. at
Corner of Whitney/Raymond and
East Washington Ave. stores
Tuesday, August 8
11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. at
South Park St. and
Verona stores
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Volunteer Now!
Current Opportunities
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All Aboard the
Sweepstakes Train
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Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of Dane County
517 N. Segoe Rd., Ste. 300
Madison WI 53705
608-238-7787
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