R S V P VOLUNTEER REPORTER

Summer 2010

CONTACT of Mercer County celebrated the annual contribution of its Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) members at its 9th annual Recognition Brunch Friday May 28th 2010, at the Hyatt Regency, Route 1 and Alexander Road, Princeton. With a sparkling VOLUNTEERS ARE RISING

STARS! theme, the program included a presentation on Pluto’s planetary status from Dr. David Spergel, Chair of the Astrophysics Department of Princeton University.

Over 200 RSVP Volunteers joined in celebrating the special contribution of the Isabelle Hickman award winner. The Hickman award is named for a long term RSVP volunteer with tireless community spirit and is granted every year to an RSVP volunteer for exceptional service. Nominees are identified by the agencies where the volunteers provide their service.

RSVP Director’s Update Inside this issue:

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RSVP Director Update 1

RSVP Brunch 2

Amachi-Break the Cycle 3

NEW RSVP Stations 4

Volunteer Positions 5

CONTACT of Mercer 6

Happy Birthdays! 7

Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of

Mercer County

Hugh Adams Director of RSVP

This year’s winner was Cary Banks, who volunteers countless hours for a range of local social programs. Cary’s contribution includes serving as a member of the RSVP Advisory Council, sharing the wisdom he has gained from volunteer experiences dating back to 1975. Unfortunately Cary was unable to attend and be honored at the event so his daughter, Catina Banks-Hood received the honor in his stead from Eleanor Letcher, Executive Director of CONTACT and Sharon Lee Parker of Boehm Porcelains who donates the award figurine every year. As the conclusion of the event, CONTACT named a Station Manager as winner of its Barbara Brown Award, recently created to honor a RSVP Station Manager who carefully and closely monitors activities for the senior Volunteers in their community service. The honor went to Karen Carson of the NJ Library’s Talking Book and Braille Center where twenty or more RSVP Volunteers record materials for the visually impaired. (Brown is a long time employee at CONTACT and RSVP whose position fell victim to the least few years’ economic upheavals but was able to be present for the Brunch.)

HUMOROUS HOUSEHOLD HINTS: You know you have become a senior citizen when you only need two tools in life: WD-40 & Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.

Take these three items; some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone.

--Clint Eastwood, “Grand Torino”

On Friday, May 28, over 200 RSVP Volunteers enjoyed their brunch at the Hyatt Regency in Princeton, NJ

RSVP Volunteers Signing in at Registration Table

Don Cox, Chair of RSVP Advisory Council (L) & Dr. David Spergel, an astrophysicist at Princeton University (R),

share a few words before Dr. Spergel spoke to our volunteers

Eleanor Letcher (L), Catina Banks-Hood (M) receives 2010 Hickman Award on behalf of her father, Cary Banks, who is the RSVP Volunteer of the Year, from

Sharon Lee Parker (R) of Boehm Porcelains

Karen Carson from NJ State Library Talking Book & Braille Center receiving the Barabara Brown RSVP Station

Manager of the Year Award from Barbara Brown and Hugh Adams, Director of RSVP

2010 RSVP Annual Recognition Brunch

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The mission of Amachi-Break the Cycle is to break the intergenerational cycle of crime and incarceration by helping children of prisoners fulfill their maximum potential through safe, positive mentoring relationships. Along with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County, The Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County will also handle the clinical and case management of the mentoring matches that will participate in their center’s programs.

Our exciting new partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County opens another avenue for a child of an incarcerated parent to be matched with a caring adult mentor as well as a place for all mentoring matches to meet and enjoy their time together. The Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County is located at 212 Centre Street in Trenton. Their Centre Street facility includes a gymnasium, outdoor pool, game room, fitness center, computer room, library, teen center, classrooms, and offices. Our new partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Trenton and Mercer County will also extend our child enrollment age from 6-14 years old up to 18 years old.

Mentors and children in Amachi-Break the Cycle meet for at least one hour per week for a year. Each mentor-child pair decides on the time and location of each meeting and the activities they will do together. Caring men and women are carefully screened and matched with children of incarcerated parents within their local communities. One-to-one mentoring is proven to build a child’s self-esteem, improve school attendance and study habits by simply having a caring adult role model spend time with them. If you would like more information about Amachi-Break the Cycle, please contact Kristi Cordier, AmeriCorps VISTA, 609-883-2880 ext. 102, btcmercer@gmail.com.

Please check out our NEW website www.amachibtcmercer.weebly.com. We are also on Facebook!

Amachi-Break the Cycle: Mercer County, NJ NEWS

“I went to a prison and saw a grandfather, a

father, and a grandson, all in the same prison at the same time, and they told me that they met for the

first time in prison. When I was about to leave, the

grandson pulled me aside and told me that he too

had a son who he had not seen, and he presumed he

would meet him for the first time in prison also….it

is possible to have four generations in prison at

the same time.” -- Dr. W. Wilson Goode, Sr.

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Kristi Cordier,

AmeriCorps VISTA

Listed below are other current RSVP Stations, which have openings and are interested in having RSVP Volunteer assistance. Please share this information with any other (potential) RSVP Volunteers who may be interested in joining us at RSVP. Contact us for more information. Thank you!

“The best way to

find yourself is to

lose yourself in the

service of others.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

Allies, Inc. is always looking for enthusiastic volunteers who want to share their time with our remarkable individuals with special needs to help them live and work as independently as possible.

Amachi-Break the Cycle needs mentors for children of incarcerated parents. Mentors meet a child of an incarcerated parent an hour per week for at least one year.

CONTACT/RSVP needs volunteers to support our administrative work in our office

Enable – Friendly Visitors - Volunteer will develop one-on-one relationships with a person served by Enable. (Or the volunteer may visit with all the residents in one group home.) Volunteer will travel to visit individual at his place of residence. Volunteer may read, play board games, do activities with the individual based on the interest and abilities of the individual served by Enable. Volunteer will set a schedule for visits and record his time on a volunteer timesheet.

HomeFront needs volunteers to mentor young/first time mothers

Lutheran Social Ministries has numerous seasonal or year round service opportunities including volunteer positions in their office

Mobile Meals of Trenton/Ewing is always looking for drivers and runners for meal delivery!

New Jersey State House Commission needs guides and docents for the State House Tours

St. Francis Medical Center is looking for a volunteer coordinator!

Your ReSource needs donations of Rehab Home Medical Equipment. They refurbish, repair &/or recycle home medical equipment.

Join RSVP and Support the Goals of these Organizations!

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Boys & Girls Club Bike Exchange – VOLUNTEERS NEEDED The Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County’s Bike Exchange has reopened for its second season. They accept donations of used children's and adult bicycles and recondition them for re-sale at highly discounted prices. Volunteer bike mechanics are needed to tune the donated bikes and volunteer sales people are needed to sell them at a storefront in Ewing. ALL proceeds go to the Boys & Girls Club for their after-school programs. If you can fix a flat or tune a derailleur, great! If you cannot but are ready to learn, training will be provided. If getting greasy isn't your thing, sales help is needed at the shop. Volunteers are needed on Tuesdays, 5-8PM for bike reconditioning only and on Thursdays, 5-8PM and Saturdays, 10AM-5PM for sales help. The shop is located in the Capitol Plaza Shopping Center at 1600 North Olden Avenue, Ewing. For more information, contact Metta Cahill @ (609) 844-0214 or mettacnm1@aol.com

NEW RSVP Stations

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Kidsbridge Tolerance Museum at The College of New Jersey needs Volunteers with an interest in character education and interacting with children. Kidsbridge is staffed by volunteer college students and retired individuals. The museum operates between 9:00am-5:00pm on Mondays through Fridays. Retired volunteers are particularly important when TCNJ is not in session and college students are not available to volunteer. This is a perfect position for volunteers who are interested in character education and working with and engaging in discussions with school age children. Volunteers discuss and interact with school age children in dealing with topics such as bullying, name calling, stereotypes, prejudice, discrimination, special needs individuals, disability awareness, conflict resolution and community service. Hours are flexible to accommodate schedules of senior volunteers. Contact: Lynne Azarchi, Executive Director: 609-581-0293, Lynnekidsbridge@aol.com Website: www.kidsbridgemuseum.org

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County is in need of MENTORS! RSVP also has a great partnership with BBBS through our Amachi-Break the Cycle mentoring program for children of prisoners aged 6-14. Please check out www.bbbsmercer.org or Contact Kim Cody, kcody@bbbsmercer.org for more information on other volunteer opportunities also supported by RSVP!

Boys & Girls Club of Trenton & Mercer County is in need of MENTORS for children of incarcerated parents aged 14-18! RSVP has a great partnership with Boys and Girls Club through our Amachi-Break the Cycle program. Please check out www.bgctrenton.org for more information on other volunteer opportunities also supported by RSVP!

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CONTACT of Mercer County is a family of programs which focus Volunteer action to deal with community needs.

CONTACT’s 24/7/365 crisis intervention HOTLINE is staffed exclusively by trained Volunteers.

The Telephone Reassurance Program utilizes Volunteers to make daily or as scheduled “check-in” calls to seniors or shut in adults.

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) helps mature Volunteers - 55 plus - locate and remain in community service activities focused on a host of community needs.

Amachi-Break the Cycle is a mentoring program for children of incarcerated parents.

For more information, visit us at www.contactofmercer.org

CONTACT Volunteer Opportunities!

Telephone Reassurance Volunteer Become a Reassurance volunteer and help make life a little easier for a senior living in Mercer County. It only takes a short phone call each day to help make someone feel safer living at home. You will be matched with a client in your own calling area so the call won't cost you anything. Calls usually take less than 5 minutes. There is no travel required. You don't go to anyone's home and they don't know who you are. Be that friendly voice on the other end of the phone each day for someone. You will feel good and may even save someone's life. Call (609) 883-2880 for more information or to sign up as a volunteer caller!

Join CONTACT of Mercer County's VOLUNTEER HOTLINE SKILLS FOR BETTER LISTENING

40 Hour HOTLINE Training Course teaches Active Listening and Crisis Intervention Techniques and provides information from community experts on many topics such as substance abuse, mental illness, grief, loss, problems with relationships, and suicide prevention. Helping people with serious problems requires volunteers who are trained and skilled. Callers to the HOTLINE experience a wide variety of problems, some of them life threatening.

FREE Training Classes Available for Prospective Volunteers Fall 2010 Classes will meet weekly on Tuesdays

Tuesday, September 14 - Tuesday, December 7, 2010 Mornings: 9:30am-12:30pm or Evenings: 7:30pm-10:30pm

Trinity United Methodist Church- Across from TCNJ 1985 Pennington Road Ewing, NJ 08558

Classes are open to the public, age 18 or older. References are required before actual volunteer work begins. Upon satisfactory completion of training, each trainee is expected to volunteer at least 100 hours to qualify for free training. For those who wish to take the training for personal growth, without the obligation to volunteer, the fee for

the course is $150.00. To register online, please call 609-883-2880

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July Birthdays! Adelaide A. 7/1 Jon G. 7/1 Lutheria R. 7/1 Anthony T. 7/6 Jacqueline A. 7/7 Lillian W. 7/7 Reva K. 7/8 Josephus W. 7/10 Susan K. 7/12 Lily S. 7/12 Barbara S. 7/12

Caroline W. 7/12 Patricia M. 7/14 Charles S. 7/15 George D. 7/16 Abelina S. 7/17 Daisy E. 7/19 Laura R. 7/20 Albert B. 7/21 Robert D. 7/21 Helen P. 7/21 Theresa P. 7/22

Fuzhong W. 7/23 Ahuva A. 7/25 Anne T. 7/25 Joyce F. 7/26 Clarence U. 7/26 Ernestine B. 7/29 Michele P. 7/29 James S. 7/29 J.J. E. 7/30 Margaret M. 7/31 Margaret R. 7/31

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL OF OUR RSVP VOLUNTEERS!

August Birthdays!

Doris L. 8/1 Joyce T. 8/1 Minnie P. 8/2 Millicent W. 8/5 Loiuse W. 8/5 Florine H. 8/8 Nicholas S. 8/8 Eula S. 8/9 Jeanne S. 8/10

Sunny K. 8/11 Sylvester L. 8/11 Dorothy D. 8/12 Elouise C. 8/13 Wesley T. 8/13 Geraldine J. 8/14 Elizabeth L. 8/15 Mary W. 8/15 Natalie B. 8/16

Ron K. 8/17 Patricia W. 8/19 Madge Z. 8/19 Ruth P. 8/23 Betty T. 8/24 Charles M. 8/26 Cathleen S. 8/26

September Birthdays!

Stanley B. 9/1 Rosemarie R. 9/1 Sally L. 9/2 Ann T. 9/2 Henry T. 9/2 Kyra P. 9/3 Brenda S. 9/3 Pearline W. 9/4 Pearl F. 9/5 Helen P. 9/5 Mimi Y. 9/6

Evelyn V. 9/7 Marvin O. 9/8 Robert G. 9/9

Beatrice H. 9/9 Lee D. 9/10 Ruth J. 9/11 Patricia G. 9/12 Luke S. 9/12 Esther L. 9/13 Stan G. 9/14 Nilda K. 9/14 Walter B. 9/15 James M. 9/15 Vivian B. 9/18

Jean S. 9/18 Charles N. 9/19 Shirley P. 9/19

Sandra M. 9/21 Ashok B. 9/22 Dolores L. 9/22 John R. 9/23 Linda S. 9/23 Laurine K. 9/25 Ann F. 9/27 Mary L. 9/27 Vera Y. 9/28 Eileen B. 9/29 Evelyn B. 9/30

Irene D. 9/30 Mildred W. 9/30

RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER

PROGRAM OF MERCER COUNTY Address: 1985 Pennington Road Ewing, NJ 08618 Phone: 609-883-2880 Fax: 609-883-2024 E-mail: rsvpmc@yahoo.com Website: www.contactofmercer.org

Hopewell Township Health Department

Interfaith Caregivers

Kidsbridge Tolerance Museum

Lawrence Township Senior Center

Lutheran Social Ministries

Mercer County Division of

Consumer Affairs

Mercer County Geriatric Center

Mercer County Nutrition Project for the Elderly/Lawrence Township

Mobile Meals of Hamilton

Mobile Meals of Trenton/Ewing

Morris Hall

NJ State Library Talking Book & Braille Center

Princeton Hospice

Allies Inc.

American Red Cross

Big Brothers Big Sisters Of Mercer County

Boys & Girls Club of Trenton &

Mercer County

Capital Health System

CONTACT of Mercer County

Enable Inc.

Ewing Township Hollowbrook Center

Grace Community Church

Greater Mercer Ride Provide

Grounds for Sculpture

Hamilton Continuing Care

Homefront/Huchet House

Princeton Senior Resource Center

Recording for the Blind

& Dyslexic

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital/Hamilton

City of Trenton Reading Center

St. Francis Medical Center

St. Lawrence

Rehabilitation Center

Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

Trent Center

United Way of

Greater Mercer County

West Windsor Senior Center

Your ReSource

Sponsored By:

CURRENT RSVP VOLUNTEER STATIONS

Where Volunteers Blossom.

MERCER RSVP Our Volunteers are Rising Stars!