Senior volunteer program hosts a monthly breakfast

Friday, September 24, 2010
Dear Meadow principal Gwen Morris speaks in front of Putnam County senior volunteers as she holds a folder containing information that helps to guide volunteers in how to best help children they mentor Wednesday at the Breakfast Over Easy at Hickory Creek Nursing Home. The Breakfast Over Easy program will alternate between the fourth Wednesday and Tuesday of each month. Banner Graphic/JOSH GARVEY

GREENCASTLE -- The Putnam County Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) held a breakfast this Wednesday to celebrate volunteers in the program.

Patty Jones, the volunteer coordinator for RSVP said the meal, called Breakfast Over Easy, will be held every month at the Hickory Creek Nursing Home in Greencastle. She wants the breakfasts to help bring in new volunteers.

"This should be a great recruiting tool," Jones said. "We're encouraging volunteers to bring a friend to the breakfast.

"It's also a nice way for our current volunteers to socialize and meet with each other."

Jones said although their title has "retired" in it, a person doesn't have to be retired to volunteer through RSVP.

"Volunteers just have to be 55 or older," she said.

In addition to the breakfast, there will also be a speaker from different volunteer stations hoping to recruit people.

At this month's breakfast, Gwen Morris, the principal from Dear Meadow Primary School and one of her volunteers, Virginia Trout, spoke about their experiences with volunteers and volunteering.

"I was a teacher, and after I retired I started climbing the walls for something to do by January," said Trout, who has volunteered for two years. "I saw an article in the paper about Dear Meadow looking for volunteers and I signed up."

Trout volunteers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, mentoring children who need help with reading and occasionally math.

"Virginia is great because she is a former teacher, but it doesn't take a teacher to do this," Morris said. "Some of these children just need a person in their life who will care for them and talk to them."

Morris said volunteers usually focus on language arts and reading, though it depends on what a teacher needs.

Jones said RSVP used to host breakfasts before she joined the organization. She said Hickory Creek contacted her about bringing the monthly breakfasts back.

Breakfast Over Easy will be at Hickory Creek every month, alternating between the fourth Wednesday and fourth Tuesday of the month, starting at 10 a.m. The next meeting will be on Oct. 26.

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