Celebrating People in Action is the theme of this year’s National Volunteer Week, April 15-21, and RSVP of North Central Iowa is proud to celebrate its volunteers who give back to communities throughout the region.
The week is proclaimed annually to honor volunteers nationwide who dedicate themselves to taking action and bettering their communities. The week also focuses on inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to discover new ways to become involved and engaged in their communities and to put themselves at the center of social change.
RSVP of North Central Iowa, sponsored by North Iowa Area Community College, applauds the efforts of its volunteers who serve in elementary and middle schools across North Central Iowa, and in the IRIS program at KCMR radio station in Mason City.
“RSVP volunteers are passionate about their service and dedicated to improving lives in North Central Iowa,” says Molly Anderegg, director of RSVP of North Central Iowa. “This group of older citizens continues to amaze me as they strive to learn more about their volunteering role in the schools, how they can positively impact the lives of children, and step up to the plate for new volunteer opportunities. We are all better off with RSVP volunteers in our community and this is our opportunity to say Thank You.”
RSVP currently has 171 volunteers involved in its literacy programs in Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Winnebago and Worth counties. This school year, volunteers are working with 388 students in 16 schools. Volunteer opportunities include Reading Coaches (volunteers who tutor and mentor middle school students), Reading Buddies (volunteers who work with elementary school students) and Breakfast Buddies (volunteers who meet with students while they eat breakfast at school).
”RSVP has been a staple here at Clear Creek for years. Our staff and students have grown up with the program as part of our reading program,” says Mike Barkley, principal at Clear Creek Elementary School in Clear Lake. “The volunteers have always been the highlight for many of our student’s day. As budgets have been trimmed and the support for our students on the decrease, we know that we can count on RSVP. Their dedication and support has been invaluable to our students and their development. Thanks, RSVP, for providing not only reading support, but working as a mentor to our students.”
RSVP also has three volunteers serving in the IRIS program, the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service for the Blind and Print Handicapped. Volunteers read The Globe Gazette over the IRIS frequency at the KCMR radio station in Mason City. IRIS is a free news and information service that broadcasts 24 hours a day every day of the year to thousands of listeners throughout Iowa.
RSVP thanks the following Advisory Council board members and volunteers (listed by hometown) who make a difference in North Central Iowa:
Advisory Council – Britt: James Becker, Brenda Hanson; Buffalo Center: Joe Angstman; Clear Lake: John Severtson; Corwith: Connie Hunget; Forest City: Tony Coloff, Mike Ebaugh; Garner: Joan Hanson; Manly: Andrew Hill; Mason City: Adriana Attleson, Tim Fleming, Sharon Steckman; Northwood: Janis Borum;
Volunteers – Britt: Myra Bowman, Marilyn Bruns, Jan Charbonneaux, Lois DeLeon, Beverly Diemer, Judy Eckels, Judy Fox, Esther Higdon, Don Kopacek, Kay Kopacek, Teresa Leerar, Leola Nedved, Beverly Nelson, Carole Penning, Patricia Riehm, Carol Rork, Darrell Schaper, Jean Sheets, Shirley Tegtmeyer, Marilyn Tjaden, Elaine Weiland, Beverly Wilhite; Buffalo Center: Joe Angstman, Pam Angstman, Betty Coxson, Betty Kloster-Delgado, Dr. John Laflen, Beverly Larson, Frances Meyer, Vonnie Pilgrim-Bosma, Arlene Thorland; Clear Lake: Ellen Anderson, Jane Angle, Janet Christensen, Connie Clapsaddle-Heine, David Curtis, Mary Curtis, Ellen Jandebeur, Sally Kennedy, Joyce Knorr, Charlene Lee, Sandy Nyhus, Bill (Oz) Osmundson, Sharron Rule, David Suntken, Polly Suntken, Dorothy Weir, Alyce Wilson; Forest City: Mary Aagard, Judy Anderson, JoAnn Bartleson, Barb Braun, Mike Ebaugh, Marilyn Erding, Dr. Carroll Gustafson, Joan Hansen, Shirley Hanson, Mary Lou Johnson, Aidan Kelly, Roberta Kraft-Abrahamson, Ron Kvale, Diane Lovick, Kathy Olson, Karolyn Overlie, Clarine Snyder, Betty Soderling, John Sporri, Inghild VanAuken, Dan Williams, Elsie Willig, Liz Wilson; Garner: Val Anderson, Nellie Bird, Carrol Boehnke, Dolores Boehnke, Lavon Brown, Susan Bruxvoort, Diane Deibler, Kathy Gibbs, Jan Hana, Linda Hoppel, Kay Karsjens, Eunice Kinsella, Marilyn Kral, Merikay Mestad, Nancy Nelson, Patricia Pool, Karen Saeugling, Kathy Upmeyer; Hanlontown: Joyce Calgaard; Joice: Judy Tenold; Kanawha: Shirley Baker, Pat Hartwig, Kathy Johnson, Pat Sampson, Mary Schreiber, Geoffrey White; Klemme: Dorothy Denny; Lake Mills: Norma Adams, Darlene Behr, Ethel Christianson, Helen Kelso, Marietta Norris; Lakota: Rena Steele; Leland: Judy Ambroson; Manly: JoAnn Andera, Betty Benjegerdes, Marilyn Pinta; Mason City: Margaret Argos, Adriana Attleson, Judy Bohn, Marie Borchardt, Janet Brockmeyer, Ralph Cassady, Kathryn Colville, Arlene Dietz, Beverly Eckholt, Sue Foy, Marlene Fruedenberg, Anne Gannett, Ruth Geilenfeld, Janae Haygood, Cathy Homan, Thomas Homan, Maria Hubbard, Sharon Kloberdanz, Marsha Koerber, Joyce Konigsmark, Adrian Lambert, Katie Lashbrook, Charlotte Locher, David McCourt, Gayle McCourt, Bonnie McCoy, Connie Momeni, Vel Mondahl, Joyce Nielsen, Jan Nierling, Marsha Nord, Barbara Opheim, Marlene Peterson, Sharon Ryg, Coni Samsel, Carlyn Schriver, Karen Slife, Peggy Solberg, Vicki Stangler, Mary Stanton, Linda Staudt, Letha Steinauer, Mary Kay Stricker, Stuart Vold, Mary Wilson, Nancy Witt; Northwood: Judy Balkenende, Janis Borum, Joanne Doan, Donna Hagen, Blanche Hogen, Joanne Kesler, Marcia Kraft, Thelma Krull-Boutelle, Frances Lawhorn, Jo Moretz, Sandra Nitcher, Stephanie Perkins, Helen Senne, Sharon Sietsema, Renee Venz; Rake: Claudia Johnson; Thompson: Beverly Aalgaard, Shirley Miller, Charissa Olson; Ventura: Janelle Renner.
If you are 55+ and would like to volunteer, please contact the RSVP office. For more information on RSVP of North Central Iowa, visit www.niacc.edu/rsvp/ or contact 1-888-466-4222 ext. 4256, (641) 422-4256 or rsvp@niacc.edu. RSVP of North Central Iowa serves the counties of Cerro Gordo, Hancock, Winnebago and Worth responding to priority community needs by providing meaningful, purposeful volunteer opportunities for people ages 55 and over.
RSVP is sponsored by North Iowa Area Community College and is partly funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, State of Iowa, United Way of North Central Iowa and local county governments.
