RSVPrsvp-wa.org/RSVP Summer Newsletter 2014.pdf · Osteoporosis Coalition (WOC) joins the National...

Newsletter Volume 3, Summer 2014

RSVP of Snohomish County/Catholic Community Services1918 Everett Avenue, Everett, WA 98201

RSVP

RSVP is a federally funded program giving people age 55 & over a way to make a meaningful contribution to their community.

By matching the interest, backgrounds, skills and experience of our volunteers with nonprofit organizations and civic agencies, RSVP helps make Snohomish County a more responsive and vibrant community.

RSVP volunteers can be involved in any number of activities and projects. It’s really up to you to decide how to spend your time.

In This Issue:

Pass It On .......................................................................................................................................................................................Page 2Station Spotlight - Red Barn Community Farm ..............................................................................................................Page 3Service Awards ~ Honoring Our Volunteers ....................................................................................................................Page 5Bring Osteoporosis Out of Hiding ........................................................................................................................................Page 6Exercises for Your Brain .............................................................................................................................................................Page 8RSVP Opportunities ...................................................................................................................................................................Page 9Letter from the Director ........................................................................................................................................................ 0

Snohomish County RSVP’s Quarterly Publication for People 55 & over

Did you know?

Volunteering gives older adults an opportunity to participate in fulfilling activities, which can make a difference in the lives of others.

RSVP of Snohomish County Newsletter

Numerous studies show volunteering to be a great way to improve your mental health, expand your social circle, learn about your communities, and make new friends.

What great benefits we derive from volunteering! This activity provides so many positive results that sharing it with others seems a natural thing to do. So I am calling on you to do just that.

Because you are reading this newsletter, you are a volunteer. As such, you are providing a good example to others, regardless of your motivation to volunteer, and helping your community and yourself at the same time.

Here is what I would like you to do; recommend volunteering to all the people you know who don't volunteer. They may ask, "Why should I volunteer?" You can reply with this information:

Volunteer work improves the well-being of individual volunteers because it enhances social support networks. People with strong social networks have lower premature death rates, less heart disease, and fewer health risk factors. (Fact Sheet: Volunteering as a Vehicle for Social Support and Life Satisfaction ~ Public Health Agency of Canada)

Volunteering can improve self-esteem, reduce heart rates and blood pressure, increase endorphin production, enhance immune systems, buffer the impact of stress, and combat social isolation. (Research Summary: Graff, L. (1991) Volunteer for the Health of It ~ Etobicoke, Ontario: Volunteer Ontario.)

Volunteering lowers the risk of physical ill health because it boosts the social and psychological factors that healthy people have. (The Effects of Volunteering on the Volunteer, John Wilson and Marc Musik, 62 Law & Contemp. Probs., Autumn 1999)

Thank you,

John McAlpine

PASS IT ONby John McAlpine


Saint Joseph's House

STATION SPOTLIGHTRed Barn Community Farmby Paulette Jacobson

Since 2011, the Red Barn Community Farm has been growing produce for the food bank and making land available

for community members to grow their own produce.

The Red Barn Community Farm (RBCF) is a 30-acre parcel of City of Everett owned land, licensed to Volunteers of America and located in the Lowell neighborhood.

The Farm is the collaborative effort of Volunteers of America (VOA), Transition Port Gardner, City of Everett, Lowell Civic Association, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and the USA Education Foundation. The main purpose of the RBCF is to grow organic vegetables for food bank distribution.

This is an all-volunteer effort and Forrest Callaghan is the volunteer Farm Manager. Volunteers are recruited by flyer, newspaper articles, and internet postings by the RSVP staff. Volunteer groups come from the Naval Base, real estate agencies, churches, Boeing, and the Everett School District to name a few.

I envision a day when every city and town has front and back yards, community gardens and growing spaces, nurtured into life by neighbors who are no longer strangers, but friends who delight in the edible rewards

offered from a garden they discovered together. Imagine small strips of land between apartment buildings that have been turned into vegetable gardens, and urban orchards planted at schools and churches to grow food for our communities. The seeds of the urban farming movement already are growing within our reality.

~Greg Peterson, Grow Wherever You Go Discovering the Place Where Your Garden Lives

The Joy of Volunteering & Gardening

Continued on Page 4


We welcome first time individuals and groups of volunteers every Saturday during the growing season from 10am until 1pm. Volunteers may be asked to weed, water or harvest. Forrest is always on hand to show volunteers what needs to be done in the food bank beds.

RSVP station ~ Volunteers of America has been involved in addressing food insecurity in our community for more than 40 years. The challenge has always been to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement the boxed and canned foods that are collected at local community food drives. The partnership at the Red Barn Community Farm represents a new opportunity for Volunteers of America to address food insecurity from a whole new vantage point ~ one of growing the food it distributes.

This year, we have about 60 families down on the Farm working 20’x20’ and 20’x40’ plots. We have room for many, many more! Please help us spread the word that garden plots are available for rent at the Red Barn Community Farm. If you would like more information about a plot or volunteering, please call Paulette Jacobson at 425-374-6311.

For additional information, please visit the Red Barn Community Farm @ http://www.redbarncommunityfarm.net

or to find out what's happening at the farm, take a peek at their blog @ http://redbarncommunityfarm.blogspot.com

Gardening is cheaper than therapy and you get tomatoes. ~Author Unknown


President’s Volunteer Service Award

This year, 11 RSVP volunteers received the President’s “Call to Service” Lifetime Service Award at our annual recognition event on May 7, 2014. This award is reserved for volunteers with over 4,000 hours of documented

volunteer service. It is presented by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation in recognition and appreciation of commitment to strengthening our nation, and for making a difference through volunteer service.

The award also includes a “Call to Service” pin and a letter from President Obama thanking the volunteers for their service. Congratulations and thank you to this year’s recipients: Alan Gale and Wes Nielsen of Everett, Phyllis

Henshaw of Lake Stevens, Al Setzer, Connie Riley and Pat Hodgen of Lynnwood, Ernalee Munday of Marysville, Jan Hart of Mountlake Terrace, and Lenora Spears and Bobbi Hanna of Stanwood.

Governor’s Volunteer Service Award

RSVP volunteer Rose Johnson received the Governor’s Award of Excellence for Outstanding Volunteer Service on April 21, 2014 at a ceremony at the Governor’s mansion in Olympia. Rose has been an RSVP

member since 1997 and demonstrates daily the spirit of volunteering in our community. She was instrumental in getting a Project Linus group started at the Carl Gipson Senior Center to make blankets for traumatized and seriously ill children in Snohomish County, and is a perfect example of the saying, “If you

want a job done, give it to a busy person.” Rose has volunteered at Christmas House, Domestic Violence Services, Everett Schools, Snohomish County Long Term Care, Health Services, Tourism, nursing homes,

Veterans Outreach, Volunteers of America, United Way, and 40 other agencies in Snohomish County. Rose’s retirement is a story of service to others, always done with a happy and giving heart.


If You Are 50 and Fracture, Request a Test. Two million bone breaks occur each year that are not accidents, but signs of osteoporosis

Every year in the U.S., there are two million broken bones that are not accidents, but signs of osteoporosis, a disease that weakens bones, making them fragile and more likely to break. Yet only 21 percent of older women with an osteoporosis-related bone break receive either a bone density test or a prescription for medicine to treat or prevent osteoporosis. And while women are most often affected by osteoporosis, increasing numbers of men are also at risk. Join us as we work to bring osteoporosis out of hiding and spread the word that 2Million is 2Many.

To bring the under-diagnosed and under-treated disease out of hiding, the Washington Osteoporosis Coalition (WOC) joins the National Bone Health Alliance (NBHA) to issue a simple call to action to address this problem: if you or someone you know age 50 or older breaks a bone, ask your healthcare professional for an osteoporosis test. While osteoporosis is seen as a national public health issue, Washington has been identified as an at-risk state by the National Osteoporosis Foundation, with a projected 60 percent increase in osteoporosis predicted by 2020. Formed in 2002, WOC is raising awareness of the impact of osteoporosis on the people and health care community in Washington State. Through education, communication, and public activity, the Washington Osteoporosis Coalition aims to prevent osteoporosis and reduce the number of

2Million2Many National Awareness Campaign Brings Osteoporosis Out of Hiding


broken bones and medical problems caused by the disease.

The cost of a bone density test is not expensive and may be covered by insurance. The test only takes a few minutes and is non-invasive and painless. If osteoporosis is diagnosed, it can be treated to reduce your risk for more serious and debilitating breaks.

Osteoporosis and low bone mass affects over 40 million Americans, with one in two women and up to one in four men over age 50 suffering a bone break caused by osteoporosis in their lifetime. The number of bone breaks per year caused by osteoporosis is more than the number of heart attacks, stroke and breast cancer combined. To show the magnitude of this problem, NBHA has built "Cast Mountain" to serve as a symbol of the 2Million2Many campaign. The 12-foot tall mountain is made up of 5,500 casts, representing the number of bone breaks that occur in just one day due to osteoporosis.

Visit http://www.2million2many.org to see photos and video of "cast mountain" and for more information about the campaign.

http://www.wastrongbones.org

Reprinted from the Falls Prevention Coalition of Snohomish Countywebsite @ http://snocofpc.com


Frame Games reprinted with the express permission of Terry Stickels. See answers to all puzzles and the riddle on Page 11.

Exercises for Your Brain

Riddles:

1. How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn't bounce off anything, there is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it back to you?

2. What can go up a chimney down but not down a chimney up?

3. What always ends everything?

Jokes:

Pet Parrot A man buys a pet parrot and brings him home. But the parrot starts insulting him and gets really nasty, so the man picks up the parrot and tosses him into the freezer to teach him a lesson. He hears the bird squawking for a few minutes, but all of a sudden the parrot is quiet. The man opens the freezer door, the parrot walks out, looks up at him and says, "I apologize for offending you, and I humbly ask your forgiveness." The man says, "Well, thank you. I forgive you." The parrot then says, "If you don't mind my asking, what did the chicken do?"

Old Wisdom After working his farm every day, an old farmer rarely had time to enjoy the large pond in the back that he had fixed up years earlier with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and benches. So one evening he decided to go down and see how things were holding up. Much to his surprise, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee. As he came closer he saw it was a group of young women skinny dipping in his pond. He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end. One of the women shouted to him, "We're not coming out until you leave." The old farmer replied, "I didn't come down here to watch you ladies swim or make you get out of the pond naked. I only came down to feed the alligator." Moral: Old age and treachery will always triumph over youth and skill.


Volunteer Chore

Many senior citizens, living alone and on fixed incomes, are unable to do the most basic of household chores. We are looking for those "angels on earth" to help. You would be matched with a CCS client in your neighborhood to assist them with vacuuming, laundry, dusting, changing sheets, and so on. Some of these seniors would not be able to stay in their homes without this help. Can you spare a few hours each month?

Volunteer Transportation

Many people in our community do not own cars. These same people are often elderly, on fixed incomes, and need to see their doctor on a regular basis. If you can spare a few hours a day, week or even a month, you can help. If you have a safe running vehicle with working lights, brakes and horn, a good driving record, and the desire to be of assistance to others, this is for you. Clients can enter and exit the vehicle on their own and you are reimbursed for your mileage.

Tutors Needed

As the school year will be here before we know it, RSVP wants to remind you of tutoring opportunities and encourage you to participate.

All students are different and it might be your involvement that allows a young person to take a step forward in learning.

Studies show students, who fail to read at grade level by the 3rd Grade, run the risk of falling behind in other areas as well, and this can lead to quitting school.

There are several places you can get involved; elementary schools in Everett and Marysville, the Boys and Girls Club of Arlington, the English as a Second Language Program (ESL- Everett) and The Interfaith Family Homeless Shelter in Everett.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIESThe following posts are just a sampling of the many volunteer and community opportunities that RSVP of Snohomish County has to offer. If you are interested in volunteering, RSVP will find a perfect match for you. Please contact John McAlpine at (425) 374-6374 or email him [email protected] for more information and/or to find a volunteering position that meets your needs, interests, skills, and availability.

Food Banks

If the thought of people going hungry troubles you, here is a chance to help. There are several food banks in the County, and all of them can use you. Help can be in the form of a donation of money, food or your most valuable possession ~ your time. Volunteers are needed to pick up food from grocery stores, unload it at the food bank, and get it onto the shelves for distribution to clients. There is a food bank near where you live. Call John if you would like to help.

Here is just a sampling of food banks in the local area:

VOA Food Bank- EverettHands of Hope Food Bank- EverettImmaculate Conception Food Bank- EverettPerpetual Help Food Bank- EverettMarysville Food Bank- MarysvilleSeeds of Grace Food Bank- MarysvilleLake Stevens Food Bank- Lake StevensSky Valley Food Bank- MonroeSnohomish Community Food Bank- SnohomishLynnwood Food Bank- LynnwoodConcern for Neighbors Food Bank- Mountlake TerraceArlington Community Food BankArlingtonMill Creek Food BankMill Creek


Dear RSVP Volunteers,

Thank you for all you do to respond to our critical community needs!

Each of our community partners has their own compelling story. RSVP volunteers respond in a multitude of ways. Here are two:

1) Food Security; 1 in 7 individuals in Snohomish County visited a food bank last year, relying on food banks to stretch limited budgets and supplement nutritional needs. In response to that need, 129 RSVP volunteers served 22,134 volunteer hours at food banks and in the community gardens that support them. Food banks rely on volunteers to do their work. RSVP volunteers help with donation pick-up, sorting, packaging and distribution. Additional RSVP volunteers help with client registration, building maintenance, clerical assistance and volunteer coordination. RSVP helps sustain food banks by recruiting new volunteers to fulfill the increasing demand to meet the increasing need. Over the past few months, we have added two new food banks to our “station list”, the Mill Creek Food Bank and the Arlington Community Food Bank.

2) Catholic Community Services Transportation and Independent Living services; There are 600 square miles of Snohomish County that remain without any form of public transportation. Approximately 20% of households headed by adults 65+ are without a vehicle. Many low-income elders and people living with disabilities have physical impairments or mobility issues that threaten their ability to live independently. Primary life activities such as grocery shopping and doctor visits can be made extremely difficult without transportation. With cuts in public transportation, those and other individuals in need have been left with few transportation alternatives. The ability to remain healthy and independent is significantly at risk. RSVP volunteers use their personal vehicles to transport clients to medical appointments, grocery shopping and other essential errands. Our CCS station provides CPR/First Aid training and driver safety orientations. Additional RSVP volunteers assist with direct service tasks that include, but are not limited to; housework, laundry and yard work to support "Aging in Place".

This past year, RSVP volunteers helped 91 of our not-for-profit agency and organization partners in Snohomish County carry out their missions of service, education and support.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to call me at 425-374-6311 or email at [email protected]

Thanks for all you do!

Paulette Jacobson

Director, RSVP of Snohomish County

Frame Game

puzzle answers:

Horsing Around

Parking Space

Foreign Languages

Riddle Answers:

1. Throw the ball straight up in the air.2. An umbrella3. The letter G

RSVPrsvp-wa.org/RSVP Summer Newsletter 2014.pdf · Osteoporosis Coalition (WOC) joins the National...

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