Volunteers are asked to provide 1 - 4 hours companionship to the person who is ill. This gives the caregiver a much needed respite to: take a nap, go for a walk, grocery shop, meet friends for lunch, go to a doctor's appointment, run errands, or whatever will relieve their caregiving duties.

Links for Respite Volunteers of Shiawassee

   

What Does a Respite Volunteer Do?

Rev. Jerry Walden, LMSW
 presented helpful suggestions for Volunteers

Linden Martin, Volunteer Coordinator,
 shared Volunteer stories

 Wanda Lamphere, 
 Respite Volunteer

Dear Respite Volunteers and Friends,

The “Be a Respite Angel” fundraising campaign is continuing through the end of June. So if you receive this newsletter in June there is still time to help! Basically we are asking businesses and churches to participate by asking persons to donate $1.00 or more to purchase an angel card to display. We are asking that businesses and churches pick two weeks, one week, or a weekend to do this fundraiser and that it be completed by the end of June, or early July. To obtain the “Be a Respite Angel” cards to sell, please come to the office. For more information, please talk with Peggy, Pat or Sara. 

We wish to thank everyone who helped at our Fun & Continuing Education Day. Special Thanks go to Owosso Church of the Nazarene, Pastor Jerry Walden, Wanda Lamphere , Janet & Bill Drake, Peggy Garikes, and Emily Kozan. Please give us your suggestions for the Fun & Continuing Education Day for next year.

Our next Respite Volunteer Training on scheduled for Wed. June 18th from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, north of Owosso, on the Riley Rd. Terry Skidmore of Humana MarketPOINT will be sponsoring the luncheon. The July Respite Volunteer Training is tentatively planned to be held at the Smith Funeral Homes Jennings-Lyons Chapel Family Care Center. Please think of who you know who would enjoy becoming a Respite Volunteer, and give them information about upcoming Respite Volunteer Trainings.

We hope to be able to schedule Respite Volunteer Trainings in August and September, and need locations for these trainings. We also need help or sponsors for the luncheons for those attending, usually about 10 people. We welcome Hospice Volunteers to consider becoming cross trained to serve respite patients and their caregiving families. 

Our Capacity Building Committee along with staff would like to start something new for Respite Volunteers. Our first regional Respite Volunteer Gathering is planned for the Respite Volunteers who are from the Perry, Morrice, Laingsburg, and Bancroft communities. These gatherings will be for volunteers that serve patients, and will give volunteers a chance to ask questions, ask for help, and share information. We hope that this will give volunteers a chance to talk with Linden, and myself and also network and share ideas together. This gathering is being planned for Tues. June 11th, at the Perry United Methodist Church, and dessert will be served. We hope to plan gatherings in other communities later this year. 

We are hoping to find a community event that will allow Respite Volunteers to hold our Faith in Action Quilt drawing at their activity in the fall. Once we find a location, and day for the drawing, and complete the request for a raffle license, we will then be able to print and sell raffle tickets. If you would like to display our Faith in Action Quilt at a community or church event, and possibly sell raffle tickets, please let us know. Pat Elliott, Mable Reid and Joan Wagar will also be helping with this project.
God’s Blessings,

Helen Howard, RN
Executive Director

Volunteers Needed Throughout Shiawassee County

Additional volunteers are needed throughout Shiawassee County, especially persons interested in volunteering for patients in their homes, and helping with transportation for physician appointments, grocery shopping, etc. Communities that volunteers are especially needed in are: New Lothrop, Laingsburg, Henderson, and Carland.

Respite Volunteer Calendar
July 2008 - October 2008
Neighbors Helping Neighbors