RSVP Reflections

Retired & Senior Volunteer 55+ Program

monthly newsletter - May 13, 2022

Volunteers help blood center's operations flow smoothly

By Jeff Zdrale

Jessica Klingberg hit the road running in her new position as volunteer services manager at The Community Blood Center, 4406 W. Spencer in Appleton.

Klingberg already had worked for The Community Blood Center (CBC) in several capacities before starting in her current role.

I had visited with Klingberg’s predecessor, Heather Duvall, for an RSVP site visit last April, but Klingberg shared some updates with me.

The CBC now transports donors’ whole blood, platelets and plasma to 40 hospitals in six states. The center’s Appleton site also is expanding. Starting May 16 the current address will become the headquarters, and the property next door will serve as the donor and processing center.

The CBC’s territory and its scope of services are vast. In addition to the Appleton location, the center operates donor sites in Rhinelander, Woodruff, Little Chute, Merrill and Oshkosh. It also sponsors mobile blood drives all over the state in schools, churches, service clubs and business settings. Klingberg said that, over its whole service area, the CBC runs about 100 blood drives a week.

I learned that all revenue comes from fees that are charged to the receiving hospitals for the transport and the processing of the blood. Klingberg said that there can be no payment for blood donors.

My primary interest was how volunteers and, more specifically, RSVP volunteers, help support the CBC. Klingberg said that now a pool of 235 volunteers covers all of the center’s sites.

“Could you use more?” I asked Klingberg. She said, “Of course, it would be great to have more, especially in the mobile drives we have.”

Read entire article here.

AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers recognized for service 

Three AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who have served 20 years with the Retired & Senior Volunteer 55+ Program will receive the Governor’s Service Award in May. 

The Governor’s Service Awards honor outstanding national service members, volunteers and programs that have helped to address serious social needs in their communities. Those honored by these awards have made significant contributions to Wisconsin through their generous service and have made an impact in the lives of countless Wisconsinites.  

The following volunteers have served 20 years in the RSVP for Outagamie and Calumet counties: 

• Germaine Ambrosius of Kaukauna sorts donations at St. Vincent de Paul in Kaukauna. She also provided office support there. Germaine was a friendly visitor at two nursing homes, assisted with mailings at Goodwill NCW VITA Program and tutored at local elementary schools. Germaine likes to be around people and says volunteering is good for her health! 
• Berdella Bogard of Appleton knits and crochets hats, mittens and scarves in conjunction with Hooks ‘n Needles, an RSVP service activity. She also makes Knitted Knockers, special handmade breast prostheses for women who have undergone mastectomies or other procedures. She has tutored at Sunrise Elementary School and took blood pressures for the community at ThedaCare Regional Medical Center - Appleton. She also knit baby caps for the hospital nursery. Berdella says she likes to volunteer for a variety of activities because it keeps her young! 
• Virginia Pflanzer of Appleton sorts donations at The Salvation Army – Fox Cities and the Community Clothes Closet. She also distributed gifts at The Salvation Army and interviewed clients. She was a friendly visitor at King Veterans Home and provided office support at the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau. Virginia says she likes helping people and appreciates hearing about their diverse ideas!  

Sign up by May 17 for volunteer luncheon

It’s time now to sign up for the annual RSVP Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, for those volunteers and guests who haven’t already done so.

Register by May 17 by calling Volunteer Fox Cities at 920-832-9360 or emailing rsvp@volunteerfoxcities.org. The event is free for all RSVP volunteers. For guests, the cost is $27 per person. Mail checks payable to: Volunteer Fox Cities, 2616 S. Oneida Street, Appleton, WI 54915.

The luncheon will take place at the Grand Meridian, 2621 N. Oneida Street in Appleton. Doors will open at 10:30 a.m., with entertainment by New Horizons Band at 11 a.m. and a family-style noon meal to follow.

In keeping with the event’s theme, “Connect to Community,” keynote speaker Mr. Timber Smith will speak about how diversity plays a role in our community. Smith serves as the diversity, equity and inclusion coordinator for the City of Appleton.

New RSVP name badges will be available for each volunteer to pick up at the event’s registration table. We look forward to seeing you at the event!

For more information, follow this link.

Tips for better posture

Moving through our daily lives can feel like a big game of sit-stand-lie. Throughout all of these motions, it can be easy to lose sight of good posture. Posture isn’t just about appearance, however. Far from it, in fact. Maintaining good posture, whether seated or standing, is incredibly important for balance and injury prevention. It even can help you better access your physical and mental agility.

In this article, Network Health quality care coordinator Jennifer Footit-Tank RN BSN shares why posture is important, the negative effects of poor posture and some ways to improve your posture every day.

Stand Up for Posture in May and Beyond

Explore Wisconsin’s top ten state parks

It’s easy to take for granted since most of us have spent much of our lives here, but Wisconsin is a beautiful place. From the snow-blanketed landscapes of winter to the vibrant humming pastures of summer, all four seasons offer worthwhile destinations and experiences if you know where to look.

You can find many of these nature scenes within the 66 state park units throughout the Badger State. In this article by Network Health quality care coordinator Julien Her, you’ll learn about ten great state parks you can visit this summer and all year.

Top Ten Wisconsin State Parks

Network Health’s mission is to create healthy and strong Wisconsin communities by being a health and wellness partner to our members and our communities. For more information, please visit: www.networkhealth.com. 

May is Better Hearing & Speech Month

Fox Valley Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAAFV) has a busy month. On May 21, Wisconsin’s annual Walk4Hearing will be held in Milwaukee. Many organizations whose missions relate to hearing loss participate in this event. Funds raised are targeted for scholarships for students with hearing loss who are seeking post-secondary education. Funds also finance educational events for hard-of-hearing people of all ages and raise awareness of the high incidence of hearing loss and how it affects 17 percent of the population. For information about this event, visit www.walk4hearing.org.

Other activities include a social event at The Ground Round, participation at an exhibit table at the RSVP Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon on Tuesday, May 24, and a Zoom discussion group that will share information about cochlear implants at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. Request the meeting link at hlaafoxvalley@gmail.com. 

Anyone who is interested in learning more about living well with hearing loss is invited to attend events sponsored by HLAA. The June meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, June 13, via Zoom. Request the meeting link at hlaafoxvalley@gmail.com. 

HLAA also is seeking volunteer support for our chapter activities.

HLAA’s mission at all levels is to share information, educate, advocate and provide peer support. HLAA does not sell products or endorse products or service providers. We share our experiences with them. Information about HLAA can be found at www.hearingloss.org.   

According to Volunteer Hub, an online blog, 71 percent of volunteers work with only one organization each year.

Hooks ‘n Needles finds new home 

Our knitting and crocheting volunteers who serve with Hooks ‘n Needles are meeting in the Fireside Room at Memorial Presbyterian Church, 803 E. College Ave., Appleton, from 10 a.m. to noon on the first Wednesday of each month. Parking is available in front of the church.

All volunteers who knit or crochet with Hooks ‘n Needles are invited to attend this self-directed gathering and will not be required to sign in. Yarn also will be available at MPC.

Clothing donations and service hour reports may be brought to Volunteer Fox Cities during office hours: 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon on Friday. Donations will be distributed to local nonprofit partners of the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program.



Volunteers who wish to be included on e-mail updates from Sadie Milis should contact her at sgmum4@gmail.com.

Free Emotional eCPR workshops open to community

Experiencing emotional crisis is universal; all people go through it at some time during their lives. In the last two years alone, people have experienced increased feelings of anxiety, depression, overwhelm and uncertainty. We all have experienced the collective trauma of living in a world that is no longer predictable. Increasing capacity of emotional supports to meet the growing need for emotional support is urgent.

eCPR is a community education program that teaches people how to support another person experiencing emotional crisis. People who use eCPR report that it becomes a way of life and strengthens their relationships with family, friends, coworkers and community members.

Fox Cities Emotional eCPR (Ebb & Flow Cooperative) is offering free 2-hour eCPR introductory workshops made available through the support of area funders, including the Community Foundation. To register or to learn more, follow this link.

Elder Justice Corner

Beware of IRS & Child Tax Credit Scams

Many people received their advance Child Tax Credit payments this year, but scammers are taking advantage of this new program to try to trick you out of money or personal information. They’re pretending to be from the IRS, contacting people by phone, text, email and social media — and sending people to official-looking websites that look just like the IRS.

Before you respond to anyone who reaches out to you, here are a few things to know about the IRS and the Child Tax Credit:

Check your eligibility for the tax credits. If you haven’t gotten any advance payment this year, you can still sign up by following the IRS’ instructions.

The IRS used information from already filed tax returns to automatically sign people up for the Child Tax Credit.

If you think you should have received funds and aren’t getting payments automatically, it might be because you didn’t file a tax return for 2019 or 2020. You’ll need to sign up for these payments if you didn’t file.

The IRS (and other government agencies) will never text, email, or contact you on social media asking for your personal or financial information. The IRS does not use robocalls and will not call about something urgent or threatening. The IRS also will not call to ask taxpayers to give or verify financial information to get your Child Tax Credit payments.

The IRS will never ask for a payment by gift card, wire transfer or cryptocurrency. The IRS and other government agencies also will never ask you to pay to get financial help.

If you have questions, start at the IRS website to get answers. If someone says they’re from the IRS and contacts you about the Child Tax Credit, report this to the IRS and ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you think a scammer already has garnered any of your personal or financial information, visit IdentityTheft.gov to get a recovery plan.

Volunteer Opportunities

Loaves & Fishes: Is looking for volunteers to work in the garden to perform all gardening tasks, including watering, weeding and picking. Flexible hours – volunteer when it is convenient for you! Complete an online application at loavesandfishes.org or call Sue at 920-750-0964.  

Community Child Care Center: Is seeking a handyperson once or twice a month to help with the center’s “honeydo list.” Volunteers will be given a list of projects and they can pick and choose what they want to do, and when they want to do it, between 6:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tasks may include installing vinyl baseboard, fixing cupboard doors or hanging pictures. Contact Karyn at 920-788-8740 or childcarecommunity@att.net.

Calumet County ADRC: Is looking for home-delivered meal drivers from 10:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday on the Calumet County side of Appleton. The transfer of meals is at St. Bernadette Parish parking lot, 2331 E. Lourdes Dr., Appleton. Mileage reimbursement of .585 cents/mile, sanitizer, masks and gloves are provided by the county. Volunteers return meal delivery warming bags the following week. Contact Jodi at 866-739-2372, 920-849-1451 or jodi.kautzer@calumetcounty.org. 

St. Vincent de Paul Kaukauna: Is seeking volunteers ages 18 and older to operate the cash register and/or bag merchandise at the front counter from 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m. or 12:30-4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. If you can’t commit to a shift, consider being on a list we can call in case regulars are not able to volunteer. We will train you. For more information, contact Mary Jo at 920-766-2548 or stvincentdepaulkaukauna@gmail.com.

Mosquito Hill Nature Center: Is seeking volunteer naturalists to lead elementary school field trips. Training includes learning about habitats, animals, plants, interpretive skills followed by shadowing and team-teaching with staff. Contact Mary at 920-779-6433 or mary.swifka@outagamie.org.

Happy birthday to volunteers celebrating in May!