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 >>

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 

Party With the Mayors!

The Mayors Day of Recognition for National Service is a national event for mayors across the country to highlight the impact of Senior Corps and other National Service programs in local communities.  

Mayor Chris Coleman and Mayor Betsy Hodges, strong supporters of service, will be recognizing and celebrating national service members in the Twin Cities! Joining them will be Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, who has chosen the Twin Cities as her destination for the day to celebrate service.  

RSVP members perform national service whenever they volunteer at our partner sites. (RSVP is part of Senior Corps, which works alongside AmeriCorps. Both are funded by the Corporation for National and Community Service, or CNCS).

All RSVP Members who live or volunteer in Minneapolis or St. Paul are invited to Party With the Mayors!
Join us from 5pm-7pm on April 1 at the Turf Club for free food, beer, soda, music, festivity and FUN in celebration of the service of hundreds of National Service members in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Mayor Coleman, Mayor Hodges, and Wendy Spencer will be there to celebrate you! 

When: 5pm-7pm+ on Tuesday, April 1^st (mild speechifying at 5:30)

Where: Turf Club
1601 University Ave W
St Paul, MN 55104

More of the What: free food, beer and soda…and hopefully every last AmeriCorps and Senior Corps member in Saint Paul and Minneapolis!

  

We hope you can join us to celebrate your achievements with the larger national service family!

Please let us know if you can attend, so we can get you registered: 952-945-4162 or Email (the event is capped at 300 due to the capacity of the Turf Club). 

Freebies on April 1 

Wear your gear (anything with a Senior Corps logo) on April 1 and stop by any number of our "National Service Super Sponsors" to receive free things ranging from coffee to cupcakes to bike tune-ups! Check back on March 31st to see the map of participating local businesses.

Not an RSVP Member? Don't miss the fun--Join RSVP Today! 
We can connect you with a volunteer opportunity that matches your interests and availability. 
Call 952-945-4162 or Email 
Volunteers 55 and over receive free supplemental insurance and other benefits.

Medicare Open Enrollment Information

Dec. 7 is the last day for this year’s Medicare Open Enrollment period. 

Find the info you need on the newly enhanced My Medicare Matters website, a service of the National Council on Aging.   Visit My Medicare Matters now

 

Volunteers needed:

Train to be a health insurance counselor--or--help older adults in other ways.Training is provided.                                 

RSVP can connect you to volunteer opportunities at local organizations. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits.  For more info: Call  952-945-4162 or Email                       

New to Medicare?   Learn everything you need to know about coverage and enrollment.  

Have Medicare? Find out whether you can save money on your coverage.

Researcher finds new memory trick!

How to find your car in the parking lot:

As you park your car--clench your right hand.

When you are ready to find your car--clench your left hand.

Clenching your fists creates a stronger memory
By Meghan Holohan

Need to remember some important facts for that big presentation at work? Clench your right hand while preparing to remember. When giving that talk, ball up your left hand and you’ll call to mind those details, no problem.

That’s the finding from a new study authored by Ruth Propper, an associate professor and director of the cerebral lateralization laboratory at Montclair State University. Propper has long been intrigued by how body movements impact how the brain works. While most people realize that the brain influences the body (the brain tells your arm there is an itch, and you feel it), less is understood about how the body sways the brain.
Past research suggests that clenching our hands can evoke emotions. When people ball up their right hands, for example, the left sides of their brains become more active, causing what’s known as “approach emotions,” feelings such as happiness or excitement. By squeezing the left hand, people engage the right side of the brain, which controls “withdrawal emotions” such as introversion, fear, or anxiety. (It probably seems like these might be less useful, but they come in handy in dangerous situations.)

Propper theorized that if clenching hands impacted feelings, these gestures might influence the brain in other ways.
To learn how hand clenching influenced memory and recall, she asked 51 right- handed subjects to memorize 72 words and randomly assigned each person to one of five hand-clenching groups or a control group that did nothing. Only righties were included because lefties exhibit better episodic memory overall so they’d have an unfair advantage. She found the perfect combination for better memory and recall occurs when a subject clenches his right hand while memorizing and balls up his left hand while trying to recall the memory.
“It is interesting to compare to not clenching at all. It’s almost 15 percent better [to clench right then left] than sitting there,” she says.
While a 15 percent improvement is on the edge of being statistically significant, Propper notes 15 percent can be the difference between an A and a C on test.

Propper admits that more research needs to be conducted on how bodily movements enhance brain function, but she recommends that people try squeezing their hands to aid with memory.

“I would say that it would be worth trying,” Propper says. Take parking your car in the parking lot.  “As you park you can clench your right hand and when you are trying to find it, clench your left hand.”

Volunteers Needed: 

Help keep seniors independent 
    

Help seniors age in place by being a friendly visitor, errand driver, grocery shopper, 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 

Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits

Shoppers Needed

Groceries for Seniors--Store Tours

Come learn about how dozens of volunteers shop for hundreds of people they’ve never met—and get it right! 

Store tour begins at 8 AM and ends by 9 AM so you can be on your way to the rest of your morning.

Join us for a cup of coffee on:

Thursday, June 13, 2013

• WHERE: Maplewood Cub Foods
  2390 White Bear Avenue
  Maplewood MN 55109
• WHEN: 8:00 – 9:00AM Program
• WHO: Open to all community members
• Please RSVP to Rosemary at rosemary@storetodoor.org (651-642-1892 ext. 128) if you’d like to plan to attend. Additional tours  in Bloomington, St. Anthony or Midway Cub foods are scheduled later in the summer.

Help Wanted:

Volunteer Grocery Shopper

Enjoy shopping? Help an elderly homebound person maintain their independence while you get great exercise. Grocery shop for 2-4 hours twice per month or on a weekly basis. Choose the day of the week (Tuesday thru Friday) and a Cub Foods location which works best for you.

We meet between 6am-10am; and can adjust to fit your schedule, when needed. Six month time commitment required; we can accommodate snowbirds, summer birds, vacations, and other events.

URGENT NEED: Urgent need for  shoppers on Fridays at Midway in St. Paul. 

RSVP can connect you to these and other ways to help older people age in place. 
                                                         

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

Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits.

Free CarFit Event in West St Paul on May 2nd

Reserve Your Spot by Tuesday, April 30.

CarFit is a free, interactive and educational program designed to improve 
older driver safety. Trained volunteers provide information to ensure 
the safest "fit" for older drivers and their vehicles.

Augustana Lutheran Church parking lot 
1400 S. Robert Street. West St. Paul

Thursday May 2nd,  1:00 pm - 4:30 pm
20 minute appointments. Sign up by April 30th

Contact: Catherine Sullivan
(651) 690-8602 or (651) 253-8007
cnsullivan@stkate.edu

More Upcoming CarFit Events:

-Monday, May 13——10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Roseville Skating Center

2661 Civic Center Drive, Roseville, MN

To register: 651-792-7006

-Wednesday, May 29——9 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

700 Snelling Ave S., St Paul, MN

To register: 651-744-3072

-Tuesday, June 4——9 a.m. – 12 p.m

St Paul Municipal Athletics parking lot

1500 Rice St., St Paul, MN

To register: 651-266-6447 

Volunteers Needed: 

CarFit Technicians: Short-term volunteer opportunity for 55+

Join us for Spring and Fall events.    

Help older adults achieve the safest fit in their vehicle--flexible schedule! 

Volunteers are trained to cover a 12 point safety checklist including 

mirrors, steering wheel tilt, seatbelts and more. FREE training provided:

Train to be a CarFit volunteer! 

CarFit Volunteer Training

Tuesday, May 7
9:30 - 12:30
Conway Recreation Center

2090 Conway St., St. Paul

Reserve your spot! 

                                                         

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

Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits.

Smartphone as Medical Device?

                                                               

 Medicine of the future--and present

Doctors are using smartphones as diagnostic tools and more. This is predicted to result in lower medical costs and more personalized service. Follow the link below to a story from NBC's Rock Center.


               Rock Center   |  January 24, 2013

iDoctor: Could a smartphone be the future of medicine?

One of the world’s top physicians, Dr. Eric Topol, has a prescription that could improve your family’s health and make medical care cheaper. The cardiologist claims that the key is the smartphone. Topol has become the foremost expert in the exploding field of wireless medicine. Dr. Nancy Snyderman reports.

 Click: iDoctor

Volunteers Needed:  Medical Appointment Driver         Help older adults get to their appointments--flexible schedule!  RSVP can connect you to driver opportunities and more ways to help seniors age in place.                                                            For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email  Volunteers 55 and over receive special RSVP benefits.

Food Shelf Help Needed

Beat Cabin Fever by Lending a Hand

Each February, volunteer participation drops by 20%. Meanwhile, demand in some areas is up by 25%. Your help is necessary now more than ever to get food to the people who need it most this winter.  RSVP partners have a variety of locations and opportunities.

Volunteers needed--RSVP can connect you to volunteer opportunities that support hunger relief. Volunteers 55 and over receive special benefits. For more info: Call 952-945-4162 or Email 

Whatever it takes-- Patricia Lull, Saint Paul Area Council of Churches                          

The January food delivery from Second Harvest came on a day we were short staffed in the Department of Indian Work [Food Shelf]. Sick days and jury duty had called several away. The truck arrived late in the day, minutes after other volunteers had to leave. We were a remnant crew – five women, one man. 

The man and I unloaded the pallets at the door and carried frozen meat, canned goods, and lots of fresh produce into the building. The others sorted and shelved the food, which is so precious to the American Indian participants at our food shelf.

Each trip my co-worker carried two or three boxes for each one I hoisted. As the second of five pallets was unloaded, he said – Whatever it takes! I realized that he was telling me to just keep plugging along.

As the driver unloaded the third pallet, a car with more volunteers arrived. A long afternoon’s task was made much lighter. When all the food was stored away and the cardboard boxes carried to the recycling bin, I thanked the man who had worked tirelessly for two hours. With a broad grin he replied, “I do this for the community.”

Can you Help?

December Volunteer Opportunities

Free supplemental insurance and other RSVP benefits for volunteers 55 and over

One-time--fun & easy ways to give back:    

For more info: Call Jyni,  952-945-4162 or Email Jyni.

easy ways to give back!

-Hmong and Spanish Speaker Needed ASAP! December 4th 5:15-7:45pm, DinnerProvided. Neighborhood House does an annual survey of all their participants. In order to uncover deeper insights about our service delivery, we will be hosting 4 focus groups on December 4th. Facilitators will lead the groups, but each one needs to be paired with a note-taker. The note-taker's role will be to do simply that - take notes. He/she will sit with a laptop computer, outside of the group circle (not participating in discussion) and to the best of his/her ability will type/record the entirety of the discussion. Neighborhood House will provide laptop if needed.

-Be a Wrap Star Family friendly opportunity in Selby Dale neighborhood.
From December 11th through December 20th, Primp Boutiqueis generously donating 10% of all proceeds to Second Harvest Heartland. Help us support their holiday campaign by serving as a volunteer gift wrapper for shoppers at the St. Paul Primp Boutique. Shifts are available Friday, December 14th, and Saturday, December 15th.

-6-8 Volunteers Needed for Hmong New Year: December 13th 4:00-8:00pm at Dayton'sBluff Elementary.  Historically, the Hmong New Year celebration was created to give thanks to ancestors and spirits as well as to welcome in a new beginning. Volunteers will assist with the Ball Tossing Game, arts and crafts, serving food, set-up, take-down, and other activities. Volunteers are encouraged to enjoy traditional Hmong celebrations and food as well. Volunteers under 18 are welcome, so long as the group has at least 6-8 adults.

-Help Feed Hungry Families at Kowalski's Food Drive SUNDAY December 16th, 12:00-2:00pm and 2:00-4:15pm . Responsibilities include handing out food wish lists to customers and collecting food donations at Kowalski's on Grand. Volunteers needed for these shifts: December 16th: 12:00-2:00pm  or  2:00-4:15pm. Families welcome.

-Phone Friendly Volunteer needed to remove previous employees from mailing lists-- 2 Hours. Neighborhood House gets a lot of mailings for past employees every day that ends up in the recycling. We'd like to do our part for the environment by removing ourselves from those lists and decrease wasted paper. Flexible M-F daytime scheduling, must be comfortable making calls to companies and researching phone numbers as needed.

Wish List:  Donate to help support our partners

St Paul -West Side: -Greeting Cards (Blank or Otherwise) -Adobe Design Suite (or just Illustrator and Photoshop) -an iPad for Use in Class Demonstrations/Teaching Technological Literacy for ELL, GED, and Computer Class Students - 2013 Wall Calendars for Staff, Any Style/Theme/Brand Mahtomedi: -Greeting cards: Sympathy, Birthday, Blank & Thank you cards.  -Business envelopes, stamps,  - different colored ink pens: red, purple, green... -Plastic recipe boxes-- larger size -2013 Calendars with lots of writing space available.  -Gift bags: standard sizes & tissue paper  -white cardboard file boxes. For more info: Call Jyni,  952-945-4162 or Email Jyni. Getting Ready for Tax Season:    . Volunteers of all skills commit one  four-hour shift per week. Volunteer orientations are now through December.       For more info: Call Jyni,  952-945-4162 or Email Jyni. --Individual Tax Preparers--prepare state and federal tax returns using tax software and are the primary service providers of AAM's tax programs. Must be comfortable with computers and be able to volunteer one 4 hour shift per week during tax season, from the last week of January through April 15, 2013.   --Tax Site Greeter--A customer service position that greets and screens customers, and works closely with the tax site manager to ensure a positive experience for customers. No previous tax experience is necessary. Must be able to volunteer one 4 hour shift per week during tax season, from the last week of January through April 15, 2013. --Administrative Assistant--The primary focus of this position is to assist the volunteer department in maintaining accurate volunteer records. Must have computer skills and be able to volunteer one 2 hour shift per week during tax season, from December through January. --Tech Support--Help set up, maintain, and troubleshoot computer systems at tax sites.Tech experience required. Weekly Opportunities:   For more info: Call Jyni,  952-945-4162 or Email Jyni. -Literacy Tutors-Help St. Paul kids fall in love with reading! -Homework Helpers-Help St. Paul kids succeed in school. -Medical Appointment Driver--Transport older adults using your own vehicle to medical and dental appointments. The schedule is to volunteer once or twice Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM. The average time is about two hours per shift. Mileage reimbursement is an option. --Friendly Visitor Volunteer--Volunteers provide social interaction with older adults in their homes, library or senior lounge for activities such as playing cards and games or just provide a listening ear. Volunteers establish a two-hour weekly visit and maintain confidentiality. Can you Volunteer Every Other Week? Volunteer Opening at Highland Food Shelf Fridays 9:00am-12:00pm. Volunteers provide friendly customer service while helping families shop for the culturally appropriate food they need and stock food during down time. Families are welcome to volunteer together. Under 14 with an adult. Start November 30th or December 14th. Students Need your Help to Learn English Monday Evenings 6:30-8:30pm, January 7- March 21. Have you always wanted to try teaching English but only have availability in the evenings? Now's your chance! Volunteers are provided with training, class observation, and materials for lesson planning in a supportive environment. Learn about many cultures while teaching students skills they will use for the rest of their lives. 2.75 hrs/week for 1 quarter. Volunteers must be 18+.