MASON CITY – Communities throughout North Central Iowa are stronger thanks to the time and talent shared by Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteers. RSVP of North Central Iowa is honored to recognize its members and highlight the wonderful work they do to fulfill needs and address problems in their communities during this year’s National Volunteer Week, April 7-13. The week is a celebration of volunteerism.
RSVP volunteers provide most of their service to students as Reading Buddy and Reading Coach volunteers in elementary and middle schools by tutoring and mentoring students in reading, and by befriending them through the Pen Pal Program and serving as Breakfast Buddies. Volunteers also serve as readers for the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service for the Blind and Print Handicapped program at KCMR radio station in Mason City, as disaster volunteers with Cerro Gordo County Emergency Management, as blood drive volunteers with the American Red Cross, and with the International Friends program at North Iowa Area Community College.
“National Volunteer Week provides me with the opportunity to shine a light on the people and needs that inspire us to serve,” says North Iowa Area Community College President Steven Schulz. “Volunteerism empowers individuals to find their purpose, to take their passion and turn it into meaningful change to create stronger, more vibrant communities in North Iowa.”
Currently, RSVP has 367 volunteers actively serving in the six-county service area. In area schools, Reading Buddy volunteers are tutoring 543 elementary students and Reading Coaches are mentoring 48 middle school students. In addition, Pen Pal volunteers are exchanging letters with 276 fourth-and-fifth grade students.
“These volunteers are making an incredible impact in the lives of the students they work with, but additional support is always needed,” says Molly Anderegg, RSVP Director. “RSVP offers many ways to serve and volunteers choose how often and when they want to serve.’
In addition to volunteers serving in their local communities, RSVP also honors its 16 Advisory Council members. The Council helps shape and strengthen RSVP programs throughout North Central Iowa. RSVP salutes council members and volunteers who have served this year:
Advisory Council – Britt: Elaine Weiland; Buffalo Center: Joe Angstman, Dean Swenson; Garner: Sue Bruxvoort, Carol Peterson, Shirley Rasche; Hampton: Kimberly Booth; Manly: Marilyn Pinta; Mason City: Karen Dole, Carol Johnson, Colleen Last, Sharon Steckman; Northwood: Bob Perry, Stephen Wolfe; Riceville: Jim Cross; Thompson: Larry Hill
Volunteers (with hours since July 1, 2018) –
Alexander: Robin Koob
Britt: Neva Beech, John Bowman, Myra Bowman, Judy Brumm, Imogene Burgardt, Lois DeLeon, Dorothy Denny, Judy Fox, Kathy Gabrielson, Marlene Gray, JoAnn Harle, Don Kopacek, Kay Kopacek, Beverly Nelson, Joan Nielsen, Carolyn Ostercamp, Marlys Perkins, Connie Price, Kitty Price, David Prince, Darrell Schaper, Judy Schaper, Jean Sheets, Kathryn Smith, Robin Sweers, Barb Trulson, Elaine Weiland, and Nancy Wilson
Buffalo Center: Joe Angstman, Lynn Greimann Hassebroek, Frances Meyer, and Roz Swanson
Charles City: Linda Wolff
Clear Lake: Barbara Amosson, Pat Amosson, Nancy Baker, Jo Best, Martha Boyes, Dorothy Brady, Jane Broghammer, Bobbi Bruns, David Burgart, Jeanne Burgart, Glen Christensen, Janet Christensen, Darlene Crabb, David Curtis, Mary Curtis, Nadine Drennan, Toni Ebeling, Sally Elliott, Joan Eness, Mary Fey, Karen Fick, Elaine Fratzke, Denise Fritz, Pat Hansen, Diane Harrison, Nancy Huber, Ellen Jandebeur, Sandy Klaudt, Sharon Knoup, Fran Lorenzen, Carol Meindl, Debbie Mikesell, Mary Moeller, Marsha Mott, Sandy Nyhus, William Osmundson, Brenda Rasmuson, Craig Rule, Sharron Rule, Sharon Ryg, Karen Schroeder, Karen Schultz, Chuck Seebeck, Marilee Skinner, Linda Smeby, Nancy Smith, Joyce Sorensen, Polly Suntken, Linda Tjaden, Nancy Turk, Alyce Wilson, and Maxine Worsley
Dougherty: Mary Schissel
Elma: Judy Grimm, Jeanine Lockie, and Roger Schroeder
Fertile: Jan Hare
Forest City: Judy Anderson, JoAnn Bartleson, Mary Baxter, Barb Braun, Annette Bruns, Janice Buffington, Cheryl Burke, Sue Coloff, Marlys Ebaugh, Mike Ebaugh, Paul Fitzgerald, Connie Graber, Joan Hansen, Ken Hansen, Sue Hoeft, Linda Holland, Aidan Kelly, Marie Kelly, Carol Kleveland, Cynthia Korth, Ronald Kvale, Joan Langerud, Barb Lovick, Bonnie Nyhus, Larry Rieffer, Harlan Rodberg, Mary Schaefer, Tiny Shelton, Betty Soderling, Marge Solberg, and Pott Van Auken
Garner: Val Anderson, Janice Bachman, Roseann Boehnke, Sue Bruxvoort, Nora Claude, Jane Davison, Diane Deibler, Kathy Fell, Bobbie Gifford, Pat Ginapp, Joel Goll, Julie Goll, Janan Griggs, Pat Haan, Kelley Hammitt, Ricky Hammitt, Cheryl Hanna, Patty Hestad, Linda Hoppel, Susan Hovda, Eunice Kinsella, Lynell Kohlmeyer, Evon Larson, Marlys Luedtke, Ruth Meyering, Sue Nedved, Nancy Nelson, Cynthia O’Shea, Elaine Olson, Marlene Parrott, Louise Piper, Shirley Rasche, Linda Ringham, Juanita Stromer, and Sheri Weaver-Isvik
Geneva: Mary Ann Whipple
Hampton: Jane Alquist, Susan Bender, Joyce Blum, Dorothy Brinkley, Sue Crawford, Pat Cross, Elaine Kelsey, Connie Liekweg, Cindy Malcolm, Charlane Pralle-Janssen, Mary Jane Rodemeyer, Craig Semler, and Nancy Showalter
Joice: Jan Anderson
Kanawha: Jan Cooper and Kathryn Johnson
Klemme: Sue Kaduce, and Debbie Stromer
Lake Mills: Leanna Anderson, LaVonne Hartman, Betty Langpap, and Ruth Levorson,
Latimer: Dixie Olk
Leland: John Bryan, Mariann Holst, and Sue Langerud
Manly: JoAnn Andera, Marlene Brown, Val Brunsvold, Darla Cohoon-Jenks, Gloria Harnack, Leda Mlack, Russell Mlack, Joyce Nuehring, Marilyn Pinta, Chuck Schilling, Donna Schilling, and Gwen Shackleton
Mason City: Kathy Anderegg, Linda Anderegg, Barbara Anderson, Robbie Anderson, Jane Balkenende, Virginia Baumann, Chris Bell, Betty Benjegerdes, Judy Bohn, Marie Borchardt, Linda Bottorff, Robin Bratvold, Donna Braughton, Jerry Braughton, Carol Brown, Debbie Cahalan, Joyce Colombo, Jean Davidson, Len Diercks, Amy Dodge, Karen Dole, Terri Engels, Kay Erland, Jan Evans, Sandy Flugge, Marlene Freudenberg, Mary Galazin, Anne Gannett, Jack Gannett, Midge Gaylor, Don Gettner, Jane Ginapp, Carlynn Grupp, Shielah Handt, Irma Harris, Janae Haygood, Sharon Hays, Raymond Heimbuch, Sharon Heimbuch, Cheryl Hermanson, Charlotte Hill, Diane Holzerland, Cathy Homan, Karolyn Hornung, Maria Hubbard, Bonnie Jacobs, Dean Jacobs, Carol Johnson, Joann Johnson, Mary Kisilewski, Robbi Kleckner, Katie Koehler, Larry Kollman, Pam Lettow, Charlotte Locher, Lorris Long, Ron Lundblad, Sandy McCauley, Linda McCollum, Bev McGowan, Bob McGowan, Sharon Meyer, Connie Momeni, Vel Mondahl, Chris Moore, Jack Mueller, Joyce Nielsen, Steph O’Donnell, Shirley Otten, Marlene Peterson, Leon Robertson, Vicki Robertson, Judy Rose, Bob Rush, Phyllis Rush, Shirley Schneider, Charlie Schroeder, Gaye Scott, Debbie Sedars, Jerry Sedars, Cathy Shannon, Betty Siemers, Eldon Siemers, Debra Sjolinder, Letha Steinauer, Pam Stemmerman, Chuck Sweetman, Nancy Sweetman, Julie Thoreen-Birkedal, Luci Tisor, Glady Udelhofen, Steven Urbatsch, Susan Urbatsch, Teresa VanZante, Bob VerBrugge, Judy VerBrugge, Stuart Vold, Paula Warren, Scott Warren, Karen Werle, Connie Wheeler, Linda Willeke, Audrey Wolf, Wanda Wulf, and Eve Zimmerman
Northwood: Nancy Amundson, Judy Converse, Stephen Converse, Genie Foss, Laura Hagedorn, Kathy Hanson, Marcia Kraft, Judy Levorson, Jeanne Loberg, Susan Mega, Jo Moretz, Linda Queen, John Scherb, Sherry Schmitt, Barb Trenhaile, Joan Watts, and Stephen Wolfe
Osage: Rose Angell, Marianne D. Berche, Chris Fannin, Denny Fannin, Beth Griffin, Shelley Grimm, Lois Haaland, Gayle Heimer, Marge Huftalin, Nan Jakobson, Rona Johnson, Vera Kasel, Karen Kittleson, Laura Klapperich, Janean Kolbet, Velda LaCoste, Barbara Larson, JoAnne Machin, Sharon Mackin, Adriane McKinley, Keith McKinley, Julie Niess, Jolene Norby, Kathy Stauffer, Anna Stern, Shirley Witham, and Stan Witham
Riceville: Sharon Adams, Betty Borchardt, Linda Butters, and Ann Schaefer
Rockford: Beth Forbes
Rockwell: Patty Auringer, Mary Ellen Haugen, Sue McLaughlin, and Lana Schaefer
Rudd: Leah Marth
Saint Ansgar: Carol Power, Marilyn Schotanus, Bev Wolff, and Mae Dahms
Thompson: Charissa Olson
Thornton: Julie Bell and Vikki Fischer
Titonka: Lanita Kardoes
Ventura: Kathy Hinrichs, Twyla Quinn, and Janelle Renner
Woden: Pat Ostermann
If you are 55 or older and would like to volunteer, please contact the RSVP office. For more information about RSVP of North Central Iowa, visit www.niacc.edu/rsvp or contact 1-888-466-4222 ext. 4255, (641) 422-4255
