"Seniors Helping Seniors"

We just completed another project!! Through out the year Giles RSVP holds special projects to address the community needs within Giles County. Recently the Advisory Council members of Giles RSVP helped to complete the “Seniors helping Seniors” project that they started in January of 2010. Collaborating with RSVP Prince William, Virginia, Giles RSVP was able to reach out and assist isolated seniors who live in Giles County and are clients of the New River Valley Agency on Aging. Giles RSVP Advisory Council members at the March meeting sorted personal care products, socks, baskets and other donated items that was collected and received by the senior volunteers in Prince William. After the Giles Advisory Council sorted and assembled the gift baskets they were taken to the Giles Senior Center for the NRV Agency on Aging to distribute and deliver to senior shut-ins within Giles County who have been hit especially hard with the economic downturn. We had so much fun sorting the items and making each basket look extra nice for the senior who receives it.

2010 Book Fair with New River Valley Literacy Vol.

Our volunteers helped at the New River Valley Literacy Volunteers book fair at the NRV Mall last week Thursday-Sunday. I have heard from 3 volunteers so far, I still do not know how many totaled helped. The three I spoke with had a great time and purchased some great books! Thanks volunteers for all you do!!

Our Valentines for Vets Project has been cancelled for tomorrow. More snow in the forecast. We will try again next year.

Project and Program Pending Weather

We may need to cancel our Valentines for Vets project and Tips for Surviving the Winter Months program that is scheduled for tomorrow February 9th at the Giles Senior Center. I will need to review the weather forecast and post this afternoon.

MLK Jr. Day Soup and Cracker Update

Wow, what a great project!! Giles RSVP volunteers collected over 700 cans of soup and over 68 containers of crackers!! Working with the New River Valley Agency on Aging 37 senior Shut-In's received 24 cans of soup with 4 boxes of crackers each. I can't tell you how much we appreciate the Giles Community supporting this project. Thankfully we were able to get the donations to the Shut-In's before all the snow storms started. We first separated and bagged the donations to make it easier then took them to the Agency on Aging nutrition site for delivery. To help we had two of our RSVP volunteers deliver all over Giles County to the AOA clients who only receive frozen meals. It really was a relief to know that these elderly seniors who can not get out on their own and some who their families can not get to them for a day or two due to the snow had a easy to prepare nutritious bowl of soup.

Planning MLK Jr Day Project

We started planning our MLK Jr. Day Project in December of 2009 with volunteers posting flyers and telling everyone they knew to get involved. The Giles RSVP Newsletter for January highlighted the project and encouraged our members to get involved. Emails were sent all over the county, press releases were sent to the local paper and psa announcements were sent to the local radio station. If you haven't heard we will be holding a Soup and Cracker Drive for local Giles senior citizens who are unable to leave their homes. With the help of the New River Valley Agency on Aging we plan to provide these individuals with a nutritional meal. The New River Valley Agency on Aging has already identified senior citizens in Giles with their “Meals on Wheels” and “Nutrition” programs. Already we have started receiving donation and phone calls pledging to help.

The details are on January 18, members of our Giles RSVP Advisory Council will receive donations of canned soup and one pound boxes of crackers at the Pearisburg Community Center on Wenonah Avenue classroom #2. Enter the door on the ball field side of the Center. To help with this project we ask that you ask five of your friends, family and church members to help us. If only 25 volunteers collected 4 cans of soup and 2 boxes of crackers each, we could provide 100 elderly with a nutritious meal to get them through the coldest part of the year.

The donations need to be taken directly to:
Pearisburg Community Center,
Wenonah Ave. Pearisburg, VA .
January 18th from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. in the evening.

Thank you for your continued support in helping our community.

“Everybody can be great, because everybody can serve.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

December and November - Volunteer and Program Highlights

By Proclamation, November 2009 was declared Giles Retired Senior Volunteer Program Month by the Giles County Board of Supervisors, recognizing the GRSVP volunteers serve with dedication, commitment and passion. Assisting many individuals, non-profit organizations, faith based organizations and their community.

Giles RSVP Annual volunteer appreciation banquet was held press release with photos and article ½ page. Carilion Health Education Nurse spoke about the importance of seasonal influenza vaccination and the new H1N1 virus and vaccination. Captain Joe Shanks with the Giles Sheriffs Office was also present and spoke about senior fraud and how to prevent scams and crime by participating with Giles TRIAD/SALT.

We had one new volunteer to begin her volunteer assignment at the Giles Free Clinic.

In December volunteers assisted New River Community Action Giles Area Office with moving boxes and truckloads of donated canned food from a local elementary school. The school children had held a food drive in December to help families who needed food boxes. Volunteers after moving the food sorted and organized it for distribution. Volunteer's also helped with efforts to serve less fortunate at Christmas at various volunteer partners of Giles RSVP.

Economic challenges in our community are growing with the need for food and energy bills for those who have been unemployed in 2009.

October 2009 - volunteer highlights

The reality store workshop for Narrows and Giles high schools was conducted this month. An estimated 6 RSVP volunteers participated in helping to teach 215 young adults the economic responsibility of being an independent adult. Volunteers gave their entire day to stand and talk to young people about life decisions.
We had 1 volunteer who is a baby boomer, began serving at the Giles Head Start Centers as a parent support group leader. This volunteer is a retired clinical counselor. Providing parenting skills and support to low income parents of head start children. So far 4 parents are participating. It is a real challenge to find volunteers who wish to work with children and parents. Our program is very fortunate!
RSVP volunteers assisted with the TRIAD senior fun day with the Giles Sheriffs Office in October. Volunteers helped other elderly seniors fix plates of food, handing them information about senior safety and prevention and assisting them in games. 22 Giles Seniors attended.
One baby boomer volunteered called other volunteers and coordinated one work day each week at the Rich Creek Public Library. Labeling 2075 books, numbering, gluing card holders into each book.