Great volunteers in Carbon County

Dear Editor:

Just want to let everyone know about the great volunteers we have here in Carbon County. As the Carbon County coordinator of RSVP (PA Senior Corps Retired Volunteer Program).

I see the wonderful jobs they do every day. Volunteer hours are being given at non profit thrift stores, food pantries, hospitals, libraries, senior home delivered meals, nursing homes, blood collection sites and museums.

Volunteer service is also given in the form of being an Ombudsman for people in long term care facilities, being a counselor for the Apprise Program and helping at Senior Nutrition Centers all of which are services provided by the Carbon County Agency of Aging.

Others help by doing BenefitsCheckUps to help people find potential benefits for those in need. Some people make, and donate where needed, chemotherapy hats, lap robes, afghans, knotted quilts, children's sweaters, hammocks for shelter cats, and hand knitted and crocheted hats and adult booties. There are volunteers who are helping out by gathering and delivering pet food to local food pantries to help people keep much loved pets in their forever homes in these hard economical times.

Because of the downward spiral of economics, volunteers are needed now more than ever right here in Carbon County. If you would like to find out how to help is needed, please contact the RSVP office of Carbon County at 610-377-2021. You can make a difference by providing rides to the elderly to medical appointments or for food shopping or working in the newly soon to be opened Family Promise Homeless Shelter and by joining the RSVP team of over 300 Carbon County Volunteers who help provide the services listed above. RSVP is sponsored by Diakon Lutheran Social Ministries and provides insurance free of charge for all volunteers during their volunteer hours of service.

Thank you to a volunteers of Carbon County! You are terrific!

Jean Zimmerman,

Carbon County

Coordinator of RSVP