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Fairfield Volunteer Center |
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Dear JoBeth,
Many thanks for the RSVP Program in Fairfield! As one who needs
help and is helped, I can tell you that it makes the difference between impossible and possible when it comes to access to the shops and community.
For the while I live in isolation due to health challenges. I must stay at home. Having someone who does errands for me, visits, and is kind, caring and friendly is a God-send in my life.
Much gratitude, Rhiana Levy
Holiday Greetings from JoBeth Lewer-Director-RSVP
As we begin a new year I would like to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for the wonderful
RSVP Friendly Visitor Denise Poole with Jo Simmons, Betty Crawford and Ruby McPhail
contributions you made to the Fairfield community throughout 2011. As of December 2011 RSVP has enrolled 75 new volunteers who gave over 1,000 hours of service! The RSVP Friendly Visitors program is growing and now has over 25 volunteers serving seniors in Fairfield. The RSVP Energy Savings Program finished the year Weatherizing 23 homes and more than 50 RSVP volunteers enrolled to serve!
Each of you make a direct and positive difference in the lives of others. I know you have made a difference in my life. It is a great pleasure to serve as the Director for this program. Each RSVP volunteer I meet makes me feel deeply satisfied knowing that together we are indeed creating a better world for everyone, one person at a time.
I feel grateful that I have the good fortune to work with all the caring and kind-hearted people who make volunteering a part of their lives. Thank you all for your ongoing volunteering with RSVP and for helping to make this program a vital service for those in Fairfield.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
We invite you to make MLK Day a day of service—”a day ON, not a day off.” 
Her presentation challenges us all to take action today to create a more just and diversified society, while creating the history of tomorrow. National Days of Service like this one are important reminders to get involved and serve to rally people together to make a difference…but what we hope they do most of all is to inspire ongoing service throughout the year.
*Admission to the evening’s events will be a non-perishable food donation to help stock the new food pantry at New Life Community Church in Fairfield.
Dr. Larry Nash was honored with the Fairfield Volunteer of the Year Award on December 
8th at the Fairfield Entrepreneur Association’s Annual Awards Banquet.
Dr. Nash received numerous nominations for the award based upon his work on two very significant projects in the Fairfield community. Larry has been a leader in accomplishing the Maasdam Barns preservation project and has also been significantly involved in construction projects for the Jefferson County Trails Council.
Larry, along with Dick Reed, initiated the first project at the Maasdam Barns and Larry showcased his skills in carpentry, painting, organization, leadership, fundraising and more. He served as Vice Chairman of the Maasdam Barns Preservation committee from 2005-2009, and was then elected Chairman.
Larry has been a member of the Jefferson County Trails Council since it was formed in 1997 and became part of the core group that built the trails. His projects included calculating bridge materials from plans, as well as building the bridges, installing and repairing fences, clearing fallen trees on the trails and many other tasks.
Over the past 2.5 years alone, Larry has been the major force driving the Maasdam Barns project to completion. According to his logs in 2009 he volunteered 190 hours and in 2010, 230 hours.
Larry reminded the audience that projects on this scale only happen when a group of people pool their talents and give of their time. He graciously accepted the award on behalf of all of the volunteers that worked on the barns and the trails projects.
On December 10, FVC hosted a 
fundraiser event at Morningstar Studios. The evening had a jump start with a swing dance lesson from Andrea and Jeffrey Smith who kindly donated their time to ensure dancers learned some fun, new moves. More than 40 dancers turned out in support of the volunteer center and helped us share in a fun and festive evening.
Raffle tickets were drawn and prizes went to 9 different supporters. Many thanks to our sponsors and donors:
-Verizon -Chief Appanoose Popcorn
-Yummy’s -Breadtopia
-Terry Baker -Brown’s Shoe Fit
-Morningstar Studios -Fairfield Arts and Convention Center
Keep your eye out for our next dance event to come later this winter!
We greatly appreciate all of the support from the community so that we can continue to radiate that support to others.
Our team shares common values, vision, and purpose. We work to provide the greatest possible comfort and care for those who experience one of life’s most intimate and challenging moments.
The Mission of Hospice Compassus is to honor life and offer hope to individuals facing a life-limiting illness by supporting them with compassion, integrity and excellence.
OUR VISION
Patient care and service are our highest priorities
and primary reason for existence.
Hospice Compassus will be the highest quality hospice provider in every community in which we operate.
We will provide an attractive environment for hospice employees recognizing and acknowledging that our employees are our greatest asset in providing quality care and service to our patients, their families and the community.
*We will provide hospice care to all appropriate patients
and will not discriminate against any patient due to age, color, race, religion, sex, national origin, disability or inability to pay.
*We will always comply with all regulations governing our industry and maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct.
History:
Opening its first hospice in 1979, Hospice Compassus is part of a family of community-based hospices. Our nationwide network is a vast resource of information benefiting both patient and families.
True compassion is a very personal and private experience shared between caring people, and it is best expressed by those closest to you. This is why the people of Hospice Compassus live among you and have served you for years.
Opportunities to assist this agency abound and include:
*office, clerical and/or computer tech support
*patient companionship
*community outreach, storywriting or crafting for patients
*and much more!
Contact Person:
Linda Barnett, Volunteer Coordinator, (319) 362-2500 for more information
Attention: All Fairfield Volunteers-Please join us for an evening of celebration Thursday, October 27 from 7:30-9:30 at the lovely Cafe Paradiso. The evening will feature entertainment, snacks, merrymaking, and good company.
The community of Fairfield is a richer, more vibrant place because there are so many people who reach out to others; looking beyond their own daily lives for the betterment of others. We want to celebrate you and all that you do! Please join us.
Don’t miss this exciting, educational and invaluable conference for Iowa nonprofits and volunteer management professionals! Use their website to view the evolving agenda, access award nomination information, and find lodging information. Download the schedule and workshop descriptions here!
REGISTRATION DEADLINE/FEES
Online “early” registration is available just through November 1, so don’t delay! After November 1, you may still attend this conference, but must register at the door at the on site rate). A great value for a 2-day conference: $160 ($180 on site) – includes breakfast, lunch, and a break. Can’t get away for two days? One-day registration is also available for $90 ($100 on site) – includes breakfast, lunch, and a break.
GET MORE INFORMATION
To ensure you get conference details and information about registration, please visit www.iowalifechanging.com and use the “register” link to sign up for the Iowa Nonprofit Summit e-mail list or follow conference news on Twitter at #INPOS11
WORKSHOP TOPICS INCLUDE:
Local agencies interested in attending can contact the Fairfield Volunteer Center to arrange possible car-pooling to the conference. Several scholarship opportunities also exist to help support attendance. See the website for more information.
Saturday, September 24 the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), sponsored by the Fairfield Volunteer Center (FVC), organized a 
weatherization project where more than 80 volunteers from various parts of the community came together to weatherize 11 homes of eligible Fairfield residents.
The RSVP Weatherization Program is funded by several grants and numerous in-kind donations from throughout the Fairfield community. Scott Timm, Fairfield’s Sustainability Coordinator, facilitated a training session prior to event day to ensure project participants had the basic skills needed to complete project tasks.
Volunteers worked in teams with experienced RSVP captains leading the way and teaching new skills to community members and students. Basic steps like caulking around outdoor window casings, installing weather stripping around doors, filling cracks in the foundation with expandable foam, wrapping water heaters and applying plastic film to windows can make a big impact on the efficient energy usage of a home, thereby reducing heating costs over the winter.
According to Molly Reiff, Director of the Fairfield Volunteer Center, “new skills gained by volunteers can be applied to their own homes creating a ripple effect that reaches further than just the primary homes weatherized on Saturday,”.
Following the weatherization efforts, the volunteers gathered together for a luncheon at the First Christian Church to celebrate the successes and share experiences of the day. JoBeth Lewer, Fairfield’s RSVP Director said, “Fairfield is fortunate to have an ongoing RSVP Weatherization Program established in our community that connects a diverse group of volunteers benefitting our local residents”.
We will be following up with homeowners to quantify actual savings and will report back here when that info is available. We thank all involved…we couldn’t do it without you!
To lower utility bills and a more comfortable winter!
One in Four Older Americans Makes a Positive Impact in Local Communities Through Volunteering, Providing More Than $64 Billion in Annual Economic Benefit to the U.S. 
Washington, D.C. – New data released by the Corporation for National and Community Service indicates that 18.7 million older adults – more than a quarter of those 55 and older – contributed on average more than 3 billion hours of service in their communities per year between 2008 and 2010.
“As the 78 million–strong Baby Boomer generation looks for ways to give back to their communities, Senior Corps offers a powerful way to link them to meaningful opportunities to make a difference,” said Dr. Erwin Tan, director of Senior Corps at the Corporation for National and Community Service. “Older Americans bring a lifetime of skills and experience that can be tapped to meet community challenges. Our Senior Corps programs engage older Americans in solving problems and serving those most in need, making senior service a vital investment for our nation now and into the future.”
“Along with delivering enormous social and economic benefit to communities nationwide, volunteer service also allows older Americans to remain active and healthy, an outcome that is critical as our nation strives to lower health care costs in times of budget constraints,” said Dr. Tan. “More than two decades of research establishes a strong relationship between volunteering and health, and we are seeing that those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression and disease later in life than those who do not volunteer.”
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Senior Corps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages more than 5 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service each year through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America programs, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve.
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