RSVP Reflections

Retired & Senior Volunteer 55+ Program

monthly newsletter - August 12, 2022

School district seeks volunteer tutors 

By Kara Patterson

RSVP Program Assistant

Recruiting and enrolling tutors for its United for Reading Success and Math Achievement Partnership programs is high on the Appleton Area School District’s back-to-school checklist for August.

“We are going full force,” said Julie Bargholtz, the district’s coordinator of community engagement. “Our volunteers are back in the schools.”

After an approximately two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bargholtz said, the volunteer tutoring programs relaunched this past February. She said there now is a need for tutors in all of the district’s participating schools.

Gerry Hofacker of Appleton started volunteering as a tutor through United for Reading Success at Edison Elementary School in 2013, the same year she became an AmeriCorps Seniors volunteer with the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).

“It is so much fun to see the kids when you first start with them and how they progress through the year,” said Hofacker, who said she is eager to resume tutoring this coming school year. “The teachers there work so well with us. I really was impressed with that.”

Read entire article here.

Get back on track this fall  –  join a health & wellness program!

Check out the following classes sponsored by Outagamie County ADRC:

Strong Bodies – An evidence-based strength training program for middle-aged to older men and women. Classes meet for one hour twice a week from September through April or May. Proven to help with:

·        Increased muscle mass and strength

·        Improved bone density

·        Reduced risk for osteoporosis & related fractures

·        Reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, depression & obesity

·        Improved self-confidence, sleep & vitality

For more information or to register, contact Nancy Krueger at 920-740-9572 or nkrueger@vpind.com. 

Healthy Living with Diabetes – This program is designed to help adults with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes learn self-management skills and increase their confidence level in managing their diabetes.

For more information or to register, contact Nancy Krueger at 920-740-9572 or nkrueger@vpind.com.

Tai Chi – This graceful exercise promotes calm mental focus and alignment while building leg strength, endurance and stability. Ideal for increasing stamina, flexibility and coordination, tai chi promotes efficiency of movement and economy of effort. Join free, 1-hour classes:

Where: Immanuel Lutheran Church (Entrance D) at W7265 School Rd., Greenville

When: Wednesdays beginning Aug. 31

Time: 11:30 a.m.

For more information or to register, contact Nancy Krueger at 920-740-9572 or nkrueger@vpind.com.

Stepping On: Falls Prevention Workshop – A seven-week workshop presents education on preventing falls in older adults. The Stepping On program focuses on how strength and balancing exercises, medication management, home safety, footwear, vision and mobility are important in preventing falls.

Where: Little Chute Municipal Building - Room N3

When: Tuesdays Oct. 4-Nov. 22 (No class Nov. 8)

Time: 9:30-11:30 a.m.

For more information or to register, contact Nancy Krueger at 920-740-9572 or nkrueger@vpind.com.

Healthy Living with Chronic Pain – A researched program proven to improve health and well-being for people with chronic pain. The program covers many topics related to pain management and how to improve social, physical and mental well-being. The workshop is facilitated by two trained leaders, one who is affected by pain. It meets for 2½ hours once a week for six weeks. This workshop does not replace existing treatments but serves to complement a participant’s medical treatment:

• Designed for adults dealing with ongoing (chronic) pain
• Teaches skills to effectively manage pain
• Improves energy, mental health and quality of life
• Decreases pain and dependence on others
• Supports better ability to understand pain, gain confidence and use coping skills

Where: Thompson Center on Lourdes

When: Wednesdays Sept. 7-Oct. 12

Time: 12:30-3 p.m.

For more information or to register, contact Nancy Krueger at 920-740-9572 or nkrueger@vpind.com. 

Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels,    Healthy Bladder – If you have issues with bladder or bowel control, you are not alone. More than half of women aged 50 or older experience urine or bowel leakage sometimes. Mind Over Matter: Healthy Bowels, Healthy Bladder is a 3-session workshop that includes information, group activities and simple exercises to do at home. It is designed to give women the tools they need to take control of their symptoms. Scientific studies show that attending this workshop reduces or even cures symptoms for many women. Even if you don’t have leakage symptoms now, it’s never too early or too late to think about your bladder and bowel health.

Join us for Mind Over Matter at the following locations:

Where: Courtyard-Grand Chute

When: Friday, Sept. 2, 16 & 30

Time: 10 a.m. to noon

Register soon - class size is limited to 12 participants

Where: Heart of the Valley YMCA Dance Studio

When: Sept. 9 & 23 and Oct. 7

Time: 1-3 p.m. 

For more information or to register, contact Nancy Krueger at 920-740-9572 or nkrueger@vpind.com. 



Communication access is topic of September meeting

HLAA Fox Valley Chapter, a consumer-based nonprofit organization, holds monthly meetings. (Exceptions: August & January) The next meeting, scheduled for September 12, will explore communication access.

HLAA’s mission includes sharing information about how hearing loss can impact well-being. Acquired hearing loss has been linked to health concerns like cardiovascular issues and increased risk of falls. Untreated hearing loss also has been linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and even developing dementia.

When people are disconnected from the world around them - when they shy away from using the phone, attending social events with friends and family, going to meetings, etc. - the world can become a very lonely place. Loneliness can lead to depression.

Bringing hard-of-hearing people together to share coping strategies and personal experiences validates feelings that friends and family members often minimize. Sharing the emotional side of hearing loss with others who understand, in an environment where communication access is provided, can be life changing.

Sign up for HLAAFVC’s newsletter/meeting notice for details on meeting location, time, presentations and more. All are welcome to attend the meetings. Contact hlaafoxvalley@gmail.com for more information.

Learn more about immunizations

When it comes to taking care of your health and avoiding illnesses, immunizations are a critical way to stay on top of things. There are several vaccinations that experts at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend. Which immunizations are important for your overall health and well-being and when should you get them? In this article by Network Health senior quality care coordinator Michele Eggers, you’ll learn about the CDC-recommended immunization schedule for children, youth and adults and how frequently you may need to boost/re-immunize. For more information, follow this link.

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. 



Project Heat’s ON set for Sept. 17 

The 30^th Annual Project Heat’s ON will be held on Saturday, Sept. 17, for low-income homeowners.

The one-day free event is sponsored by Plumbers & Steamfitters Local 400 volunteers, with assistance from the Mechanical Contractors Association of North Central Wisconsin and Volunteer Fox Cities.

This all-volunteer effort, which is supported by a grant from We Energies Foundation, provides free home inspections for low-income homeowners in northeast Wisconsin, including Outagamie and northern Winnebago counties. The service includes inspection and repair of heating systems, changing filters, checking smoke alarms and replacing either the alarm or the batteries.

UA 400 volunteers use trucks and tools furnished by the Mechanical Contractors Association of North Central Wisconsin. The goal of the program is to provide homeowners with a safe furnace for the upcoming heating season.

Homeowners ages 60 and older who receive an income near the poverty level or are under age 60 and have a disability may request an application for this service by contacting Jan at Volunteer Fox Cities at 920-832-9360 or rsvp@volunteerfoxcities.org. Completed applications are due to Volunteer Fox Cities by Monday, Aug. 22. Homeowners will be notified by mail if they have been accepted and must be at the residence on Sept. 17, the day of the service.

Tech-ED for Adults needs volunteers

Tech-ED for Adults is seeking volunteers to assist vetted instructors in helping adults, ages 50+, navigate their portable, electronic devices (such as iPad, laptop, flip phone or smartphone). Neither teaching experience nor advanced technology knowledge is required, just the desire to help older adults learn technology that can help them increase their social connections to family, friends and resources. Ideal volunteers will have patience, the ability to problem-solve and a passion for cultivating their own technology knowledge and skills.

Sessions are held at various host sites in the Fox Valley. All volunteers will be required to meet with the older adult program coordinator for an orientation prior to volunteering. Contact Chelsea at 920-832-9360 or chelsea@volunteerfoxcities.org

Meeting Needs in Wisconsin: Last year more than 8,100 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers came together to serve their communities. 



Volunteer Opportunities

Strong Bodies: Outagamie County is seeking volunteers to lead Strong Bodies, an evidence-based strength-training program that meets twice a week from September through April or May for one hour. Options include sharing a class with other leaders. Volunteering includes attending a full-day training session. Ideal volunteers will have taken the class before or have previous experience with weight-training or health education. Contact Nancy at nkrueger@vpind.com or 920-740-9572.

Waupaca County ADRC home-delivered meal services: Is seeking volunteers to pick up meals at the Washington Center in New London at 10:45 a.m. one day a week on Tuesdays or Thursdays and deliver them to homebound residents in the New London area. Time and length of route vary, but it typically takes one hour. Application and background check are required. Contact Denise for information at 715-258-6277 or

denise.roman@co.waupaca.wi.us.

St. Paul Elder Services: Seeks compassionate hospice volunteers who enjoy listening and companioning those at the end of their life journey. Volunteers may provide spiritual/faith support, active listening, support for nonverbal residents, conversation, walks, activities or any other creative and empathetic gesture bringing comfort. Volunteers typically meet with their designated person weekly or every other week, for as long as they desire. Contact Lindsey at 920-766-6180 or lindseypi@stpaulelders.org.

Feeding America Tribal Food Box Packing: Is seeking volunteers to help pack meal boxes on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month through December for indigenous people in Wisconsin. Forty volunteers are needed for each shift: 8-11 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. To volunteer for a shift of your choice, visit feedingamericawi.org, click on “Get Involved,” follow the “Volunteer” link, then “All Appleton Volunteer Opportunities” and select “Tribal Elder Box Program.” 

Greater Fox Cities Area Habitat for Humanity: Is seeking volunteers to join the award-winning Senior Crew. This is an elite group of core volunteers who commit to a somewhat regular, yet flexible, schedule. For more information, contact Jodi at jodii@foxcitieshabitat.org or 920-544-7856.  

Happy birthday to volunteers celebrating in August!