Greetings to all of you, our wonderful RSVP volunteers. While you are out in the community working to make it a better place to live, I want to take a moment to thank you for all that you are doing. Your time is very precious, and we appreciate your generosity.

VOLUNTEERISM IS INCREASING

   A recently released report on volunteering shows that volunteerism increased significantly in the United States last year. There are several theories as to why this is true. Many people choose to volunteer to fill their time while they are looking for a new job or to learn new skills or improve existing skills.

   Unfortunately, Florida is still in the lower 10% of volunteerism when compared to other states. For the fifth year, Utah leads in volunteerism, followed by Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and Alaska! Some think our average is so low because we are not recording all the hours being volunteered. If you have friends age 55 or older who volunteer in the community, invite them to join RSVP. Let's try to get Florida in the top percentile for volunteering next year!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RSVP

   Last month our RSVP program began its 25th year in Bay County. What an accomplishment!

SCHOOL STARTS SOON

   Believe it or not, school will resume in a few weeks. Be sure to:

   ~Watch out for children.

   ~Yield to school buses.

   ~Allow more time to reach your destination in mornings and afternoons.

   ~Obey school zone speed limits.

   When school is in session, there are also many volunteer opportunities. You can become involved in fund-raising and special events, clerical assistance, library/media center assistance, homework and tutoring assistance and mentoring. Contact the RSVP office for more information.

NEW RESPITE CARE PROGRAM TO BENEFIT VETERANS

   We are very excited about our new partnership with the Veterans Administration. Veterans who qualify are eligible for free respite care.

   We're recruiting RSVP volunteers who will be trained by the VA to provide free respite care to help family caregivers. Plan to attend an informative meeting about this program at 10:00 a.m. Thursday, August 12th in the activities room in the Annex. For more information contact Dianna at 769-3468.

   Remember, to be part of the community theater rewards program you must be actively volunteering in an approved volunteer activity. If you have questions, call the RSVP office.

We thank you all for sharing your time, talents and skills with our community.

Until next month,

Dianna, Amanda, and Carrie

your RSVP staff