December 2011 Monthly Highlights

AmeriCorps VISTA and Senior Corps Grantees in Kansas & Missouri

Economic Opportunity Missouri In 2012, Council on Aging RSVP in Johnson County will participate in the MLK Day of Service by hosting a food drive with new community partner, Blessings Abound. This thrift store sells quality second-hand merchandise to raise funds to help people within the greater Kansas City community. Volunteers are invited to bring food items in easy open containers which will be distributed to area food pantries. Beef jerky, hats, scarves and mittens will also be collected for outreach to the homeless. Volunteers are encouraged to bring a friend or young relative to show how volunteerism contributes to the community. Healthy Futures Missouri Callaway Countys Team RSVP, 55&GO will sponsor a Martin Luther King Jr. inspired senior Living the Dream Expo to be held at the Callaway YMCA in Fulton, MO on January 19, from 9 to 3. The goal of the Expo is three fold. First, to give Callaway seniors the ability to find, network and explore options that can improve their lives. For this purpose, there will be over 40 informational booths that offer give-a-ways, & services on health, nutrition, and legal, housing, government programs, Medicare, disability, social networking and more. Organizations, clubs and groups seniors can get involved in will promote ideas for living the dream (life after 55) and four classes will be provided on the topics of Elder Law, the disability application process, Tips and Tools for Independent living, and Demystifying Medicare. Second, the Expo will bring awareness of senior issues in the Callaway County community. And lastly, it will serve to show volunteers how appreciated they are and how much of a benefit they are to their communities. All attendees are encouraged to bring a food item to the Expo to help support three key food programs in Callaway County. Successes: Economic Opportunity Kansas The Foster Grandparent Program of Wyandotte County, Kansas continued their year- long celebration of 35 years under the sponsorship of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas with a charity-themed Holiday Party. They collected 64 pairs of gloves and 18 hats to donate to the local Coats for Kids drive benefiting local Kansas City, Kansas children. RSVP of Saline County, KS has received an $11,100 grant from the IRS to expand its Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. RSVP Volunteer leaders will again serve in key roles for implementation of the VITA program, which has drawn a number of young professionals and college students to join RSVP volunteers as tax preparers for the upcoming season. Missouri Websites have increasingly become the publics point for first impressions, and first interactions. In full realization of this digital inevitability, Gateway Greening in St. Louiss AmeriCorps VISTA member Danielle Becknell has spent the last month going page by page, link by link through Gateway Greenings website. She has corrected errors, made notes for improvement, and fixed links; ensuring that Gateway Greening carries a clear, organized, and confident message into the digital age.

North East Community Action Center (NECAC) Foster Grandparent Program of St. Charles, Missouri raised money to support the FGP program and help provide gifts and donated food to four needy families for Christmas. One of the beneficiaries of this support included an FGP volunteer who is raising her grandchildren while the other recipients were affiliated with FGP volunteer stations. The Christmas Bureau is a community-wide initiative facilitated by United Way of Greater Topeka to match families in need with caring people. In 2011 a record number of families were in need. More than 10 RSVP volunteers assisted in the Christmas Bureau initiative, through data entry or assisting in matching all families with adopters. This initiative ensured that needy families have food and gifts for their Holiday celebrations and allows them to take a breakif just for one day-- from the burdens of medical bills, layoffs, and other hardships. AmeriCorps VISTA Connor Ryan joined the Center for Hearing & Speechs team just a few months ago, but has already made major contributions in several key areas. He has helped to increase the size and scope of the volunteer recruitment and training program, and increase the number of donors to the Centers auction at its annual fundraising event. Connor is on pace to practically double the number of auction donation solicitations, with the event still more than two months away. Through these efforts, the Center for Hearing and Speech will increase its ability to provide hearing and speech/language services to at least 100 more low-income children, adults and seniors. AmeriCorps VISTA Kate Durkin of the International Institute in St. Louis, MO created and finalized outreach materials for the agencys Path to Citizenship event. Many immigrant and refugee permanent residents face challenges in starting and completing U.S. citizenship requirements because of limited English, uncertainty about naturalization requirements and application process, and lack of information about naturalization instruction and application resources. Attendees to Path to Citizenship event will learn critical information from US Citizenship and Immigration Services representatives. The event is expected to reach approximately 200 potential clients and community service providers. Education Missouri In October, College Bound AmeriCorps VISTA Jesseca Myers began planning for the second round of care packages College Bound sends out to its 200 collegians. Jesseca partnered with two members from College Bounds high school team to alleviate staff time and create a new service opportunity for parents of College Bound students. On November 29, 2011 they successfully recruited 26 parents and students to pack care packages with items, stuff mini Christmas stockings, write notes to the collegians, or tape up boxes. It was not only a success in terms of collaborating with other team members but it also gave the families of high school students a chance to see one of the things College Bounds College Persistence program does to support their children throughout their college careers. Healthy Futures Kansas Four Reno County RSVP Volunteers served with the Reno County Department of Aging (RCDA) staff in providing Medicare Part D assistance to 1,400 local seniors. These volunteers were certified and trained through the Senior Health Insurance Counselors of Kansas (SHICK) program. This was the first year for RSVP Volunteers to assist with this effort, and based on their

ability to greatly increase service to seniors; RCDA will likely continue to turn to RSVP Volunteers for help in the future. Since 2005, Butler County RSVP Volunteer Millie Hailey has been leading an exercise class at Christ Lutheran Church in Augusta. Millie offers a stretch and flexibility class, or resistance training and cardio and has put in nearly 370 hours of her time to help keep Butler County in shape and living a healthy lifestyle. Many of the participants enjoy Millie's exercise class for simple reasons such as: Age Specific Exercises, Christian Environment, and a friendly atmosphere with no pressure to over perform. Millie has improved the lives and lifestyles of many folks who go to her exercise class with benefits that go far beyond just physical fitness. In fact, it's likely what you'll hear is that they enjoy the camaraderie, relieving a little stress, and having a reason to get out and about. Missouri The Kingdom House Senior Companion Program has received a $40,000 grant from the Daughters of Charity Foundation of St. Louis. This grant's focus is on providing respite and services to family caregivers. This is the second time the program has received funding from this organization. Kingdom House will use the funding to strengthen services in the St. Louis Region. The Alzheimers Association of St. Louis AmeriCorps VISTA Kyle Armstrong, has been further engaging the Memory and Aging Project and the Alzheimers disease Research Center in an effort to improve clinician outreach efforts. Additionally, Kyle visited 9 physician offices this month to deliver a wide gamut of information about Alzheimers disease. Similar informational packets were delivered to 9 area urgent care clinics. The delivering of informational packets will help to develop and strengthen community partnerships that will expand the offering of existing St. Louis Chapter educational programming in underserved, diverse and/or low income communities in St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis. Other Disaster Services Missouri Sharon Taylor, new AmeriCorps VISTA with Eldon School District R-1 VISTA project, is assigned to support the goals of Miller County Emergency Management Agency and County offices in meeting community needs and preparing for and responding to disasters, increasing and supporting volunteer mobilization, resource development, and service delivery to Miller County residents. Serving only since mid-November, Sharon has hit the ground running assisting the Emergency Management Director in completing preparations for an Emergency Operation Center (EOC) that will be used as the central location for response planning and communication in disaster/emergency situations. She also attended an all-day seminar on Citizen Corps, began the National Incident Management System (NIMS) online training course, registered for the Pet Shelter Planning Workshop and recruited others to attend, and developed useful contacts with whom she plans to partner with in the coming months. Healthy Futures Kansas On December 6, the Paola Association of Churches Foster Grandparent Programs own Grandma Ruth Wench was recently the focus of media attention for being the oldest woman in Osawatomie meeting President Obama for the first time. Grandma Ruth was also celebrated in the media for being a 102 year old Foster Grandparent working with children for 32 years, possibly the oldest Foster Grandparent in the country. Grandma Ruth sat in the front row to listen

to President Obamas speech and afterwards asked him to sign a copy of his book, Dreams of My Father. Grandma Ruth has been a long-time champion of disadvantaged children, helping children to work hard in school and become better in math and reading. Her birthday was celebrated on December 23 when she turned 103 years old. Southeast Kansas (SEK) RSVP under Neosho County Community College received a DOROTs College Initiative Grant for Intergenerational Programs. The intergenerational program grant involves sensitivity training, helping to promote futures for students in the aging industry. The five hundred dollar award with be used for a project called Bringing Hearts Together, where students from NCCC will join with 10 RSVP Volunteers and Heritage Health Care Center residents and staff to plan and carry out a Senior Valentines Day Dance. In addition to planning for the Valentines Day Dance, SEK-RSVP distributed over a hundred knitted hats made by volunteers at the Christmas Parade of Lights in Chanute. The NCCC mens basketball team members distributed the hats and candy to children along the parade route. Veterans and Military Families Kansas The Mental Health Association of South Central Kansas Senior Companion Program in Wichita received $30,000 in funding from Sedgwick County, Kansas which will be used in part to support companionship services of senior veterans in the community in 2012. In cooperation with the local Veterans Administration and SCP staff, Veteran Senior Leader, Don Jirak, is making great strides in his effort to get the word out to fellow veterans by strategically placing posters around the Robert J. Dole V.A. Medical Center. Calls are expected to come in from the Veterans Administration staff, families of disabled veterans who need services, and veterans who wish to volunteer. SCP is proud to be involved in providing volunteer opportunities and services to veterans as a way to give back to those who served their country.