Posts Tagged ‘1110news’

Featured Agency: Hospice Compassus

Posted on Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

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

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Volunteer Appreciation Event Thursday, October 27, 7:30pm at Cafe Paradiso

Posted on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

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.

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Non-Profit Summit in Ames November 15 &16

Posted on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
Iowa Nonprofit Summit 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 9:00 AM -
Wednesday, November 16, 2011 4:15 PM (Central Time)
Iowa State University / Scheman Building
Lincoln Way & University Blvd
between Hilton Coliseum and Fisher Theater
Ames, Iowa 50011
United States

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:

  • Disaster preparedness
  • National service
  • Effectively operating a nonprofit
  • Communications/social media
  • Resource development
  • Grant management
  • P&P training (Iowa Principles and Practices for Charitable Nonprofit Excellence)
  • Service-learning
  • Volunteer management
  • Risk management and legal issues
  • Days of Service
  • Building community partners
  • Special sessions for AmeriCorps directors and members
  • Workshops of interest to youth, mentoring programs, and Senior Corps directors
  • … and MORE!

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.

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Round Two of Weatherization a Success

Posted on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

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!

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Older Americans Making a Difference

Posted on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

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.”

###

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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Thanksgiving in July Totals

Posted on Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

Thanksgiving in July, a community-wide food drive, was created thirteen years ago by Mercy Iowa City and Hawkeye Foodservice Distribution in Tiffin. The six tons of food and funds collected the first year went to the Johnson County Crisis Center Food Bank. Since then the food drive has continued to develop and expand. The 2011 food drive included food pantries and food relief agencies in Iowa City, Coralville, Tiffin, North Liberty, Fairfield, Muscatine, and Essex Iowa. The food and funds collected went to nine different non-profit food relief organizations.

Several of the food pantries have planned and organized their own food drives. Some communities collected food for one week and some for the entire month. There have been grocery store food collections, traveling trophies, parade floats, comedy night fundraisers, business food drives, and much more. The web site www.thanksgivinginjuly.org was recently added to promote and share the success of the individual communities participating.

Each dollar donated was used to purchase approximately four pounds of additional food. The combined food and funds for 2011 is 86,685 pounds (43.3 tons)!! It is the direct result of countless volunteer hours by caring individuals making a difference in their communities.

Thanksgiving in July has proven to be a valuable hands on resource for food pantries. If you know any individual, organization, or business interested in hosting a 2012 food drive in their community please get in touch. Our food pantries are struggling to meet the increased demand for food assistance and need our support.

Warmest Regards,

Chef Ron

Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry 7,576 pounds

North Liberty Community food Pantry 9,500 pounds

Crisis Center Food Bank 46,874 pounds

The Lord’s Cupboard of Jefferson County 9,602 pounds

Shenandoah Community Food Pantry 2,900 pounds

Pearl City Outreach, Muscatine Community Food Pantry, Salvation Army of Muscatine, Loaves and Fishes 9,976 pounds

Clear Creek Amana Schools and Grace United Methodist Church 257 pounds

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Silent Auction to Benefit FVC @ October Artwalk

Posted on Monday, October 3rd, 2011

This Friday, October 7, the Fairfield Volunteer Center will host a silent auction during the Oktoberfest Art Walk on the downtown square.  Numerous local businesses have donated items to be auctioned off for the benefit of the volunteer center.  Items to look for include:

  • A free spin or yoga class for you and a friend at Open Space Studio
  • A tote and gift certificate from Revelations
  • Handmade jewelry by Livia Cole
  • Hand-knit hats for winter knit by our own director, Molly
  • 2 gift certificates from Fairfield Nutrition
  • a gift basket worth $80 from Natural Selections
  • 2 tickets to a production at the Sondheim
  • Gift Certificate from Everybody’s
  • 1-hour Swedish massage with director, Molly, also a licensed massage therapist
  • Plus, more items continue coming in!

We will be posting on Facebook as the week goes on, so check for more items.

While you are there, check out the Oktoberfest Parade, the Running of the Wiener Dogs and more.  Volunteer opportunities abound!  Hope to see you there!

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Scoop it Forward

Posted on Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Ben and Jerry’s and Target have partnered to offer exclusive ice cream flavors in celebration of volunteerism.  Berry Voluntary, Volun-Tiramisu, Peanut Butter World and Brownie ChewGooder are found only at Target and honor the millions of volunteer hours that have been served by Target team members.  What a nice way to celebrate volunteerism.

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