Healthy Reasons To Help OthersAdapted from Robert A. Barnett for iVillage.com

If you see someone who is drowning and throw him a rope, he gets a benefit, no question about

it. But you might, too. Your body might flood with feel-good chemicals that have a deep evolutionary heritage.

Do this kind of neighborly thing on a regular basis and, studies suggest, you may live longer. There’s only one caveat: “You have to genuinely care,” says Stephanie Brown, Ph.D., associate professor of preventive medicine at Stony Brook University.

1. Helpers Live Longer: “We consistently find that volunteering and helping behavior is associated with a reduced risk of mortality,” says Brown. “We see this over and over again in prospective studies that control for other variables, such as baseline health and gender.”

For example, a study in Detroit looked at 423 married couples over age 65. They were asked if they helped anyone other than each other in the previous year with transportation, errands, shopping, housework, childcare or other tasks. Those who did were about half as likely to die over the next five years than those who didn’t.

2. Helping Others Helps Your Heart: Pulling the plug on the stress cycle is good for your heart. “Having high levels of cortisol in an extended way is bad for the cardiovascular system,” says Post. “It’s a good predictor of heart problems.”

People who score high on hostility scales are more likely to have heart disease. It’s not so great for the brain, either. “Getting away from yourself, reaching out and contributing to the lives of others, especially in hard times when people are anxious about economic conditions, is a very healthy thing,” says Post.

3. Make it Personal: While it’s true that just thinking about doing good evokes good-for-you chemicals, getting personally involved in a cause you care about is particularly powerful. “Studies on volunteering, from older adults to younger kids, find that for people to stick with it, they need to be doing something that excites them, that they feel called to do,” says Post. “Use your gifts. Volunteering is successful when the individual is doing something that he or she feels confident to do.”

Twin Cities RISE!Volunteer Newsletter

Fall 2012

Current Full Time Employment (FTEs) & Pending Placements in 2012 to date:

Full Time Employment: 43 participantsPending Placements: 7 participants

Participants: Where are they now?

Iris - Receptionist• Kathleen - Employment Navigator• Sharon - Program Evaluator Assistant• Alexander - Mail Services Clerk• Leah - Medical Lab Technician• Andrew - Fulfillment Associate• Glenn - Warehouse• Shadoe - Admissions Advisor• Terri - Bookkeeper / Office Manager• Timothy - Warehouse• Olga - Prep Cook• Jennie - General Laborer• Chantrese - Clerk 3• Andrew - Fulfillment Associate• Lanell - Stylist• Wayne - Delivery Driver• Ruby - School Bus Driver• Dorlisa - Resident Care Assistant• Bernard - Machine Operator• Jeanette - Bus Driver• Martina - Night Auditor•

Important Volunteer DatesCelebrationThursday, October 11 from 5:45-8:00 pm. International Institute of Minnesota, 1694 Como Ave, St. Paul. Call 612-338-0295 to RSVP.

Volunteer Tutoring ScheduleBegins week of October 22 and ends week of December 3.

Volunteer OrientationsTuesday, November 13 from 11:30 am -12:30 pm in Minneapolis OR 5:00-6:00 pm in Minneapolis.

Upcoming Mock Interview DatesMondays and Tuesdays: November 5 & 6, November 12 & 13, December 3 & 4, December 10 & 11. Please contact Kristen at kjames@twincitiesrise.org if you can volunteer!

Offices ClosedNovember 19-21: Workshop Week - no classesNovember 21-23: TCR! closedDecember 24-25: TCR! closed

Special Shout Outs62 participants• were given assistance in Help Labs this session. Wow!

Thank you to these companies • for supporting our program by hosting mock interviews:

-RBC Wealth Management -Ameriprise Financial -Faegre Baker Daniels -G & K Services

Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make the • Music on the Mississippi event a success on Sunday, September 30! We couldn’t have done it without you.

Community Partner Award: Thank you to • BMO Harris for their dedication to TCR! staff and participants to increase financial stability, understanding and success. Hats off to Shana Ford for spearheading efforts for several financial literacy courses offered over the past 2 years! THANK YOU!

Volunteers interview participants at a mock interview session at RBC.

Welcome our new VISTAs!

Welcome to Eric TaieHello All! My name is Eric Taie and I am the new Volunteer Services & Recruitment/Internship Associate as an AmeriCorps VISTA member at Twin Cities RISE!

I was born and raised in Minnesota in the Northern Suburbs and went off to the University of Minnesota Duluth for college. I graduated in May with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and a minor in Sociology.

I look forward to working with everyone connected to TCR! this year and am very excited to be here!!

Welcome to Kristen JamesHello Volunteers! My name is Kristen James, and I am an AmeriCorps VISTA serving Twin Cities RISE! this year as the Employer Services and Volunteer Services Associate.

I will be your primary contact for mock interviewers. I work primarily in the Minneapolis office, but on Wednesdays I am in St. Paul.

I graduated in December 2011 from the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs with a Masters in Public Affairs in Nonprofit Leadership and Management with an emphasis on Urban and Regional Studies. I am excited to meet and work with you all this year!

Thank You from Kate ChristophersonI wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of you wonderful volunteers for making my time here at TCR! one of the best experiences of my life. You all are such warm, dedicated, generous individuals and you made my time here not only enjoyable but fun!

While my time in the Volunteer Department has ended, I look forward to seeing you on the other side – as a TCR! volunteer myself! I will miss you all and wish you the best in the coming year. As for me, I will be attending the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Affairs for my master’s in Urban and Regional Planning.

Comments, questions, ideas or corrections? Contact Tiowa Collier at tcollier@twincitiesrise.org.Want to unsubscribe to this newsletter? Email volunteer@twincitiesrise.org.

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” - John C. Maxwell

Special Shout Outs62 participants• were given assistance in Help Labs this session. Wow!

Thank you to these companies • for supporting our program by hosting mock interviews:

-RBC Wealth Management -Ameriprise Financial -Faegre Baker Daniels -G & K Services

Thank you to all of the volunteers who helped make the • Music on the Mississippi event a success on Sunday, September 30! We couldn’t have done it without you.

Community Partner Award: Thank you to • BMO Harris for their dedication to TCR! staff and participants to increase financial stability, understanding and success. Hats off to Shana Ford for spearheading efforts for several financial literacy courses offered over the past 2 years! THANK YOU!

Volunteers interview participants at a mock interview session at RBC.