If you are age 55 plus and are looking to make a difference in Mills, Montgomery, Page or Fremont Counties, consider volunteering through the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). RSVP is an outreach of Iowa Health and Human Services and is part of the largest volunteer network in the state for people age 55 plus called AmeriCorps Seniors. The program connects people aged 55 and better with volunteer opportunities, allowing them to use their skills, talents, and life experiences to help meet community needs.
The local program is under the direction of Sheri Bowen, the new RSVP Volunteer Iowa Coordinator. She is a long-time resident of Malvern and is excited to provide these services to the Southwest Iowa area. Since taking on the role of RSVP Volunteer Iowa Coordinator in August, Bowen has been busy getting to know potential volunteers and the places they gather while finding ways to connect them with volunteer opportunities at nonprofits, schools, and medical organizations across the area.
Volunteer opportunities with RSVP can range from providing social connection to other people, improving access to food, transportation, providing youth support or improving organizational capacity. Bowen works with each organization and identifies ways they would use their volunteers and provides recruitment on behalf of the nonprofit. Relationships were already in place with organizations like the Bloom Senior Center and Hamburg Community Schools, while new volunteer opportunities have been developed at Southwest Valley Enarson Elementary School in Villisca, Turnbull Child Development Center in Shenandoah, The Wilson, Red Oak Senior Center and The Restored Depot & WWII Museum in Red Oak, and the Malvern Library, SWITCH and the Mills County Historical Museum in Mills County.
“One great part of RSVP outreach is that volunteers can be reimbursed for their mileage when they drive as a volunteer,” said Bowen, “We also have insurance if, for example, you break your glasses during a volunteering shift.” As volunteers are trained and begin new work schedules, their hours are recorded to show the impact they are having on their local communities. “There are so many benefits to volunteering,” said Bowen, “not only do you get to be positively involved in your community, but studies show that those who volunteer tend to live longer, find purpose and be happier.”
One of Bowen’s goals is to work with schools in the area to start pen pal programs for students in the third and fourth grades. Once a month, students in the program would write a letter to an RSVP volunteer, who would then write a letter back to that student during the school year. She is looking for volunteers and friendly faces to help at places like the Malvern Library, The Wilson, Red Oak Senior Center, Turnbull Child Development Center, SWITCH, Mills County Historical Museum, the Restored Depot and WWII Museum, and opportunities for the occasional one-time special event. New organizations and volunteer opportunities are being added to the list on an ongoing basis.
Bowen started with 2 volunteer sites and approximately 80 volunteers in Mills and Fremont Counties and has added 8 new volunteer sites and 15 volunteers over the past few months. “I am excited to grow this program and increase the volunteer opportunities here in Southwest Iowa,” said Bowen. The process to become a volunteer is simple with volunteers completing an application and reviewing the RSVP Handbook. Bowen matches the volunteer’s skills and interests with those of local organization to assure a fulfilling experience for all. Interested organizations and potential volunteers can reach out to Bowen at 712-521-8132 or by email at sheri.bowen@volunteeriowa.org.
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