VOLUNTEER WEEK: RSVP volunteers contributed work worth over $350,000 last year

This week celebrates National Volunteer Week.  The Northeast Iowa RSVP program has 256 volunteers who are serving as RSVP volunteers at 51 different non-profit agencies in Northeast Iowa.  Together, they have devoted 21,800 hours of service to their community in the past year.  
Iowa ranks second in the nation for volunteerism.  Iowans devoted a total of 109 million hours to volunteering in 2009, an increase of 28 million hours compared to 2007's total.  The rise in volunteerism produces an increase of more than $560 million in services to Iowa.

The services provided by Northeast Iowa RSVP volunteers are valued at $363,861.48 based on an hourly rate set by the Independent Sector for Iowa. 

RSVP volunteers do a variety of different things from assisting with clerical activities, serving on advisory boards to working one on one with individuals.  During the past grant year, they assisted in the canteen area of 8 blood drives resulting in the collection of 288 units of blood, tutored or worked with 167 youth, helped in distributing 10,184 food packages at area food pantries, delivered 5,162 meals to the homebound, assisted in distributing 18,354 large print books to 150 small libraries across Iowa for the visually impaired, assisted 577 low to middle income clients in filing their income tax returns, tutored 20 English as a Second Language students, visited an average of 137 nursing home residents each month, provided tours for 3,458 museum visitors and provided capacity building activities for 20 small non-profit agencies.

Research has shown that volunteering not only benefits the people and agencies who are being served, but it also has a positive impact on the people who are volunteering.  According to a review on The Health Benefits of Volunteering released by the Corporation for National & Community Service, persons age 55 and older often enjoy the most pronounced health and social benefits from volunteering with those people reporting the greatest increases in life satisfaction and self-reported physical and mental health benefits.    

The local RSVP program is sponsored by the Decorah Public Library and covers Allamakee, Howard and Winneshiek counties.   If you are age 55 & older and would like more information on volunteering in your community, contact RSVP staff at the Decorah Public Library, 382-3717 or toll free (877) 806-0623.