Coordinator: Lora Brady
Address:
816 Hubbell Ave
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: 507-387-5586
Fax: 507-387-5587
Blue Earth County Forms
Volunteer Enrollment Form (PDF)
Community Needs
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS – BLUE EARTH COUNTY (BEC) SETS UP PHONE BANK
Spring in Blue Earth County brings the same disastrous potential from melting snows and two converging rivers: flooding. This year, BEC’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) is more prepared than ever as they employ their new Emergency Phone Bank System. The goal is to have about 20 phones set up at the Justice Center’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and individuals answering those phones. When a call comes in, the individual who answers at the EOC will be trained how to give the proper direction and/or resource information to the caller. The individuals will be trained to handle serious situations and potentially emotional callers. In addition, they will have resources at their fingertips and an on-site EOC supervisor to consult with if necessary. This project is designed to assist the residents of Blue Earth County in any and all emergency situations, and RSVP is proud to be part of it.
AN HOUR AND A HUG
It’s like bringing the gift of life – nutrition on wheels. If you have an hour a day, a week or in a month to drive a hot meal to a senior who is not be able to get out on their own, you will be doing just that, delivering a gift. In Blue Earth County alone, 16% of households go without daily meals. This is one way to fill that gap and still maintain your own schedule.
SUPPORT A CHILD’S EDUCATION THROUGH LETTER WRITING
A letter from you to an elementary school student can be a stepping stone leading to the student’s future academic success. How? The vanishing art of letter writing has proven to support improvement in student’s spelling , grammar, and idea development. In addition, it provides an opportunity for the student to develop an intergenerational connection with a caring adult. We are currently enrolling volunteers in our pen pal project, Reasons to Write, in the Mankato area.
Are you interested in your community needs, email Lora Brady or call her at 507-387-5586.
Volunteer Spotlight
Sharon Unander-Miller and David Elskamp
Sharon Unander-Miller and David Elskamp
Joined Common Good RSVP September 2007
Lifetime Hours -1800+
Giving up a Saturday or Sunday morning to deliver bread is not what many of us would do after working all week. Yet every month, Sharon and David drive 40 miles round trip to pick up bread in Mankato and deliver it to Neighborhood Thrift off Highway 169. PACT Ministries, an RSVP partnering agency, is given the “next day” bread by local supermarkets to sell to shoppers at the Neighborhood Thrift Store (NTS) and these profits in turn support the Food 4 All distribution program in Mankato. Sharon and David are often involved in that effort as well. During the week, David assists NTS with repairs, donation drop offs and pickups and other tasks. Sharon can be found at the cash register helping store guests. Both have been on the RSVP Advisory council and feel that RSVP is a great way to help the larger community. “It’s giving back what the Lord has given us,” Sharon says. “RSVP has been around a long time,” she adds, and continues to talk about her days as an Americorps and VISTA student. She said that was how she got through college and now she wants to pay it forward working at the thrift store through RSVP. Thank you, Sharon and David, for all you give through RSVP in Blue Earth County!
Community Impact
At Home
Previously known as Hilltop Neighbors or The Living At Home Block Nurse Program, they have recently become known as At Home. Cindy Chadwick, who has overseen the program for more than ten years, has brought the organization through many changes and turns to meet the needs of the people the program serves.With the country in an aging boom, At Home prepares to bring its “people helping people” strengths to the forefront of in-home care with the support of RSVP volunteers. Each week, RSVP volunteers drive elders to appointments, the grocery store and other necessary locations. Along the way, they lend an element of companionship to the lives of those they provide this vital service to. One RSVP volunteer drives several times each day, helping several individuals on a daily basis. To support spouses providing care to an ill or elderly spouse, At Home respite provides them with some rare time for themselves. In 2010, RSVP volunteers provided At Home clients over 400 hours of service, allowing them to remain in their homes and out of a long-term care facility. The At Home program is currently seeking more volunteers. Please contact Lora Brady, Common Good RSVP Program Coordinator, if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity for service.
Partners
MVAC AGAIN Thrift Store
Darlene Sandmeyer was employed for 17 years at a local imprinter. She made signs of every type: restroom signs, business signs, you name it – she imprinted it. In 2009, she lost her job. In her 60’s, she hadn’t looked for a job in years. She fell into the “ageism” trap – an unfortunate situation of modern employment trends. That summer she was at the Blue Earth County Fair at an event promoting volunteerism. She picked up a brochure for the Common Good Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). Might be something to consider, she thought. In September she saw a newspaper article on RSVP and she made the call. Lora Brady, Blue Earth County Program Coordinator, met Darlene for coffee and the two pored over Dar’s skills, interests and hobbies. “I like to quilt,” Darlene told her. Lora thought about it. What if we were to set Dar up at the MVAC AGAIN Thrift Store? There’s a fabric corner there and she would know how to best sort the fabrics. Lora and Darlene went to meet Heather Condon, the store manager. The following Monday, Dar started her journey of volunteerism. When Lora stopped by the store to visit Dar, she found her in the book section of the store. “What happened to the fabrics?”Lora asked. Dar told her that she’d always come to the store for their books and she found that she really like organizing them. Now Dar comes every week and her “book corner” is the best it’s ever been. The book sale profits go towards’ MVAC’s many self-sufficiency programs and work-support efforts. Dar shines in her “book zone,” because that’s what she loves to do.
