August /
September
2006
I hope that most of you who
volunteer enjoy your volunteer placement. When I look at the RSVP work
station list, I see many places where I would enjoy volunteering. We
have two groups that hardly consider themselves volunteers because they
have so much fun. These are the line dancers.
We have two
groups here in Lubbock. Both practice at Healthpoint. The Fun Bunch
is the basic introduction to line dancing. They practice once a week on
Fridays. I spoke to Martha Walker who is a member of this group and
keeps track of the RSVP hours. She reported on how much fun her group
had with their teacher Don Dillard. The group has approximately 15
members. Other than practicing, the Fun Bunch visit nursing homes,
retirement centers and assisted living facilities once twice a month to
entertain the residents. Ms Walker said she has been line dancing for
about six or seven years, and that she reaps many benefits from it. The
exercise makes her feel better and younger and the fellowship brings her
great job.
The other group
is the Healthpoint Line Dancers. This group consists of beginner,
intermediate, and advanced dancers. Each class meets at least once a
week to practice and learn new routines. Rosalee Musgrave is the leader
of this group. Rosalee explained to me that she has two Healthpoint
groups, consisting of eight members on a team, that perform every
Tuesday afternoon at a variety of senior living centers. Each group goes
to a different senior campus so more people can be entertained
throughout Lubbock. Because they are requested so frequently at senior
living centers, the Healthpoint Line Dancers change their routines every
four months.
Rosalee stated
that in her opinion, “line dancing is the best exercise in the world for
senior citizens because it combines memorization with physical activity.
These two activities work two separate parts of the brain, which the
brain must then coordinate to perform the one activity of line dancing.”
Because of this dual brain activity, she stated that line dancing helps
ward off dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. It also goes back to the ‘use
it or loose it’ philosophy.
When I ask Ms.
Musgrave about the physical changes and other types of results line
dancing has on the participants, she quickly listed increased stamina
and balance, and lowering of cholesterol and blood pressure. She
reported that her oldest member is 85 years old and loves that her lung
capacity and stamina have improved.
Extended family
members have reported to Rosalee that they have also noticed the
improved physicals changes in there loved ones, and that they have seen
improvements in their loved ones emotional lives because of the
socialization. Rosalee said that her groups make periodic trips out of
town to participate in state and national line dance competitions. They
will be competing in the Ruidoso Exhibition on August 7th and 8th.
I also ask
about the benefits to the seniors they perform for and Rosalee gave me
an example. She said they were performing for the Alzheimer’s patients
at the Garrison Geriatric Education and Care Center and after the
performance lady came up to her and said that her mother was basically
in a catatonic state due to late stage Alzheimer’s disease. The daughter
said she was watching her mother during the line dance performance and
noticed that her mother was smiling. She said, “That’s the first time I
have seen my mother smile in months, and I want to thank you for giving
that to me and her.”
Ms. Musgrave
said that the 2006 Texas State Line Dance Jamboree will be held in
Lubbock at the Civic Center on October 13th and 14th. The public is
invited to attend the performances on Saturday October 14th. There will
be approximately 75 to 80 cities represented from Texas, New Mexico,
Oklahoma and Kansas. You can get more information at:
www.texaslinedancejamboree.com.
If you are
interested in joining either of these fun and entertaining volunteer
groups call the RSVP office.
OTHER
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:
The Social
Security Administration needs volunteers to work on Tuesday and
Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 3:30. The volunteer does not have to
work both days, but we need at least one volunteer for each day. They
need help sending out letters, getting the afternoon mail ready and
doing some filing. If you would like to help out this important
government agency call the RSVP office and we can get you set up. Social
Security has a huge job and can always use volunteers.
Muscular
Dystrophy Association has their annual Telethon Executive Lockup
fundraiser coming up on August 16th. Prominent citizens from Lubbock
will be arrested and locked-up in the exclusive maximum prison located
in the beautiful downtown Baker Building until they can come up with
enough money in pledges to be released. This will be a fun day for
volunteers. The MDA needs volunteers to help with the mailing of pledges
from 10 am to 4 pm. They will have a catered lunch for you and promise
lots of fun. Please call our RSVP office is you would like to see your
favorite ‘prominent citizen’ locked-up.
South Plains
Food Bank is having their Pack-the-Bus school supplies drive from
July 31st to August 12th. They need volunteers to hand out flyers and
collect school supplies at various United Supermarket locations on
Saturday, August 5th from 10 am to 12 pm and from 12pm to 2pm, and on
Saturday, August 12th from 10 am to 12 pm and from 12pm to 2pm. They
need two volunteer at each location and during each time slot. The
United Supermarkets involved are United at Parkway, United on North
University, United at 82nd and Boston, United at 82 and Quaker, and
Marketstreet at 50th and Indiana. They also need several volunteers
during this same time frame to sort the supplies and make backpacks.
This will be done at the Food Bank location. Please call our office for
this worthy cause and we will get everything set up for you.
To
volunteer, or for more information about these or other volunteer
positions, please call the RSVP office at 742-2423.
HOW do I join RSVP?
Becoming a member of RSVP is simple as long as you are at least 55 and have some time to volunteer. Just call the office at 742-2423 and chat with Ronda Casey or
Dana Bear about your interests. If you are not certain what you would like to do, we can mention several current volunteer opportunities and send you a list of the sort of jobs which RSVP members are presently doing to whet your appetite. If you have a special skill or talent that you would like to utilize, we will search to find just the right job for you. Just mail in the
enrollment form
(requires Adobe Reader) and we will call you!
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