By Tom Clough, Board Chair

Welcome New Volunteers

Exciting News – Our Board has decided to expand our Mission as the number

one promoter of volunteer matching and service linkage to the community to

promote Community Awareness of the critical issues facing seniors,

particularly vulnerable, struggling seniors in SLO County.

Some Background – SVS has always been the number one recruiter linking

seniors to volunteer service opportunities in San Luis Obispo and northern

Santa Barbara counties. Our well recognized program, RSVP and our new

Program, Central Coast Community Volunteers, age 50+, are successful and

generate a substantial, important benefit to the community.

So Why the Change, What’s so Important -

There have been a number of recent studies, UCLA Center for Health Policy

and United Way of California, 2015, that describe the critical issues facing a

significant population of seniors in California and SLO County. One of the

major, critical issues is financial insecurity. The studies use different names

but the same meaning for these vulnerable seniors struggling with financial

insecurity; the Hidden Poor, the Economically Challenged and the

Struggling to Get By.

Here are the Facts – The Federal Poverty Guideline hasn’t changed in 30

years and is no longer an accurate picture of the Real Cost Measure to just

live with the basic needs, especially in California and our county. In

California, one in three households doesn’t have sufficient income to meet

their basic cost of living. In SLO County, that’s 23,421 households of which

29% are seniors. Even more heartbreaking, over half of elder woman, 65+, in

SLO County can’t make ends meet.

Why SVS – SVS is uniquely qualified to do this because of our long standing

experience and working relationship with senior serving organizations, cities

and the county. We not only follow trends in senior issues but are in constant

contact with volunteers and organizations about real world

struggles/vulnerabilities facing seniors.

And that gets me to how you can help – Learn more about struggling seniors

in our county; visit our website and see a video and presentation that

addresses these critical issues facing seniors. Also, encourage people you

know to consider volunteering. It’s easy to get enrolled and very rewarding.

Just contact us. Contact us at www.seniorvolunteers.org, e-mail:

Cheryl@seniorvolunteers.org, phone, 805-544-8740

In our next Volunteer’s Voice, one of our Board Members will highlight an interesting program or support activity of SVS. Thank you, Tom Clough

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SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING Altrusa

Coast Hills Credit Union Dignity Health-French

Hospital Medical Center Heritage Oaks Bank

Nipomo Lions San Luis Obispo County

660 PISMO STREET, SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA 93401 Office: (805)544-8740 www.seniorvolunteers.org ID# 77-0433542

Welcome New Volunteers

Colleen Baird

Marlene Bartsch

Beverly Brown

Sharon Brown

Rosemary Caligiuri

James Calvert

Susan Carleton

Oscar Ceyala, Jr.

Paul Cross

Anthony Cunningham

Jeanie Desterling

Marchy Dorflinger

Richard Dorflinger

Santina Fligiel

Nan Fowler

Dana Gilstrap

Elliott Gong

Ann Jutras

Richard Killian

Deborah Krueger

Barbara Laird

CCCV:

El Camino Homeless

Organization (ECHO)

History Center of SLO C

SM Valley Humane Society

Zoo to You

RSVP:

Access Support Network

Craig Lotz

Richard Lucas

Judy Luft

Kelly Lynch

Gerry McAfee

Beverly Morrell

Rebecca Morrow Collie

Michael Pritchard

Lawrence Rosen

Sharon Schulte

Dorothy Schwartz

Donna Shaw

Elaine Sherr

Elli Titen

Janice Trombetta

Merriam Urqhart

Ken Vesterfelt

Cherie White

Clara White

Alice York

Welcome New Stations

CHAIRMAN’S NOTES

Senior Volunteer Services of San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara Counties is partially funded by the Corporation for

National and Community Service

Breaking News

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES AND SPECIAL EVENTS –

1st Annual Sunday Afternoon Tea and Fashion Show

at Congregation Beth David, SLO - November 6, 2016

This will be a fun event with music, delicacies, a

Silent and Live Auction, and the SLO Fire Chief,

Garret Olson as the Master of Ceremonies.

Gather 10 friends and purchase a table for $300 or

individual tickets are $35 – do it now – limited space

available.

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October 15, 2016 – 8 a.m. to Noon

We will be accepting donations the week of October

10th – small items please. We have no way to manage

large items.

We have received a wonderful donation of Avon

Jewelry already and count on our members to help us

fill up Ramsden Hall for a great sale!

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Open House – Senior Volunteer Services – 660 Pismo

Street, SLO – December 16, 2016 – 2 pm to 4 pm –

come meet our Board and staff and share a bit of

holiday cheer!

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2nd Annual “101” Bottles of Wine Fundraiser – March

and April 2017 – if you missed out on tickets this year

plan ahead for 2017. Great way to stock your wine

cellar for a good cause. Tickets go on sale March 1st

and prize drawing will be April 28th.

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Senior Volunteer Services, Project Lifesaver and RSVP are seeking interested community members to serve on their Board of Directors and Advisory Councils.

Very rewarding volunteer assignments!

ANNUAL RUMMAGE SALE – OCTOBER 15, 2016

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Memo from Marie

Well, the summer flew by and here is my report:

8th Annual Giveaway Away Fundraiser was a bit disappointing in

terms of overall funding revenue, but certainly not because our

top ticket sellers did not do their very best.

Leon Leornas, Director of Operations at Nipomo

Food Basket, sold 26 books by himself!

Leon set himself a goal of 25 books and bettered it.

Absolutely, without Leon we would have been in

real real trouble. Not enough ways to say “thank you” to

him.

Followed by our youngest continuing supporter, year after year,

Chrissy Alvarez, the Volunteer Coordinator from the Santa

Maria Police Department, who sold 13-1/2 books by herself.

And, not to be left out, the Nipomo Lions Club that sold 6.5

books, where they made it a group effort at one of their regular

meetings.

Others who went above and beyond, by selling multiple books,

were Marv Daniels, Pat Iqbal, Lorraine Kenney, Diane Maiorano,

and Sandra Strohman.

Thank you to all who sold and/or purchased tickets. This is our

major fundraiser of the year and the one we rely on to help us meet

the 30% match required on our Federal Grant.

WINNERS OF THE RAFFLE PRIZES ARE:

1st Prize – Week at a Tahoe Condo – Trini Delagarza (*)

2nd Prize - $500 worth of Groceries – Pam Munson ((**)

3rd Prize - $300 worth of Gasoline – Susan Gleason (**)

4th Prize– Morro Bay Chablis Cruise –Judith Twisselman (**)

5th Prize - $100 Visa Card – Sandra Mason (**)

(*) Community Member (**) Volunteer

We must thank those who directly sponsored the raffle prizes –

1st Prize – Marie and Bill Brinkmeyer

2nd Prize – Coast Hills Credit Union

3rd Prize – Heritage Oaks Bank

4th Prize – Chablis Cruises

5th Prize – Doris Highland

2. September – October – November – December 2016 THE VOLUNTEER’S VOICE

Welcome back to all our volunteers that took a break over the summer to travel, visit family or just enjoy some down time and to those faithful ones that never ceased to volunteer this summer. Fall begins soon and many of our agency partners will be having monthly volunteer meetings, so may I make a suggestion – how about inviting me to give a 10-minute SVS/RSVP presentation, answer questions about the many benefits available to RSVP members and share a few of the changes going on at Senior Volunteer Services! I would love to meet your volunteers and get your new ones Enrolled in the RSVP program. After 43 years in SLO County, you would think everyone would know about the mission and purpose of the RSVP Senior Volunteer Program, but they don’t! As our older volunteers age out, we must continually tell our story and encourage new volunteers to sign-up. There are many reasons to join the SVS/RSVP Senior Volunteer Program: RSVP covers each member with a $1 Million supplemental accident/liability insurance policy in case something catastrophic occurs while you are on the job. RSVP provides a modest mileage reimbursement for those seniors who really need it. It is $.14 per mile up to $15 per month. This is paid out quarterly for those indicating they need this reimbursement on their Monthly Time Sheet and have their supervisor’s signature. RSVP has over 800 volunteers on the central coast serving in over 150 nonprofits- this equals $4.5 Million worth of valuable labor donated to helping our county thrive. Volunteering has MANY health benefits: lower mortality rates, greater functional ability and lower rates of depression than for those not volunteering. Volunteering also provides social activity and connectedness along with a sense of purpose at a time when social roles are changing. Joining the SVS/RSVP Senior Volunteer Program also gives us influence within the cities we serve and for County Board of Supervisors who consider necessary senior service needs. Would you help us get the word out by forwarding the weekly Online E-blast you receive in your e-mail InBox each Monday morning to your friends, neighbors and family members! Another opportunity to promote our volunteering mission is to “share” our RSVP Facebook posts. Please view us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rsvpcentralcoast/. Hope you enjoy the beautiful fall weather here on the central coast and thank you for volunteering with us! Cheryl

Nancy’s Notes Hello, It’s been a wonderful year and only a few more months left. As we are approaching the Holidays I thought this might be a great time to review some strategies to stay peaceful and happy. This list was taken from a blog at www.aplaceformom.com/blog/12-16-14-make-healthier-choices-holidays/. There are lots of great senior articles and information on this site please visit. How to Minimize Stress over the Holidays Fortunately, there are many coping strategies you can utilize to help identify your stress triggers, as well as minimize them: Recognize that this time of year may have additional burdens on relationships, finances and may physically burden your body in ways you may not realize. Acknowledge and honor your feelings. The holidays have a different meaning for everyone so allow yourself to express your emotions, even though it is the holidays, that does not mean you have to be smiling and happy all of the time. Make connections within your community, and talk to friends and family to avoid feeling isolated and withdrawn. Be realistic about your expectations. Family and friends may also be feeling stressed, so try to set aside differences and be understanding. Try to plan ahead and set aside a budget to help relieve the stress and guilt related to finances. Planning ahead takes time, but the payoff is exponential. Creating a plan will allow you the time to enjoy shopping, cleaning, baking or cooking without confusion and chaos. Eat healthy and nutrient dense foods instead of completely abandoning your diet. Over-indulging in rich and fatty foods will leave you tired, feeling weighed-down and irritable. If everything accumulates and you become overwhelmed, take time to go outside for at least a 15-minute walk and regain your center. As you read through this list I can definitely help you and assist you in #2 Make Connections within your community! It’s important to stay connected not only with your family but with your community. Not many people have the blessing of a big family that keeps them connected. But community involvement can definitely be a surrogate family that you can connect and develop strong relationships with that sometimes become stronger bonds than your literal family. For your community connections call or email 805-922-9931, rsvpsm@srvolunteer.org

Cheryl’s Corner – September 2016

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September – October – November – December 2016 THE VOLUNTEER’S VOICE 3.

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Opportunities are listed in each issue of our newsletter, but we have a more extensive listing in our offices. Additional information is available by calling 544-8740 in San Luis Obispo or 922-9931 in Santa Maria. Senior Volunteer Services, Project Lifesaver and RSVP are seeking interested community members to serve on their Board of Directors and Advisory Councils. Very rewarding volunteer assignments. Refer your friends and family!

SLO Countywide Opportunities

In addition to the opportunities below, have fun volunteering at special events and fundraisers throughout the county! Volunteers are needed to assist with registration, serving, helping set-up and breakdown, etc. This is a great way to contribute to community service without a long-term commitment. Please call the RSVP office, 544-8740, to sign up for our “on-call list”. American Red Cross has area-wide opportunities. Become a Disaster Volunteer – Lots of opportunities for various types of involvement: responding to local house fires; giving disaster preparedness presentations; serve on teams performing logistics, sheltering, feeding, government liaison, health services, mental health services and more. Caring Callers, a warm and caring visiting service for seniors, is in need of volunteer visitors in various locations throughout the county. The commitment is one visit per week to the “senior friend” to whom you are assigned. Please consider this program as a rewarding way to help reach out to our frail, homebound elderly community. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) Learn more about volunteering at CASA of SLO County. Become an advocate for an infant, toddler, child or teen, or a mentor to a young adult who has recently left foster care. Training provided. We offer two information sessions each month for you to find out more about volunteering at CASA. For Information Meeting Schedule, please call 805-541-6542 or go to www.slocasa.org. Glean SLO (Food Bank Coalition) – volunteers need to harvest fruit and vegetables that would go to waste from people’s back yards, orchards, fields, commercial farms and distribute it through

the Food Bank. This volunteer opportunity is categorized as moderate to strenuous activity level and best suited for fit volunteers. Gleans last 2 hours. Good Neighbor Program – help needed SLO Countywide for medical & social transportation, shopping & errands, friendly visits, telephone reassurance, light household chores, minor home repairs, and yard work. The choice is yours! Long-Term Care Ombudsman of SLO County (LTCO) is a non-profit agency promoting the highest possible quality of life and care for residents of long-term care facilities. We are seeking compassionate, dedicated, and skilled volunteers to advocate for residents of these facilities. Volunteers are trained to be safe, confidential, and caring advocates for the residents; acting as a voice for vulnerable residents while resolving complaints and encouraging facility staff to meet residents needs. Senior Nutrition Program has an urgent, ongoing need for drivers, both regular and substitute, at locations throughout the county. Veterans Shuttle Drivers -Help Our Local Veterans - The VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System needs Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay volunteers to drive our shuttle vans to pick up local Veterans and bring them into the VA clinics in San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria. Requirements include a valid California Driver’s license, insurance, DMV printout as well as a background check. We are very flexible and work around your schedule. We operate M-F from 9am-3pm, closed holidays.

Please contact Larry Foster in the

volunteer office at: 805-354-6004. Or email Larry.Foster@va.gov

Common Ground Worldwide – needs volunteers to serve on the Board of Directors at this international, grassroots, faith-based organization with a focus on working with victims of domestic violence Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center – greet and direct visitors, comfort and inform families while loved ones are in surgery, retail sales in the gift shop, etc. Annual dues $5.00 Community Health Centers Specialty Clinics – needs volunteer assistance with phoning patients to remind them of appointments, filing, faxing and data entry. Computer experience very helpful. NORTH COUNTY OPPORTUNITIES Atascadero Senior Center – needs volunteer receptionists to meet and greet clients. Paso Robles Public Library – many volunteers needed from working at the front desk to children’s services, to refinishing DVDs and CDs. Atascadero Community Link – Greet clients, general office. Some customer service experience helpful. Paso Robles Salvation Army – Meet and greet clients, answer phones, general office duties. Heaven Can Wait – needs volunteers to help clean stalls, groom horses, play with and pay attention to animals to keep them socialized. Complete orientation and training provided. SOUTH COUNTY OPPORTUNITIES Senior Nutrition Program (Nipomo & Oceano) Help deliver to the homebound frail elderly in this area. Please help out with the vital service. South County Historical Society – docents needed at various South County museums on the weekends. Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce – needs cheerful, out-going volunteers to greet visitors and perform general duties. Home for Wayward Turtles and Tortoises – can use as many volunteers as possible to help with feeding, clean-up and repair of pens. MANY SHORT-TERM ASSIGNMENTS!

Central County Opportunities Alzheimer’s Association in San Luis Obispo is looking for a volunteer to help answer phones and do data input several hours per week. Central Coast Senior Center really desperately needs help with their meal delivery program to shut-in seniors in Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano. Central Coast Veterans Memorial Museum has a need for docents to guide visitors through the museum and answer their questions. Training is provided. Need not be a vet to qualify; just an interest in history will suffice. Food Bank needs strong, able-bodied volunteers to help at their various locations. Distribute boxes to vendors, then pick them up after 5 and give to drivers. This is an on-going volunteer opportunity. French Hospital Volunteer Guild – French Hospital has need of volunteers at their Front Desk to greet visitors and in their Hospital Gift Shop from 9am-1pm pr 1pm-5pm.

Hospice of San Luis Obispo County is seeking volunteers to greet clients, answer phones, notify counselor of clients arrival as well as assist with occasional projects (mailings, filing, etc). Prior office experience is helpful. Friendly, compassionate and positive energy, along with ability to use/learn a multi-line phone system is desired. Kids Cancer Research Foundation – Local pediatric cancer research foundation based in San Luis Obispo; seeking two volunteer available 3 hrs/day to help write correspondence and grants. Need professional level writing ability to help with press releases and newsletters.

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4. September – October – November – December 2016 THE VOLUNTEER’S VOICE

Morro Bay Senior Center. Our busy office needs a few good volunteers! We meet and greet, answer lots of questions, loan out medical equipment, etc. Utility payments no longer accepted. One day a week, 4-hour morning or afternoon shifts. We’re busy but fun! Come join us! Salvation Army in San Luis Obispo has an urgent need for an Intake Assistant two to three days a week. Some lifting is required. Food is distributed through this site to those in need. San Luis Obispo County Airport - we are looking for a few diligent individuals to volunteer at the San Luis Obispo County Airport. This involves being able to identify with the needs of passengers, learning the rules and regulations of the airport, knowing flight schedules, lost luggage procedures, able to read tickets, parking regulations and many other situations. Extensive training is required and provided. Knowledge of the local area and services is required. San Luis Obispo Police Department – needs volunteers for volunteer patrol and Project Lifesaver. Duties include data entry, scanning, mail to City Hall & Court House. Battery change for Project Lifesaver clients. Patrol consists of 72 hour tow, vacation check and light traffic control, LiveScan operator. Extensive training provided. Background clearance at SLOPD. 10 volunteers needed for 2-4 hours per day. The SLO Senior Center needs individuals with general office skills to staff its volunteer office in case of absences. Customer service responsibilities include greeting patrons, making coffee, counter duties, telephone, class sign-ups and member enrollment. Orientation and training are provided.

Senior Volunteer Services – seeking those experienced in Grant Writing, event/trip planning, fundraising, data entry and project management. Sierra Vista Hospital & Gift Shop – need senior volunteers for the front desk M-F (4 hr shifts), the Gift Shop M-Sat (4 hr shifts).There is required training and background check, along with a one-year commitment of a 4 hr shift per week. Silver Streaks – bulk mailing services has many opportunities for those who enjoy a bit of socialization while preparing bulk mail for local non-profit agencies.

SLO NOOR FOUNDATION, a non-profit clinic providing free medical, dental and eye care for the uninsured. Volunteer positions available for physicians, dentists, ophthalmologists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. Transitions-Mental Health Association – The Community Outreach department is looking for volunteers to work at the information desk do data entry, handle materials and provide onsite event assistance. UVS Thrift Store - looking for volunteers to sell, tag and place for sale items on shelves and be a part of our team. People skills and a healthy attitude are highly desired. Wilshire Hospice Partners of the Central Coast needs volunteers to review patient records, conduct phone surveys, help with mailings, assemble packets for new patients – the list goes on and on. Perhaps you could find your niche here; your efforts would be greatly appreciated. Help is also needed in the Hospice Partners Hope Chest, the thrift shop whose proceeds go to benefit the hospice patients and their families.

North County Opportunities Atascadero Christian Community - looking for volunteers to interact with residents, escort to/from activities, lead games, reading and watch movies, and someone to tutor on the use of a computer. Volunteers with people skills, able to be clearly understood and willing to listen highly desired.

Atascadero Police Department is looking for helpful, community-minded volunteers to help with a variety of duties in the office as well as in the field. Must complete city application and background check prior to service. Cambria Anonymous Neighbors welcomes volunteers to assist neighbors with a variety of short-term and ongoing services. Knowledge of Cambria streets would be helpful but certainly not required. Cambria Community Bus always has a need for additional drivers. No special driver’s license required. Training is provided. Half or full day driving schedules available. The bus transports senior riders door to door around Cambria-San Simeon for medical appointments, grocery shopping, and trips to the drugstore, exercise class, library and post office. Bus runs Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4:30 PM.

Camp Roberts Historical Museum needs volunteers who are prompt and not afraid to work the small gift shop and run the cash register, handle money (not much), and operate the card reader for credit card sales. The Museum is the repository for the entire history of one of America’s largest and most historic Army installations, and open to the public on Thursdays and Saturdays, from 9 am to 4 pm (excluding National Holidays). Cayucos Senior Center is looking for volunteers to provide rides to medical appointments. Must be a “people person.” Community Action Partnership’s Adult Day Services in Paso Robles needs volunteers to assist with activities, such as painting, crafts, music, or just spending quality time with participants. We are a social model of care that focuses on providing respite to family caregivers and quality care to aging loved ones with Alzheimer’s dementia, or other cognitive impairments. El Camino Homeless Organization

in Atascadero looking for greeters/ host/hostess for dinner. Light prep work for meal providers. Assist clients during dinner. Must have good people skills. Also need a campus monitor who provides supervision in the outdoor areas. Prefer to work from home? We need someone to write thank you notes to donors. Food Bank USDA distribution site at the Villa Paseo Senior Apartments in Paso Robles needs volunteer helpers on the 3rd Tuesday of each month at 11:30 am for 3 – 4 hours. Duties include sorting, packing, assisting clients with carrying bags, setting up, cleaning and breaking down site. Some lifting required.

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September – October – November – December 2016 THE VOLUNTEER’S VOICE 5.

Shop; answering questions about the Adobe; leading tours of school Children/adults; light cleaning. Training is provided. Templeton Historical Society Museum – looking for volunteer Docents to greet visitors to the museum, show visitors around the exhibits and answer questions. Museum is open Friday, Saturday & Sunday– 1-4 p.m. The Wellness Kitchen & Resource Center – needs volunteers to pack and deliver wellness foods to SLO; to work the lunch counter register, help with lunch orders of premade salads/soup; front desk to answer phones, make copies, assist with office duties; handyperson for miscellaneous repairs; website/newsletter help. Looking for friendly team players interested in health and wellness. Twin Cities Community Hospital – seeking volunteers to help at the Front Desk and in the Gift Shop. If you are able to walk around the hospital and have a desire to help people, your training could begin your first day as a volunteer.

South County Opportunities American Cancer Society, with offices in Arroyo Grande, welcomes volunteers for many positions. There are both short-term and ongoing opportunities available. Ampsurf - non-profit organization established to Promote, Inspire, Educate and Rehabilitate (PIER) all people with disabilities and families through adaptive surfing and other outdoor activities at Pismo Beach. Arroyo Grande Police Department is

looking for a few good people to assist officers and staff in various important activities such as: Traffic and crowd control, patrol duty at parades, festivals, car shows and various holiday celebrations, assist at traffic accident scenes, power outages, clerical duties, school and other community events. Children’s Resource Network of the Central Coast (formerly Lisa Ray’s Donation Group) needs volunteers to help sort and fold children’s clothing for distribution to needy children. Need for Spanish speaking volunteers. Clark Center Association in Arroyo Grande is looking for new volunteers “to greet and seat” (usher) during their season performances. Must be able to stand for 45 minutes, be able to walk up stairs; and be

friendly. Mandatory training class required annually. Volunteers required to pay $25 annual Volunteer Association dues and receive many perks and benefits as a result. Dana Adobe in Nipomo needs volunteers to be docents, education docents and to help with the grounds and projects at the Adobe. Whether you can help occasionally, short-term or on an ongoing basis they will be happy to have you. They also need people

for the information desk, data entry, clerk typist, computer work or to work with the materials as a handyperson doing minor maintenance at the property. Five Cities Christian Women’s Food Pantry – has need of volunteers Monday thru Friday. AM shift is 8-10; afternoon shift is 2-4 pm. AM volunteers sort fruits & vegetables received. PM volunteers give out 3 bags of food as needed by clients. Need ability stand at the counter inside and fill bags from shelves and refrigerator to give to clients. Five Cities Meals on Wheels is looking for volunteers with a heart to help our home-bound neighbors in the Five Cities area. Volunteer Cook to help fill in for vacations; Volunteer Drivers; and Office Help are needed. Great team serving vulnerable and fragile community members. Grover Beach Police Department- needs Volunteers to assist in patrol functions, traffic collision scenes; to help look for elderly & missing juveniles; to be a part of community outreach with children's schools events, Cops & Kids Day, local festivals and parades. Nipomo Food Basket is looking for volunteers to help with food distribution; must be able to lift small boxes; no special skills required; training provided. Great place to volunteer! Pismo Beach Chamber of Commerce seeking outgoing volunteers to greet visitors at their Visitors Center and assist with some office duties. Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers – volunteers needed for Gift Shop, special events and as docents to lead tours at the Lighthouse. Looking for volunteers able to commit to 2 shifts per month for 2-4 hours each. If you like people and enjoy an historic site, this is for you!

North County Adaptive Sports & Recreation program – looking for volunteer coaches and new Board Member. Coaching sports for individuals with disabilities requires one-on-one, two days per week for 2-3 hours on Thursday 6-7:30 pm. An average of 30-35 athletes gather every Thursday evening at Colony Park in Atascadero and coaching of special needs swimmers at Kennedy Fitness indoor lanes on Mondays from 6-7 pm in Atascadero. Requirements – volunteers must be 18 years of age or older, experience or education in Special Ed, Psychology or Kinesiology training; physically active and patient. One Cool Earth – support of outdoor education, neighborhood gardens and community tree plantings. Volunteers such as handyperson and individuals knowledgeable about gardening willing to help offer lessons to students K-1 in the Paso Robles Unified School District. Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (Virginia Peterson Elementary School) – Volunteers must complete volunteer background clearance packet and receive clearance before they begin their assignment. Volunteers are needed to listen to students reading and assist with basic math. Program needs are 5 days/wk, 2 hrs/day. Initial training provided by the principal; ongoing training provided by teachers. Video and/or in person training ongoing. Paso Robles Police Department Community Volunteer Police Patrol is seeking new members. Duties include, but are not limited to, city patrol, traffic control, special events, business checks and home vacation checks. Volunteers must pass background check and are required to complete a training course. CVPP members can work as often as they like, any time, day or night, seven days a week. Pioneer Museum in Paso Robles can always use docents; other volunteer opportunities also exist. Rios-Caledonia Adobe (Friends of the Adobes, Inc.) – needs volunteers for the Caledonia Gift Shop on Friday/Saturday/Sunday for 5 hours each day. Duties include greeting the public; retail sales of items at the Gift P A R T I A L L Y F U N D E D B Y T H E C O R P O R A T I O N F O R N A T I O N A L A N D C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E

6. September – October – November – December 2016 THE VOLUNTEER’S VOICE

South County Historical Society, with six museums in the Arroyo Grande area, needs docents for museums, bus tours, school field trips and special events. We make it easy for docents to learn by working with fellow volunteers. Other volunteer opportunities include data entry, scanning newspaper articles, gardening, handyperson, actors and actresses. We love our volunteers and our volunteers love teaching their skills.

SANTA MARIA/NORTHERN SANTA BARBARA COUNTY OPPORTUNITIES Alliance Pharmaceutical Access– Santa Maria is searching for an assistant to the Program Coordinator 4 hours per day, Mon.-Thurs.; duties include filling out on-line medication applications, phoning in medical refill orders, inputting client info into computer, contacting doctors offices for RX clarification, and misc. clerical/organizational tasks; training provided. Area Agency on Aging has volunteer opportunities for someone to serve as advisor to the AAA Board of Directors and staff including but not limited to processing Requests for Proposals and Older Americans Month. City of Lompoc – Police Department – needs new police volunteers to assist officers with special events, writing citations, vacation checks and other community related duties (i.e., Information Desk, clerk typist and office duties). Training available. Country Oaks Care Center – need volunteers 7 days a week to help in the Activity Department – Bingo, Arts & Crafts, visiting, letter writing and one-on-one. This is an opportunity for those who love senior citizens and are responsible. Dignity Marian Hospice Program in Santa Maria is looking for volunteers to provide supportive assistance to patients and their families so that they may feel secure, comfortable and welcomed. Provide input into the plan of care and interdisciplinary meetings, participate in volunteer support groups, educational in-services and more. Help is also needed in San Luis Obispo County as we have clients who live there.

Dignity Marian Regional Medical Center is looking for volunteers to serve in a variety of services. Visit www.marianmedicalcenter.org or call (805) 739-3520 for more information. Training is provided. Dunes Center – seeking an Education and Administrative Coordinator to answer phones, file, occasional computer work. Love the outdoors? HICAP is seeking enthusiastic volunteers who want to learn about Medicare and help others by being a Medicare Counselor. Multiple opportunities are available – administrative support, information specialists, publicity and outreach specialist and translators. No experience necessary; FREE training provided. Spanish speaking a plus for many of these opportunities; and necessary for translators.

La Purisima Mission needs volunteers to primarily assist with visitor information, early CA history of the mission and costumed demonstration of mission period skills and activities with grade school visitors. Training of history of the mission period is provided. Lompoc Food Pantry needs volunteers on a daily basis to stock and organize food on shelves. Assist in keeping the facility clean and organized for clients. Luis Oasis Senior Center needing help at Information Desk, doing some office assistant and/or handyman tasks Monday thru Friday from 8-4pm. PCPA Marian and Severson Theatre in Santa Maria need ushers to meet and greet, help seat patrols, handle money, and assist with concessions. People’s Self-Help Housing seeking volunteers to assist in classroom activities, snack preparation and clean-up. Also need one-on-one and in small groups help with homework; special events, guest speakers, field trips and basic office support. Retired & Senior Volunteer Program needs a few volunteers to provide clerical/organizational assistance for the Santa Maria satellite office; computer experience helpful; hours flexible.

Santa Barbara County Department of Education – looking to fill key volunteer positions in surrounding schools. Santa Barbara Food Bank – in need of volunteers to help and give support in the warehouse. Santa Maria Natural History Museum – is seeking docent volunteers. Training is provided. Santa Maria Police Department is looking for volunteers to serve in different areas of the department. Santa Maria Salvation Army is looking for volunteer to assist Case Worker. Administrative assistance to answer phones, send e-mail messages, make copies, greet guests etc. Santa Maria Valley Historical Museum is looking for docents to assist with Museum tours for local students. If you love history this is the place for you. Training provided. Special Needs Network is in need of a Drama Director/s who can work with developmentally disabled/delayed adult club members at least once a week for 1-1/2 hours. The volunteer/s would be part of a four-person team that includes a coordinator, music director and experienced aide who assists at every club meeting. Club members are 18-40 and developmentally disabled.

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P A R T I A L L Y F U N D E D B Y T H E C O R P O R A T I O N F O R N A T I O N A L A N D C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E

September – October – November – December 2016 THE VOLUNTEER’S VOICE 7.

VOLUNTEERING IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH AND GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY!

Nonprofit Organization

US Postage

PAID

San Luis Obispo, CA

PERMIT No. 207

660 Pismo Street San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Editor: Marie Brinkmeyer

Contributors: Bernadine Barrow, Tom Clough,

Cheryl Kippen, and Nancy Rodriguez

Publication of the Volunteer’s Voice is made

possible by Silver Streaks (folding and sorting for

bulk mail) and is published every 4 months by

Senior Volunteer Services.

8. September – October – November – December 2016 THE VOLUNTEER’S VOICE

BZB’s BUMBLES

Place Mailing Label Here

Bits from

Well, folks, here we are again!! Hope you all have had a great summer and are all rested up for another busy fall!! By now, hopefully,

most of you have adapted to and are using our new timesheet. You are most certainly doing a great job of submitting your hours in a

timely manner, and for that we are greatly appreciative. If you have any old timesheets in your possession, please discard them and use

the new one. You can download a copy on our website www.rsvpcentralcoast.org.

There are still a few things to which I’d like to direct your attention. Among them is legibility – a problem for aging

eyes, you know. I realize, too, that as we age, perhaps our penmanship is not as good as it once was (I, myself,

have a problem with this – I write a note or a list and when I go back to use the info, I can’t read my own writing). I

would be most grateful if you could be as clear as possible.

Please express hours by quarters, not minutes, and round up. If you worked an hour and 10 minutes, for example,

give yourself credit for a quarter of an hour for the 10 minutes, thus, 1.25 hrs. When listing mileage, round up to the

nearest whole mile; we don’t need to be so precise that we deal in tenths of a mile. Also, if you could total your hours and mileage –

separate for each station – that would be helpful.

Remember, we have suggested in the past that you do not have to give great detail about your volunteer duties. Be concise – we just

need to know that in the month of September, 2016, you volunteered 20 hours and drove 150 miles for Senior Nutrition. Being brief will

also help with the legibility issue, as there will be fewer words to try to decipher.

That’s all for this time, friends. Guess by the time we meet again, we will already be into the new year of 2017. WOW, time flies when

you’re having fun (volunteering), doesn’t it?

Take care and stay well.

Warmly,

Bernadine

P A R T I A L L Y F U N D E D B Y T H E C O R P O R A T I O N F O R N A T I O N A L A N D C O M M U N I T Y S E R V I C E