Coosa RSVP reviews plans, seeks more volunteers
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
By Christa Jennings
Senior Staff Writer
The Coosa County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program’s Advisory Council met last month to review updates, discuss recruiting ideas and plan for the future.
Jennifer Dvorak, Coosa RSVP coordinator, mentioned that the group is still in the process of restructuring after COVID-19. During the meeting she reported that the Coosa RSVP was down to approximately 80 volunteers, but that it now has 98 volunteers.
She stated that RSVP joined with the Food for the Soul group in Equality, a program through Equality Methodist Church, which was added as RSVP’s seventeenth station. Dvorak said that Jean Moe Prince has been very instrumental in getting more individuals signed up for RSVP through Food for the Soul, with 12 new volunteers signing up from that group.
It was also reported that Lamar Daugherty, county commissioner for District 5, has joined the RSVP Advisory Council and also agreed to sign up as a volunteer.
With Daugherty joining, it brings the council to 11 members. Those are Daugherty, Sheralyn Belyeu, Sheryl Borden, Jordan Eason, Shelia Hardy, Lattie Hardy, Spencer Hardy, Nicole Law, Judy Marbury, Beatrice Reichert, and Suzanne Scott.
Coosa RSVP’s 17 stations include Coosa Community Priorities, Coosa Donations Management, Coosa Healthy Futures Companionship, Coosa Healthy Futures Transportation, Coosa County Access to Care, Coosa County Food Drop in Equality, Coosa County Historical Preservation, Coosa Disaster Response, Coosa Education Mentoring, Coosa Environmental Stewardship, Coosa Nutrition Food Support, Coosa Tax Preparation, Coosa Veterans and Families, Food for the Soul, Sardis Baptist Church, Weogufka Center, and West Coosa Center.
In reviewing the updated list of stations during the meeting, the Advisory Council also reviewed recruiting ideas and other plans. The group mentioned looking into having a central location where participants can drop off their volunteer hours to make it even more convenient, with the council mentioning possibly setting that up at the county’s three senior centers.
In mentioning the senior centers, it was stated that volunteers helping with meals at the centers count towards volunteer hours for those who are registered with RSVP.
During the August meeting, Dvorak provided an overview of the program’s progress to date this year. She said they removed or withdrew two inactive stations, added one station and 12 volunteers, reinstated two former volunteers, and have received logged hours from three of the stations, with it having been none last year.
Dvorak reviewed areas with increases and also mentioned areas that had decreases. She said the food drop hours are down, but that they expect those to increase again because of adding Equality.
She said that the Weogufka Center is down about 50% and that the West Coosa Senior Center has also had a decrease in hours. However, she said that she feels like as a whole things are improving.
Dvorak said she plans to reach out to some of the stations and individuals for participation and logging hours.
Regarding recruitment and efforts to get more volunteers to join RSVP, it was mentioned that the council might want to consider reaching out to or speaking with Neighborhood Watch groups, the Coosa County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments and the Sheriff’s Office reserve deputies, among others.
Also during the meeting, council members briefly discussed looking into community blood drives with Red Cross and possibly holding those once or twice a year, with RSVP volunteers helping organize the blood drive and helping to get the word out about the drive. The group mentioned considering that and possibly looking into partnering with Alabama One to sponsor a Red Cross blood drive, if the financial institution is interested and willing.
The council also mentioned a variety of things that count for volunteer hours with RSVP and how it helps the communities and counties at large.
RSVP is open to anyone aged 55 and older, retired or employed, who volunteers. The council mentioned at the meeting that it is not difficult to turn in hours for RSVP, and the program is looking for more people to sign up and participate.
“We know our volunteers are busy people, so we make turning in hours as easy as possible,” Dvorak said following the meeting. “Volunteers can phone in, text, or email their hours to the coordinator. If the volunteer is serving in a station, such as West Coosa, the station manager will record the hours served by the volunteer at the station and will forward them to the coordinator.”
RSVP members who call and check on people or provide companionship with phone calls and visits can count those as volunteer hours. For those eligible and enrolled, even writing newspaper columns can count as volunteer hours.
“Some take people to the doctor, to visit someone in a care facility, or to the grocery store or pharmacy,” Dvorak said. “Some people actually run errands for others, work in their yard, do some light housekeeping, or sit and read a book. Other areas of service are working at the food drop, [food] pantries at churches and helping to raise funds for various groups. Other activities are cooking food for others, mentoring children and serving in the senior centers.”
Those are just some examples of the numerous things that can count as volunteer hours for RSVP volunteers.
Dvorak said that RSVP has been in the Coosa County area for 20 years or more. She encourages anyone who has ever been an RSVP volunteer to contact them.
“If you have ever been an RSVP volunteer, please contact us,” Dvorak said. “We would love to know what you are doing to help others in your community!”
Anyone who is 55 or older and is interested in registering with RSVP can visit the Montgomery Area Council on Aging, or MACOA, website, email coosarsvp@mowmama.org, or call 256-626-2699 for more information or to register. RSVP registration and enrollment forms are also available at “The Coosa County News” office.
