RSVP Newsletter
Your Invitation to Serve. . . RSVP
Volunteers ages 55+ responding with wisdom, experience and
commitment to Orange County’s community needs.
WINTER, 2007
NEW YEAR’S CHALLENGE: 100 HOURS!
YOU MAY HAVE ASSUMED, So our challenge to you for 2008 is
like we did, that as volunteers to volunteer for at least 100 hours.
improved the community they were Many of you are already meeting
also benefiting themselves. Now we and exceeding this challenge (over
have evidence that shows how 600 of you did in 2006!). Let’s keep
volunteering miraculously improves it growing in 2008. Volunteering is
the health of the volunteer. Over the best New Year’s resolution for
the past 10 years, scientists have our health and happiness.
conducted over 500 studies that Think you don’t have enough time?
demonstrate how the power of One hundred hours is:
unselfish giving enhances health,
• Less than two hours a week
particularly for older adults.
• Less than nine hours a month
Can older adults volunteer for one
hour a year and reap these benefits? As added incentive, everyone who
No. Volunteers must meet a serves at least 100 hours with RSVP
RSVP STAFF
“volunteering threshold.” That is, in 2008 will be eligible to receive a
Beth Bloomfield
RSVP Program Director we must volunteer for a minimum Presidential Volunteer Service
(714) 953-5757 x215 amount of time to receive the health Award.
bbloomfield@volunteercenter.org
benefits. Contact our office if you’d enjoy a
Perry Wiggins
This healthy benefit threshold can new or additional volunteer
RSVP Program Coordinator
(714) 953-5757 x150 be achieved by: assignment this year.
pwiggins@volunteercenter.org
Volunteering for 100 hours or (714) 953-5757 x150 or
more per year. rsvp@volunteercenter.org
“H E WH O D O ES NOTHING FO R OTH ER S DO ES N OTH IN G FO R H IMS EL F.” — G OETH E
Learn more about the volunteer health benefit!
Read The Health Benefits of Volunteering: A Review of Recent Research:
HEALTHY=VOLUNTEER http://nationalservice.gov/pdf/07_0506_hbr.pdf
PAGE 2 RSVP NEWSLETTER
NEW RSVP BENEFIT: EDUCATIONAL EVENTS
YOU ARE INVITED to take advantage of 3. How to Represent My Organization’s
our brand new RSVP member benefit: Mission
educational events designed to help enhance 4. Effective Team-Building
your skills as volunteers.
The first two workshops have
To determine the frequency been scheduled (see dates and
and topics of interest, we descriptions below). Details
conducted a survey among for the two remaining 2008
our 50+ partner agencies and workshops will be announced
about 200 of our members. in our next newsletter.
The preference for the We hope you enjoy this new
frequency of such events Learn, have fun, meet new friends! benefit of membership with
was quarterly. And the topics RSVP. Let us know what you
of highest interest for those surveyed were: think! And a special thanks to our survey
1. Dealing with Difficult People participants. Seating is limited, so please call
2. Giving & Receiving Feedback to register today.
FREE BENEFIT FOR RSVP MEMBERS!
Volunteer Skills Development Workshops:
#1 #2
DEALING WITH DIFFICULT PEOPLE GIVING & RECEIVING FEEDBACK
Saturday, February 9 — 10:30am-Noon Tuesday, May 6 — 10:30am-Noon
As volunteers we work with a variety of people — clients, Learn to experience giving and receiving feedback with
staff, fellow volunteers. Sooner or later, we bump up ease. This is a critical component to making our work as
against a difficult one! This workshop will give you the volunteers more effective and efficient, enabling us to
tools to feel competent and calm in these situations. better support the goals and mission of our organization.
Workshop Facilitator: Dr. Lee Gibson
Dr. Lee Gibson's degree is in psychology. He taught school for twelve years and developed curriculum for
the California school system. Dr. Gibson is an educator whose goal is to help people become more
functional and alive. He has the ability to move quickly to the heart of an issue. His clients say his work is
innovative, and powerful. Dr. Gibson’s private practice, Master Peace Institute, is in Garden Grove.
SEATING IS LIMITED; CALL TO REGISTER. (714) 953-5757 X150
WINTER, 2007 PAGE 3
NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE: MLK DAY
MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 2008
“Everybody can be great,
because everybody can serve.”
—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
MONDAY, JANUARY 21 is the next In Orange County we typically get about 800
national day of service. Please mark your volunteers on MLK Day. Our goal this year is
calendars and register to join us in to grow the event 25% and increase
service projects throughout the our total number to 1,000
county. participants. We hope you join us in
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day reaching this goal.
of Service is about promoting Dr. There are several projects and
King’s vision of building broad locations to choose from. Learn
and diverse coalitions, breaking more and register via our website:
down barriers, and making our www.volunteercenter.org, then
communities the best they can be. It is click the link for MLK Day.
much more than just a day. The RSVP staff will be hosting the project
Throughout the nation, thousands of listed below. We’ll be repairing books donated
Americans make this a landmark day to to an early literacy program. We hope you
improve their world. They join their register to volunteer with us. Please contact
neighbors to work side by side — feeding us if you have trouble registering on our
those at risk of hunger, planting trees, website or if you don’t have Internet access to
cleaning our parks. Large or small, every register and get more information. We look
project makes a difference. forward to greeting you there!
Monday, January 21, 2008 — 11am-1pm or 1-3pm
Clean, repair and label donated children's books that will be redistributed to
children in need. Donations of gently used children's books will gladly be accepted.
V O L U N T E E R P R O J E C T: B e a B o o k D o c t o r !
1901 E. 4th Street, Suite 100 in Santa Ana
Contact: Beth Bloomfield, RSVP director
(71 4) 95 3 -5 75 7 x 2 15 o r r s v p@ vo l un te e r ce n te r.o rg
PAGE 4 RSVP NEWSLETTER
HOT VOLUNTEER JOBS!
DATA ENTRY Tutor Pal Volunteer
Pair with a student to work on
WHIZ NEEDED! homework, read, play sports or games, or
simply talk about life -- just as friends do.
Accurate detail-lovers are
needed 4 hours weekly, M-F 9-5.
1901 E. 4th Street, Suite 100
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Santa Ana, CA 92705
2:30-3:30 PM on Tuesdays
RSVP PROGRAM in Santa Ana
VOLUNTEER CENTER ORANGE COUNTY Contact: Darlene Gan
Beth Bloomfield at: (714) 953-5757 x215 (714) 544-7773 x212
Academic Assistant SPORTS PROGRAM
Tutor, mentor, and assist with
homework for our after-school programs AREA DIRECTOR
1-2 hours weekly.
Oversee the excellence and growth
of our sport training and competition.
THINK Together 2080 N. Tustin Avenue, #B
Santa Ana, CA 92705
Santa Ana, Orange & Costa
Mesa locations available!
Contact: Erin Bucci SPECIAL OLYMPICS ORANGE COUNTY
(714) 543-3807 x8108 Beckie White, Sports Director at: (714) 564-8374
WANTED: AUTHORS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
RSVP invites you to dust off your creative powers to
help inspire others to volunteer. Use your literary and
photographic talents to help us tell the story of senior
volunteers in Orange County. We welcome your
content to post on our blog. Help us spread the good
www.rsvp-oc.blogspot.com word about volunteering.
Contact RSVP director Beth Bloomfield at (714) 953-
5757 x215 or email her at rsvp@volunteercenter.org.
W O U L D Y OU LI K E T O I N C R E A S E Y OU R V OL U N T E E R A C T I V I T I E S ? C ON T A C T U S I F Y OU A R E I N T E R E S T E D I N :
Adding an additional ongoing volunteer assignment
Being on call to help out with one-time special projects/events 953-
(714) 953 - 5757
Training to become a leader of volunteer projects
Becoming a “Champion of Volunteerism” team-member to help invite community members to volunteer
WINTER, 2007 PAGE 5
HOT VOLUNTEER JOBS!
ACADEMIC ASSISTANT the appointment schedule. Refreshment Table
Agency: THINK Together Assistants (we call it the "Canteen Table") provide
refreshments and monitor our generous guests after
Locations: Costa Mesa, Orange, Santa Ana they have donated blood. Red Cross volunteers
Description: Work with students in our after never handle blood or needles — we’re there to
school programs - tutoring, mentoring and assisting thank the donor and help our Nursing staff at the
with homework. Volunteering one to two hours a Blood Drives. Have fun helping us save lives!
week during weekdays is preferred, and flexible days Contact: Angela Minjares at (714) 427-2610 or
and times are available. minjaresa@usa.redcross.org
Contact: Erin Bucci at (714) 543-3807 x8108 or
ebucci@thinktogether.org DATA ENTRY WHIZ
Agency: Volunteer Center Orange County
AREA DIRECTOR OF SPORTS PROGRAM Location: Santa Ana
Agency: Special Olympics Description: Volunteers are needed to do 4-6
hours a week of data entry. Other special projects
Locations: 6 regions — Northwest, Northeast,
for detail-lovers are also available. Your primary
Central-greater Anaheim, Coastal-Huntington task will be to enter data on volunteer hours and
Beach, Central-Irvine, & South transportation reimbursement requests for 1,200+
Description: Responsible for planning, managing, senior members enrolled in a national service
implementing and evaluating all aspects of sport program. Some training is required to learn our
program delivery for the designated geographic Volunteer Reporter database, so we are looking for
area. Includes duties like operating sports folks who can make a commitment of at least 6
competitions, designing and implementing months.
volunteer recruitment and retention strategies, Contact: Beth Bloomfield at (714) 953-5757 x215
composing reports, etc. A high-impact opportunity or bbloomfield@volunteercenter.org
for someone with good managerial skills.
Contact: Beckie White at (714) 564-8374 or
bwhite@sosc.org TUTOR PAL
Agency: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County
Location: Santa Ana
BLOOD DRIVE ASSISTANT
Description: Provide children with positive role
Agency: American Red Cross Blood Services models. Help improve grades, school attendance,
Locations: Countywide self-confidence and social skills. Meet with "Little
Description: Each month we provide you with a Brother" or "Little Sister" aged 6-12 on a weekly
calendar of all the Blood Drives in your local area. basis from 2:30 to 3:30 PM at the child's elementary
You pick and choose your schedule of where and school. Work on homework, read together, play
when you would like to volunteer. Training is sports or computer games, or simply talk about life
provided. Registration Assistant greet donors at the and personal issues — just as friends do.
Blood Drive and provide them with the required Contact: Darlene Gan at (714) 544-7773 x212 or
pre-registration reading material while working with dgan@bigbrooc.org
More than 90 RSVP opportunities at: www.volunteercenter.org, click “RSVP” or call (714) 953-5757.
PAGE 6 RSVP NEWSLETTER
WELCOME NEW RSVP VOLUNTEERS!
WE PROUDLY welcome the new (and returning) volunteers who enrolled in the RSVP
program between July and November of 2007:
Wendy Abbott Ronald Foster Larry Larson
Rose Agostino Ron Fox Carol Lenarth
Meryl Alderson Maury Freidson Larry Lerner
Lourdes Arellano Jay Goldberg Dayle Leslie
Allen Baker Colleen Golden Jane Longfellow
Sharon Baughman Calista Goldy Colleen Love
Carolyn Bessire Angela Gordon Theresa MacMaster
Bill Burbridge Chloe Gorzeman Kitty Mallett
Susan Butterfield Judy Grady Janice Mazza
Linda Carbajal Janice Hall Carol McDonald
William Chambers Stephen Hatch Nancy Michel
Emmanuel Chavez Irene Haynes Millard Mills
Donald Cordill Paul Heller Beverly Nickell Welcome!
Tony D'Amico Larry Herman Roger Otte
Wilma Davenport Ulla Herman Eulalia Pino Judy Sheldon
Anne Davis Carol Herriage Lenore Poidevin Richard Simon
Charles Dawson Carolyn Howard Lex Rawson Rosemary Smith
Philip De Tore Deanna Irwin Malcolm Read David Steinle
Patricia Deibler Jorge Jabez Mary Ann Rienzo Linda Tange
Wilma Diemer Carl Jones Gerald Scarbord Sharon Weintraub
Martin Flink Henry Kolb Irene Sharpe James White
You are now part of If you have not yet chosen a volunteer
one of the largest assignment, please contact us for personal
national volunteer assistance with finding the right position:
movements in America! (714) 953-5757 x150
YOU’RE INVITED: AN ORIENTATION TO RSVP
I F YOU ARE NEW TO RSVP, or not new but wish to learn more, you are invited to attend
one of our quarterly RSVP Orientation programs. This FREE program introduces you to
RSVP’s history, member benefits, staff, and future vision. Meet fellow RSVP members and
enjoy refreshments & door prizes! We look forward to welcoming you. Please call to reserve
your space, as seating is limited: (714) 953-5757 x150 or rsvp@volunteercenter.org.
9:00-
• Thursday, January 31 from 9:00- 10:30 AM 7:00-
• Tuesday, July 22 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM
10:00-
• Saturday, April 5 from 10:00 - 11:30 AM 2:00-
• Wednesday, October 22 from 2:00 - 3:30 PM
“WHAT DO WE LIVE FOR, IF IT IS NOT TO MAKE LIFE LESS DIFFICULT FOR ONE ANOTHER.” — GEORGE ELIOT
WINTER, 2007 PAGE 7
RSVP STAFF: CHANGES
FAREWELL, ALISON JAMES! WELCOME, PERRY WIGGINS!
I ’m very fortunate to have had the
opportunity to work with the Retired Senior
Volunteer Program over the past two years. It
P erry Wiggins reports that he is eagerly
looking forward to joining Volunteer
Center Orange County on January 2nd as
has been a privilege to meet and talk with RSVP Coordinator. Most recently Perry was
many of you. Thank you for your friendship Volunteer Coordinator at The Wellness
and patience when occasionally we have had Community Orange County. Prior to that
to work through some issues together. I am position, Perry developed and managed
proud to have been associated with such programs for seniors at community centers
outstanding volunteers, who provide an in Garden Grove and Chicago. Perry’s first
invaluable service to our community. career was as a United Methodist minister.
My plan is to spend more time giving support A native Southern-Californian (born and
to my son, daughter-in-law and their children. reared in Redlands), Perry currently lives in
The photo above shows me with Orange. With his partner, Michael, Perry
grandchildren Michael (5) and Daniel (2). I’m enjoys cooking (and eating!), antiquing, and
looking forward to this next phase of life. spending time with family and friends.
Alison has been instrumental in the improvement of the Perry comes to us with rich experience in volunteer
RSVP program. We have been truly blessed by her management and working with seniors. We are fortunate
presence and will miss her deeply. to have him on the RSVP team full time!
LT
“ W H E N YO U C E A S E TO M A K E A CO N T R I BU T I O N , YO U B E G I N TO D I E . ” — E L E A N O R RO O S E V E L T
STILL HERE: BETH BLOOMFIELD!
December 1st marked my second anniversary as director of RSVP. While I have
enjoyed all of my responsibilities, my greatest on-the-job satisfaction comes from
meeting and hearing from the RSVP members. You are my role models for
healthy and graceful aging. Thanks for making a stronger Orange County.
Non-Profit Org.
Your Invitation to Serve. . . RSVP U.S.
POSTAGE PAID
RSVP Program Tustin, CA
Volunteer Center Orange County Permit No. 296
1901 E. 4th Street, Suite 100
Santa Ana, CA 92705
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
NEWS FOR
V OLUNTEERS!
RSVP: A NATIONAL SERVICE PROGRAM
RSVP IS YOUR INVITATION TO SERVE. In Orange County, RSVP’s sponsoring agency
It is a free national service program for those is Volunteer Center Orange County, which
55 and better. It is one of the largest volunteer provides local expertise, office space and
efforts in the nation. RSVP responds to local administrative support, and additional funding.
community needs through meaningful use of RSVP members receive benefits such as:
our volunteer’s skills and talents. Matching service to find the right position
Through RSVP, 480,000+ volunteers serve a Volunteer insurance
few hours a week to nearly full time at an Presidential Volunteer Service Awards
estimated 65,000 local and national nonprofit Volunteer skills development workshops
groups, places of worship, and government Transportation reimbursement & more
agencies. For more info: (714) 953-5757 x150.
RSVP is a program funded by the Corporation
for National and Community Service, an GIVING TO RSVP
independent federal agency created to connect We welcome your tax-deductible contribution to
Americans of all ages and backgrounds with RSVP-OC. Contact Beth Bloomfield for more
information: (714) 953-5757 x215.
volunteer opportunities.
“ T H E M I R AC L E I S T H I S — T H E M O R E W E S H A R E , T H E M O R E W E H AV E . ” — L E O N A R D N I M OY