Northeast Iowa RSVP is a certifying agency for the Disney Give a Day program

You have probably seen it on TV, the great ads starring Miss Piggy and many other Disney characters, encouraging you to volunteer a day and receive a one day pass to a Disney park. What they are not telling you is Northeast Iowa RSVP is one of the certifying agencies for this volunteer campaign. RSVP Director, Kathy Barloon reports that her mailbox has been overflowing this week with people who are willing to volunteer in Northeast Iowa in order to get one of the one million passes that Disney will be giving out this year. Barloon reports that while there have only been a few local individuals who are interested, she has received requests from as far away as St. Charles and Winona, Minnesota, western Iowa, Cedar Rapids and Cedar Falls. When asking those individuals if they really wanted to travel an hour to two hours to volunteer, they gave examples of why they are excited about coming to Northeast Iowa. Some had children who attended Luther, others just liked this part of Iowa, and one bought her wedding dress in Decorah. They have even heard from a Luther student who was in a Disney cast last year and wants to lend his photography talents to a non-profit.

Barloon and Lyle Otte the RSVP Volunteer Coordinator are working with area non-profits to find the best volunteer opportunities for those that are interested in the Disney program. Nursing home residents will benefit from families coming to share their talents; food pantries will get an extra hand in stocking shelves and museums will benefit from families with Disney in their eyes while learning about what is here in Northeast Iowa. If you are a non-profit agency with one-day volunteer needs, contact the RSVP office at the Decorah Public Library 563-382-3717 to get on the list. Volunteers cannot be involved in religious or political activities nor make direct solicitations for funds.

If a Disney trip is in your future, check out the website: http://home.disney.go.com/parks for more information. Barloon asks that you do not call the RSVP office directly as all requests for volunteer opportunities need to funnel through the Disney website. When you go to the site and put in 52101 zip code, it will bring up volunteer opportunities for this area. Most of the current RSVP volunteer opportunities will qualify.