Seniors respond to needs with RSVP
On Saturday I attended the annual Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon hosted by RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program).
More than 250 people from Idaho’s five northern counties were in attendance, representing 81,000 volunteer hours with a $1.6 million economic impact on our communities, well worth the celebration.
The program is under the umbrella of the Area Agency on Aging and matches volunteers aged 55 and older with local organizations. There are several areas to volunteer — tutoring and mentoring at risk youth; Friendship Corps, which pays visits to home-bound seniors; Senior Medicare Patrol, helping seniors prevent healthcare fraud and teaching how to report suspicious billing; assistant ombudsmen who provide advocacy to vulnerable adults living in long-term care and advocating for elders in nursing homes and assisted living facilities; and serving on advisory county councils that meet with Area Agency on Aging to discuss a variety of topics related to seniors.
Until I stepped in as interim director of the Post Falls Food Bank a few months ago, I was unfamiliar with the program. As the food bank depends heavily upon dedicated volunteers, the several RSVP volunteers provide much value on a daily and weekly basis. Jack Jordan, who was spotlighted at the luncheon, has volunteered with the Post Falls Police Department for nine years, providing more than 15,000 hours of time and a savings to the taxpayers of over $300,000.
Kudos to RSVP director Bob Small and Area Agency on Aging director Jeff Hill for a wonderful event. If you’d like to be a volunteer or have RSVP volunteers make a difference in your organization, call 667-3179 or infoassist@aaani.org.
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Barb Nelson has worked for months as the chair of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) commemoration event honoring and recognizing the sacrifices of those who served and those who gave their last full measure of devotion on the battlefield in Vietnam. Saturday the program will be in the Community Room of the Coeur d’Alene Library at 11 a.m. and is open to the public.
The families of the soldiers, sailors and marines who died in Vietnam or due to their service there will be in attendance. A half-century later we still remember — a grateful nation will not forget LeRoy E. Damiano, Howard “Butch” L. Jones, Jr, Robert J. Gordon, Stephen M. McArthur, Steven H. Nipp, Russel L. Watson, Robert E. Wise, Richard Camp, Fred Hinz Jr., Richard J. McDonald, Ken I. Thornbrugh and Michael White.
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The live and service of homeless veteran Robert Parkinson will be honored on Sunday at the soup kitchen at 401 N. Second St. in Coeur d'Alene at 2 p.m. Parkinson died alone in a fire on Oct. 1 but on Sunday he will be remembered by friends and the public.
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We won’t fall back into Daylight Savings Time for a few more weeks but this past Sunday the early dark made me yearn to put on the flannel PJs and go to bed at 7 p.m. When I wondered aloud on my Facebook page whether it was the changing of the seasons or age, it was a split vote. But one thing we all agreed upon is that the early darkness — and 12 hours of it — was wreaking havoc on everyone’s sleep patterns. Not to worry, summer is just 8 months away!
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Highlights: Saturday has many opportunities to enjoy ... the semi-annual Cowboy Breakfast at the Old Pleasantview School on W. Riverview. Get homemade biscuits and gravy and scrambled eggs (with extra biscuits for enjoying homemade jams and honey butter) from 8-11 a.m.
A sled hockey tournament, hosted and sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 889 and Inland Northwest Disabled Veterans Sports Association is on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Frontier Ice Arena. The tournament will feature the local teams and an able-bodied Fairchild Air Force Base team. Open to the public and free admission.
Also on Saturday, the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) 50th anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War, 11 a.m. Coeur d’Alene Public Library community room, is open to public with free admission.
Shoes and Brews 5K Fun Run and Beer Festival at Kiwanis Park is 2-6 p.m. Register with Post Falls Parks & Rec.
The Post Falls Lions Haunted House is open Friday and Saturday nights from 6 p.m. to midnight — if you dare.
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Happy birthday today to Randy Bohach, Leslie Lien, Jeff Elder, Dave Chambers, Karen Hammond, Linda Polley, Gary Ghramm and Suzanne Metzger.
Cheers tomorrow to Braxton Kurtz (1!), Don Sausser, Dee Jameson, Shawn Gust, Beth Peters, Katie Smith, Wayne Hammond, Elizabeth McGregor, Laurie Dixon, Beth Myles, Greg Cossette, Dave Smith, Peyton Brown and Patty Cheesman.
On Friday, Misti Flood, Kathie Lyon, Pam Nygaard (50!), Brad Perry and Mike Farquhar are celebrating. Faith Tonna, Laurie Cook (60!), Dana Albanese (30!), Rosemary Fuller and Karen Deering will make a wish on Saturday.
Oct. 18 birthdays belong to Arlene Pischner, Keith Erickson, Terry Gurno, Will Wolff, Kevin Clement, Kathy Reid and Lauri Armon.
Dan Gookin, Tom Hamilton, Bobbi Koep, Louise Jackson, Linda Chapman and Holly Hall (60!) start another trip around the sun on Monday.
Oct. 20 is the date Mary Lou Reed, Luke Malek, Mary Willeford, Jodie Krieg, Nick Peacock, Brooke Litalien, Kara Powers and Jerry Lee came into the world.
Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.