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Our focus volunteer station for this month is the AMERICAN RED CROSS. Certainly what has become one of the nation’s premier humanitarian organizations, the Red Cross was founded in 1881. It is dedicated to helping people in need throughout the United States and, in association with other Red Cross societies, throughout the world. Each year over one million Americans serve as Red Cross volunteers meeting local community needs—helping people in emergencies, providing much of the nation's blood supply, teaching first aid and CPR courses, organizing programs for the elderly, as well as for young people, delivering emergency messages to members of the military, etc.

In Lubbock, the South Plains Regional American Red Cross office is newly located at 2201 19th St. (in the old United Way Building). The local chapter provides relief to victims of disaster and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Red Cross volunteers may help with a single event or several times a month. Individually or as a team, volunteers may:

• Work in the local office answering phones and entering data into the computer.
• Provide Community Disaster Education and first aid, CPR, swimming, babysitter preparedness and other classes.
• Work as nurses offering expertise, care and compassion.
• Assist victims of hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, winter storms and other disasters, including families forced from their homes by fire.
• Translate for non-English speakers so that they can receive Red Cross services.
• Facilitate emergency communications between military personnel and their families.
• Fill leadership roles on task forces and board of directors at South Plains Regional Chapter offices.

The South Plains Regional Chapter has a new Executive Director, Disaster Services and Health and Safety Director who would love to meet you and show off their new facility at their Open House on Thursday, September 18th from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. In these days of increasing stress on our nation and our Homeland Security, consider joining the American Red Cross and let them train you to help others in an emergency situation. Volunteers are needed in many different roles right now!

OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

WORD OF HOPE, 1505 Avenue V, is a Bible study correspondence ministry for prisoners. Prisoners request the correspondence course consisting of 24 lessons in which the inmates read and write the scriptures to answer questions guiding them through the study. If they do not have a Bible, a new testament is provided. Volunteers are needed to grade lessons on Tuesdays and/or Fridays from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. approximately. Answers are provided to the volunteer graders. A total of 1500 inmates are now enrolled and nearly 500 lessons each week are graded and returned. This is a sit-down job with parking right at the door. As one volunteer states, “Lots of blessings from working here.”

I.H.S. (Integrated Health Services) OF LUBBOCK, 1409 9th St., is a rehabilitation and skilled nursing hospital that would love to have some volunteers to provide activities, entertainment, and one-on-one interaction with their patients. Many of their residents are only there for a short stay to improve their physical condition with therapy and rehabilitation. Volunteers are needed to provide music or entertainment any day of the week or weekend, or activities one evening a week, or some church music and praise on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday from 2:00-3:00 p.m. or 3:00-4:00 p.m. If you need transportation to and from your home, that could be arranged. Volunteers who work for three hours or more may receive a meal with the residents. I.H.S. patient rooms are in the east end of the third floor of the old West Texas Hospital building and parking is very close. 

LUBBOCK VETERANS ADMINISTRATION CLINIC, 6104 Avenue Q South Drive, is looking for a few good drivers! Volunteers are being recruited by the clinic to drive a passenger van or a supply pick-up truck between the Lubbock VA Clinic and the Amarillo VA Health Care System. Also, drivers are needed to transport local patients to and from the Lubbock clinic. Prospective volunteers would need to have an excellent driving record, be in good health, and pass a driving skills test. If you love to drive, this is the job 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 Bonne Phillips 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!