RSVP luncheon honors volunteers
Berl Tiskus
Len Dubuque returns to his seat with a door prize he won at the RSVP luncheon, held to honor volunteers
Berl Tiskus
Volunteers are honored at an RSVP luncheon where the speaker was Sgt. Chuck Lewis, United States Marine Corps veteran. Lewis spoke about his walk across the United States raising money for wounded veterans.
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POLSON — Volunteer Martha Allen manages the Retired Senior Volunteer Program commodity program, drives the office mini-van and answers the phones. And she also calls Bingo.
To thank her for her work, Allen received a silver award at the RSVP luncheon on March 4 for volunteering 456.5 hours in 2013 and another for volunteering for five years.
Allen is one of the many volunteers at the luncheon who met the RSVP goal.
The goal is to channel underutilized talents and energies of older adults towards meaningful service in the community, according to Sherlee Santorno, RSVP Volunteer Coordinator for Lake County and the Flathead Reservation.
Volunteers spend their time at senior citizen centers, at the Polson Flathead Historical Museum, at area schools, driving senior citizens, and many other jobs.
Karen Amundson volunteers for the Polson Chamber of Commerce and the Country Store.
“I love it,” Amundson said. “Volunteering is better than any job I’ve ever had.”
Driving senior citizens in Ronan is how Martillis Maarstad puts in his volunteer hours.
“I just feel good helping people,” Maarstad said.
Santorno agreed with Maarstad and, with the help of friends and volunteers, made the luncheon special.
“I wanted to make it really nice. These people do a lot,” Santorno said.
She believes that for two hands it’s work, but for four hands it’s fun. The people washing dishes were even laughing, she said.
Sharon Bladen, RSVP Director, presented awards to the following volunteers:
10-year volunteers:
Connie Bauer, Michal Delgado, Deanna Hermes, Margaret Olson, Heidi Pulliam and Maureen Theiler.
Five-year volunteers:
Martha Allen, Ann Belen, Richard Blumberg, Hal Folts, Joe Forte, Marilyn Forte, Shirlee Glade, Jane Jeppe, Esther Livingston, Bill Olson, Larry Toews and Wallace Weivoda.
Bronze award, people who volunteered for 100 to 249 hours: Eugene DeCarlo, Opal Loveless, Heidi Pulliam, Charlotte Gaustad, Libby Smith, Etta Moore, Anthony Schoon, Jane Bronson, Larry Toews, Zana Niblack, Paul Laisy, Maureen Theiler, Suzanne Marshall, Ann Belen, Dolores Walker, Ronald Walker, Harvey Kenitzer, Sharon Kenitzer, Avis Story, Carol Weimer, Karen Amundson, Bob Fulton and John Peregoy.
Silver award, people who volunteered for 250 to 499 hours: Martillis Maarstad, Martha Allen and Douglas Lindon.
Gold award, people who volunteered more than 500 hours: Mary Arden, Carol Fisher, Valeda Vandersande and Marrion Clairmont.
