Volunteers honored
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POLSON — Retired Seniors Volunteer Program celebrated, in Mardi Gras style, a year’s worth of making a positive difference in the lives of others. RSVP is a volunteer network for people 55 and over who have the opportunity to choose how and where they want to share their wisdom and skills. On Monday, March 28, RSVP Coordinator Sherlee Santorno handed out awards to repay the volunteers for serving their community.
“These volunteers are making a huge impact in our communities,” Santorno said. “They sometimes go under the radar, but today we celebrate them and all they have done.”
There are 187 RSVP members in Lake County who have combined for 6,700 volunteer hours this year. The hours they have volunteered are distributed through 44 non-profit organizations. Around 80 of the volunteers showed up for the celebration luncheon and award ceremony.
“You get to see a lot of old friends you haven’t seen in a while,” RSVP Photographer Pat Salmon said. “Being a part of RSVP makes us feel like we are still contributing, plus we get to do some social networking as well.
RSVP matches volunteers with local and national organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Foster Grandparent Program, or the Boys and Girls Club of the Flathead Reservation and Lake County. RSVP volunteer Sheryl Mink gives her time to Polson Health and Rehabilitation Center and St. Joseph Assisted Living Center.
“I just love talking to the older people and making them smile,” Mink
said. “I want them to know they are loved.”
Included in the celebration was a moment of recognition for each volunteer who has put in 10 or more years of time. The honorees include Bruce Bowman, Jane Bronson, Kathi Neeley, Max Neeley, William Shreiber, and Wayne VanDerSande.
“These volunteers have put in endless hours,” Santorno said. “Some of these volunteers put in 40 hours a week of volunteering. It is like they are working a regular job.”
Along with the awards, entertainment activities capped the luncheon. The volunteers played a variety of games for prizes donated by local
businesses. RSVP volunteers Maureen Theiler, Opal Loveless, Zana Niblack, and Dee Walker were enjoying the camaraderie.
“We do this once a year and this has been one of the best,” Theiler said. “We are a powerful group, despite our age.”
One could say that these volunteers can be compared to a fine wine — they get better with age, and the best is yet to come.
