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September 2007

Responding to the Needs in our Community

I received a phone call a month ago from a lady asking for help from RSVP volunteers. She told me her name was Patti Mandrell, and she had a non-profit called R*E*F*U*G*E Services, Inc. that provides equine-assisted therapy. Her name caught my attention because of the singing Mandrell sisters, but I had never heard of her non-profit. I made an appointment to visit the stable and grounds at 84th Street and MLK Blvd. where the therapies take place.

Randy and Patti Mandrell are the driving force behind the R*E*F*U*G*E Services. Both grew up riding horses and experienced firsthand horses as social beings. The purpose of REFUGE Services is to aid in the growth toward wholeness for the total person - body, mind, and spirit - by enhancing family functioning and expanding skills and strategies for coping with stressful life circumstances. REFUGE Services combines traditional clinical sessions with the experiential therapy of Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy. After Patti explained this to me, I realized she was talking about a new approach to traditional family and individual counseling. By using licensed counselors and horses as teachers, people can become aware of their own behavior and communication from the reaction of the horse.

REFUGE Services is a registered physical therapy and occupational therapy facility by the Texas Board of Physical/Occupational Therapy Examiners and provides traditional hippotherapy and therapeutic horseback riding services. Hippotherapy is a form of treatment performed by health professionals, such as physical and occupational therapists and others, in which the horse is used as a therapeutic intervention.

Volunteers are needed in many areas from office assistance to working with the horses. Patti said it takes lots of help to take care of the horses and stalls. They need people to help with the grounds and equipment maintenance. They need people who know how to operate tractors. To learn more about REFUGE Services, check out their website at: www.refugeservices.org.

I am very impressed to have them on board as a new RSVP work station. If you would like to volunteer, please call us at the RSVP office at 742-2423

OTHER VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Women's Protective Services needs your help. WPS provides prevention, intervention, support and assistance for victims of family violence and their dependents. Their office is currently seeking volunteers to help with a wide range of basic administrative/clerical duties. Roy Rios, Coordinator of Development & Community Education told me they could really use some help in getting them caught up on their filing. If you don't want office work, there are several other ways you can help. Their Children's Programs would love a caring adult role model to interact with youngsters in a reading or play situation. Many opportunities are available in this area. They also have clothing and supply rooms that need to be sorted and organized. If you are interested in volunteering for Women's Protective Services, please call the RSVP office at 742-2423 and we will mail you one of their volunteer applications. Because of security issues surrounding their clients, all volunteers' drivers' license and social security numbers will be sent through criminal history checks.

The American Cancer Society needs you. Join a different kind of cancer drive - one which doesn't ask for money, but for time. Give some of your free time, and use your own car to drive a cancer patient to a potentially lifesaving treatment and home again. The American Cancer Society will work within your schedule during weekday hours. You'll give someone peace of mind and help them along the Road to Recovery. If you are interested in attending Road to Recovery Training, please contact Robin at 792-7128 and tell her that you heard about this volunteer opportunity through RSVP.

Children's Protective Services has a special program called Operation Baby Watch and they need volunteers. Foster children with illnesses and injuries often need to be hospitalized and have no adult to stay with them. Operation Baby Watch is a volunteer program that provides hospitalized foster children with a caring adult sitter. Volunteers are needed at various times of the day, including evenings, weekends and overnight. Volunteers are contacted when needed and can work the shifts that meet their own schedules. Again, you must pass a criminal background check.

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 Karon McDowell 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!