RSVP June Newsletter

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RSVP-Northern Virginia

June 2018

In this issue:

Welcome Janet!
June Group Service Project
RSVP Podcast now on iTunes
Upcoming Events
RSVP Volunteer Close Up
Timesheet Submissions
Welcome New Volunteers!

Don't forget to check out the

RSVP Facebook page !

Also, be sure to check out the latest issue of the Golden Gazette . RSVP sends a big thank you to the staff at the Golden Gazette for highlighting RSVP and our Volunteer of the Year!

Welcome Janet!

RSVP Northern Virginia welcomes Janet Davison as our new Program Manager! She joins the RSVP team after nine years on staff at Volunteer Fairfax. Her considerable experience in a variety of areas of volunteerism is a valuable asset in her work supporting the RSVP mission. Janet is bilingual and grew up traveling the world. During her free time, she enjoys running and caring for her husky.

June Group Service Project

RSVP is partnering with Junior Achievement to help rebuild their volunteer kits. Volunteers are needed to unpack partially used classroom kits and sort materials so they can be rebuilt into new kits. Click here to sign up!

When: Thursday, June 14 from 1 p.m. - 3 p.m.

Where: Junior Achievement Finance Park, 4099 Pickett Road, Fairfax, VA 22032

RSVP Podcast now on iTunes

Starting this month, selected RSVP Northern Virginia weekly podcasts are available free on iTunes! Each week RSVP Northern Virginia outreach specialist Rob Paine interviews one of our volunteers, partner volunteer coordinators or RSVP volunteer specialist. The programs focus on a variety of topics pertaining to senior volunteering ranging from why it is important for seniors to volunteer to what type of opportunities are available through RSVP.

Our newest program posted May 29th highlights River Farm in Alexandria with an interview with the volunteer coordinator Laurie Short. To find RSVP Northern Virginia on iTunes, type RSVP Northern Virginia in the search bar. You can subscribe to our podcasts so they will always be added to your iTunes library.

To enjoy the podcasts that include photos and video, please visit RSVP Northern Virginia on YouTube or visit our RSVP Facebook page on Tuesday afternoons when new podcasts are posted. Our iTunes feed includes only the audio portion of the podcast.

Do you have an idea or would you like to be featured on an upcoming podcast? Please contact Rob at rpaine@volunteerfairfax.org .

Volunteer Workshop on Photography

RSVP will be offering a free photography workshop at Fairfax County Park Authority’s Green Spring Gardens led by RSVP outreach specialist and award-winning professional photographer, Rob Paine. No matter if your camera of choice is a cell phone or a DSLR, Rob will help you develop a more creative approach to your photography. Following an hour talk and slide show, Rob will lead a photo walk around the gardens at the park. The park’s volunteer coordinator will also be on hand to talk about the great volunteer opportunities at Green Spring. It will take place rain or shine. All current and potential volunteers are invited. Please wear comfortable shoes for walking. All workshop participants will be entered in a free drawing for a hardcover copy of Rob’s photo book “Saying it with Flowers” that will be given away at the end of the class. Click here to sign up!

When: Wednesday, June 20 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Where: Green Spring Gardens, 4603 Green Spring Road, Alexandria, VA 22312

Fairfax City 4th of July Parade

Come walk with Volunteer Fairfax in the Fairfax City 4th of July parade! We will be meeting in the parking lot adjacent to the Historic Fairfax County Courthouse at 8:30 a.m. Parade will begin at 10 a.m. and will take about 45 minutes to walk the 6 block route. Parking will be available in the parking garage next to the Volunteer Fairfax office. Click here to sign up!

When: Wednesday, July 4 from 8:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Northern Virginia Senior Olympics

Registration for the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics (NVSO) has officially begun! If you are interested in participating in an event, go to www.nvso.us . NVSO is also seeking volunteers, both athletes and nonparticipants, to support the games. Various volunteer shifts are available throughout the games. Click here to sign up! We are also in need of volunteer photographers for the games. If you are interested, email Rob Paine at rpaine@volunteerfairfax.org.

When: September 15 - 26

Where: Various locations throughout Northern VA

Landscape Clean Up at Colvin Run Mill

Come join Colvin Run Mill Historic Site for a landscape clean up. Volunteers will receive a complimentary tour of the mill, the last operational 19th century water-powered mill in the Washington, D.C. area. This volunteer opportunity is great for anyone interested in history, architecture, landscaping, gardening, and community outreach. If you're interested in signing up, contact Margaret.Puglisi@fairfaxcounty.gov.

When: Saturday, June 9 from 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Where: Colvin Run Mill Historic Site, 10017 Colvin Run Road, Great Falls, VA 22066

PACE Program Needs Helping Hands

InovaCares for Seniors PACE program is looking for volunteers to assist and lead various activities with their seniors such as a garden club, Spanish conversation group, arts and crafts, group activities, and more! PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) is an integrated system that allows seniors to remain in their own homes, maintain independence and lead healthier more fulfilling lives. If interested, call 703-239-5888.

Arlington Cares

This free event seeks to celebrate the spirit of volunteerism through a recognition ceremony as well as a Volunteer Fair. Volunteers are needed to help with set up for the event, helping people to their seats, and clean up. For more information and to sign up, contact Lisa Fikes at lfikes@leadercenter.org or 703-528-2522 x19.

When: Tuesday, July 24 from 3:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Where: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203

RSVP Volunteer Close Up

Sue Dussinger

“I just cannot say enough about how much volunteering has benefited me,” says RSVP volunteer and engagement leader Sue Dussinger of Alexandria.

Sue began her RSVP experience in 2016 after volunteering at an information booth at the Fairfax Fall Festival with then-RSVP volunteer specialist Nadia Hoonan. “It started off with me knowing that I wanted to do more with RSVP,” Sue said of the experience. She also helped staff the same booth with current RSVP volunteer specialist Carly Hubicki at the 2017 festival.

Prior to joining RSVP, Sue had more than a decade of volunteer work under her belt with Volunteer Fairfax’s Volunteers for Change program, which she says she thoroughly enjoys. “I get more benefit (from volunteering) than the people I’m helping,” she says. “If that sounds selfish well…but I know I’m helping people. It really helps you (as a volunteer) grow a little bit.”

With RSVP, Sue‘s experiences have ranged from coordinating a monthly group service project at River Farm in Alexandria to helping out at the resume review room at the 50+ Employment Expo in April. She is also a regular volunteer driver for Volunteer Solutions, another RSVP partner. "Volunteering is a good way to keep social,” Sue says. “I have never in my life been a real ‘joiner’ but once you get into it (volunteering), you can’t stop. I love interacting with people.”

Sue, who after retiring in 2012 began working as a fitness specialist at a local health club, also points to the health benefits of being a senior volunteer. “You really need to stay active. You need to keep moving as seniors,” she says. Sue became interested in becoming an RSVP engagement leader after working with Ken Kozloff at the 2017 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics.

“I just liked the idea of helping to coordinate and to make it (the event) a good experience for the volunteers,” she says.

Why does Sue recommend volunteering with RSVP? “I have been involved with two RSVP volunteer coordinators (Nadia Hoonan and Carly Hubicki) and both are excellent. I think that is where it starts. They seem to seek out opportunities for us and they are laid out beautifully in our newsletter so you get to choose. There will probably be something that will interest you. They (the volunteer specialists) look for different opportunities because they know we are different people.”

“I think I can honestly say I have never regretted going on a single volunteer project.” Sue says. “That is a huge thing to be able to say,” she adds. “You meet the most wonderful people.”

Timesheet Submissions

Please remember to submit your May timesheets! Tracking volunteer hours is essential to our program; it is the number one way we report our volunteers are active and keeps the program up and running. If you have any questions, please contact RSVP Volunteer Specialist, Carly Hubicki, at rsvp@volunteerfairfax.org or 703-403-5360.