Saluting Service Members, Veterans, and Their Families on July 4th

March in the Forest Lake 4th of July Parade

When: July 4, 9 a.m.

Where: Forest Lake American Legion

About: Forest Lake's Beyond the Yellow Ribbon 

Program would like to invite you to show your patriotism by marching in the 4th of July parade.

More Info: Flyer

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon Car Show

When: July 4, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Eagan Central Park

About: This car show is part of Eagan's annual Funfest 

celebration and is free to enter! Donations will be accepted for Eagan Beyond the Yellow Ribbon.

More Info: Flyer

Hmong Leaders Exhibition Hall

When: July 4, 2 p.m.

Where: Hmong Village, St. Paul

About: Owners of the Hmong Village and The GVP PROJECT Committee are proud to present a historic event at the Hmong Village. This event consists of two major components: the official launch of a photo gallery dedicated to honor key Hmong leaders and the public release of the book General Vang Pao: An Illustration of His Remarkable Life.

More Info: Flyer

Find more upcoming events and deals

Volunteers needed

Veteran's Story Collection

 

This friendly visiting project will take place over several months, using volunteer visitors who want to visit veteran clients of partner organizations and interview them regarding their wartime experiences. The stories we collect will be submitted to the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress. Call Jyni, 952-945-4162, or Email Jyni for more info.

StandDown at Ft. Snelling

Join RSVP in helping to providing services to veterans at the 2014 StandDown on August 5-6 at Ft. Snelling, sponsored by the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans. The StandDown provides many free services to veterans including meals, clothing, employment assistance, wellness, and more. Many volunteers are needed at this very rewarding opportunity. Many times and shifts availableat this two-day event. Call Molly, 952-945-4161 or Email Molly for more info.

The RSVP volunteer program can connect you to these and other ways to support veterans, our troops, and their families. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. 

                                                         

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Get Free Admission to the Midwest Arts and Aging Conference

Volunteers Needed to help with set-up, registration, traffic, breakfast, lunch, workshop assistance, errands, tear-down and more.

Volunteer Perks include: 

1) Free parking for the day

2) Ability to attend great conference sessions prior to or following your shift

RSVP can connect you to these opportunities and more. 

Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits.

                                                         

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Midwest Arts and Aging Conference

Presented by ArtSage
Friday, June 20, 2014
8:45am - 6:00pm   *download schedule
St. Paul Union Depot
214 4th St E
St Paul, MN 55101

Join ArtSage for a day long conference with respected leaders in the field of arts and aging, including keynote speaker Gary Glazner, founder of the national Alzheimer's Poetry Project; Maria Genne founder of Kairos Alive!; Jeanie Brindley Barnett, co-founder of MacPhail Center for Music's Music for Life™ Program; Joey Clark, master teaching artist, Zoe Bird, Alzheimer's Poetry Project and others.

Gary will lead a workshop on on using poetry for older adults with memory loss. In addition, he will be signing his new book during our happy hour reception and answer your questions about using poetry and the arts to reach older adults with memory loss.

Additional presenters will also share information on new evaluation strategies for arts programming to adults with memory loss. Additional sessions will provide time for networking and feature the first-ever Teaching Artist Showcase where you can meet teaching artists trained to work with older adults and learn about their approach in your setting, experience interactive workshops filled with tips and tools on arts and aging and much more.

Network with arts and aging professional, workshops, vendors, and more.REGISTER HERE >>

We need your help to end this national crisis.

Mentor a Child, Make A Difference for a Lifetime
A message from our funder, the Corporation for National & Community Service

Can you imagine growing up without anyone who could be your sounding board for ideas or a resource to help handle tough decisions?  

This could be the situation for an estimated 16 million young people. That’s one in three young people, in fact. 

We need your help to end this national crisis. 

We need more people like you to step up to serve as a mentor.

In fact, some national mentoring organizations have waiting lists of more than 10,000 young boys and men of color because of the challenges involving recruitment and retention of adult mentors with similar skills, interests, and who reside in the neighborhoods in which they live. 

As part of President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) initiative, we are joining with the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services to launch a campaign to recruit individuals to serve as mentors to boys and young men of color across the country. 

We encourage you to get involved by becoming a mentor. Invite your friends and colleagues to join you, too!

Research Shows:

Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class.

Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking.

Seventy-six percent of at-risk young adults who had a mentor aspire to enroll in and graduate from college versus half of at-risk young adults who had no mentor.  They are also more likely to be enrolled in college.

Get Involved: 

RSVP can connect you to mentoring opportunities and more ways to have an impact. 

Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits.

                                                         

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Senior Corps Week Celebrates Volunteeers

Senior Corps Week---May 19-23, 2014

Each year, elected officials and community leaders across the country spotlight the impact of Senior Corps volunteers during Senior Corps Week. 

Here are some of the vital contributions that local RSVP volunteers provide in their communities. RSVP volunteers work with local organizations to have an impact on:

Veterans and Military Families

• Assisting with the assembly of care packages for active military personnel
• Friendly visiting, chores and errands for disabled veterans
• Providing support for familes of deployed troops

Literacy/Education

• Tutoring elementary and middle-school age youth in after-school programs
• Providing mentoring support and leadership development skills

Housing

• Helping to build or rehab affordable housing
• Helping families locate and secure affordable housing

Food Security

• Assisting food shelves in packaging and distributing food
• Delivering  meals to home-bound individuals
• Taking grocery orders or shopping for home-bound individuals

Independence and Wellbeing for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities

•  Providing light carpentry skills to make minor home safety/accessibility modifications
•  Transporting persons for errands and to doctor appointments
•  Being a friendly visitor in person or over the phone

Economic Opportunity

•  Serving as tutors for English Language Learning and GED seekers
• Assisting job seekers in identifying and accessing community resources
• Supporting job training and job placement services

Increasing the Safety of Older Adults in their Vehicles---CarFit events are friendly, fun, and educational,  providing a quick but comprehensive check of how well drivers and their vehicle's safety features work together. Info on safety mprovements is provided, and professionls are on hand to answer questions and provide resources.

Helping Older Adults Protect Against Fractures---Bone Builders is a free, volunteer-led exercise program which uses weight training to protect against fractures by increasing  muscular strength, balance, and bone density.

Volunteers Needed: 

RSVP can connect you to these opportunities and more ways to have an impact. 

Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits.
                                                         

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Free 12-Point Auto Safety Check May 20

Airbags and safety belts work best when they FIT you

  CarFit: Ensuring Your Car’s Safest Fit--for drivers 55+

Tuesday, May 20, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m
St Paul Municipal Athletics
1500 Rice St., St Paul, MN
To register: 651-266-6447---Drive-ups welcome!                          

 

At this educational event, drivers 55 and over will receive a quick but comprehensive check of how well they and their vehicles work together. 

  

 Trained volunteers will ask simple questions to complete a 12-point  checklist, of things like mirror adjustments, seatbelts, lights, flashers, and more.  The entire process takes about 20 minutes per vehicle, and participants leave with recommended safety adjustments and adaptations, a list of local resources--and greater peace of mind.

CarFit is NOT a driver assessment program.  It was developed as a public service by the American Society on Aging in collaboration with AARP, American Occupational Therapy Association and AAA in order to increase driver safety.

The RSVP volunteer program is part of a national organization that matches people 55 and over with opportunities to serve the community. One of RSVP's main focus areas is helping older adults and people with disabilities to remain safe and independent  for as long as possible. 

Volunteers Needed: 

Help keep seniors independent 
    

Help seniors age in place by being a friendly visitor, errand driver, grocery shopper,  CarFit technician, and more --flexible schedule! 

RSVP can connect you to these opportunities and more ways to help seniors age in place. 
                                                         

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Saturday Volunteers Needed for Deployment Ceremony at Saint Paul RiverCentre

 The Minnesota National Guard’s Saint Paul-based 34th Combat Aviation Brigade and 2-147th Assault Helicopter Battalion is preparing to deploy to Kuwait for 1 year to support Operation Enduring Freedom.  These brave men and women will be responsible for providing Aviation Mission Command and aviation support throughout Kuwait and the surrounding region.

Saturday Volunteers Needed: 

Serving Our Troops will host nearly 2,000 soldiers and their families for their official deployment ceremony followed by a steak luncheon at the Saint Paul RiverCentre – and we need your help!

DEPLOYMENT CEREMONY & LUNCHEON EVENT

When:  Saturday, May 17^th  between 10am-3pm

Where: Saint Paul RiverCentre, Lower Rotunda

What: Food/beverage prep, service, bussing tables, directional assistance, clear tables, room take down.  

We’re expecting to host more than 2,400 soldiers and family members!  In addition to Governor Dayton, Senator Klobuchar and other dignitaries who will be on hand to extend their best wishes to the deploying units and their families, the first class ceremony production and steak luncheon afterwards complete with ice cold Schell’s products and all the trimmings will help send that very deserving message of support from Saint Paul and Minnesota to these brave men and women.

RSVP can connect you to this and other ways to support our troops, their families, and veterans. 

                                                         

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits.

Volunteers needed May 16th to set up for deployment ceremony

The Minnesota National Guard’s Saint Paul-based 34th Combat Aviation Brigade and 2-147th Assault Helicopter Battalion is preparing to deploy to Kuwait for 1 year to support Operation Enduring Freedom.  These brave men and women will be responsible for providing Aviation Mission Command and aviation support throughout Kuwait and the surrounding region.

 Volunteers Needed: 

Serving Our Troops will host nearly 2,000 soldiers and their families for their official deployment ceremony followed by a steak luncheon at the Saint Paul RiverCentre – and we need your help!

ROOM SET UP

When:  Friday, May 16^th  4:00pm-??

Where: Saint Paul RiverCentre, Lower Rotunda

What: Set up tables, chairs, linens, center pieces

We will welcome as many volunteers as possible to assist with the room set up.  The large crowd will expedite work and provide a nice backdrop for expected live media shots so please spread the word!

RSVP can connect you to this and other ways to support our troops, their families, and veterans. 

                                                         

For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits.