Project Grant 19SRNNE001

AN ESTIMATED 110 RSVP VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE. OF THIS NUMBER, 87 WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE FOOD DISTRIBUTION, HOME DELIVERY OF MEALS, COMPANIONSHIP AND TRANSPORTATION, AND DISASTER PREPAREDNESS. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS HEALTHY FUTURES. IN THE THIRD GRANT YEAR, 500 INDIVIDUALS WILL BE PROVIDED FOOD SUPPORTS AND 350 OF THOSE WILL REPORT INCREASED FOOD SECURITY AFTER HAVING ACCESS TO SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFE AS A RESULT OF RSVP VOLUNTEER GATHERING AND PACKAGING FOOD, ORGANIZING FOOD DRIVES, PROVIDING MEALS AT THE LOCAL SOUP KITCHEN AND STAFFING FOOD PANTRIES. FURTHER, IN THE THIRD GRANT YEAR, OUTCOMES IN THE AREA OF 'AGING IN PLACE' WILL SHOW AND ESTIMATED 35 HOME-BOUND SENIORS, OLDER ADULTS AND DISABLED INDIVIDUAL RECEIVING HOME DELIVERED MEALS AND 28 OF THOSE REPORTING INCREASED CAPACITY FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING BECAUSE OF THE SERVICES OF RSVP VOLUNTEERS. THIS SERVICE IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN OUR COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME BECAUSE RECENTLY IDENTIFIED GAPS IN FUNDING HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A 40% REDUCTION IN LOCAL MEALS ON WHEELS PARTICIPATION OVER THE PAST YEAR. RSVP VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE DILIGENTLY TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM AND RESTORE ITS PARTICIPATION LEVELS. THE ABILITY OF THESE INDIVIDUALS TO REMAIN IN THEIR HOMES AND MAINTAIN THEIR MAXIMUM LEVEL OF INDEPENDENCE FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE WILL BE IMPROVED BECAUSE OF THE SERVICES THEY RECEIVE FROM RSVP VOLUNTEERS. RSVP VOLUNTEERS WILL ALSO ASSIST IN THE TRAINING OF A VOLUNTEER RECEPTION CENTER TEAM TO BE READY TO SUPPORT THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF NEBRASKA WITH VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT DURING A DISASTER. BY THE END OF THE THREE YEAR GRANT, 12 HIGHLY TRAINED TEAM MEMBERS WILL BE READY TO SERVE IN THE EVENT OF A DISASTER. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $83,778 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $39,672 OF NON-FEDERAL MATCH. THE DAWES AND SIOUX COUNTY RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM (RSVP) IS SPONSORED BY NORTHWEST COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP (NCAP). NCAP IS WELL ESTABLISHED WITH A FIFTY-PLUS YEAR HISTORY OF PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES THAT MEET CRITICAL COMMUNITY NEEDS IN THE SPARSELY POPULATED, RURAL PANHANDLE OF NEBRASKA. THE RSVP CENTRAL OFFICE IS LOCATED IN CHADRON, NEBRASKA AND A SATELLITE OFFICE SERVING THE CITY OF CRAWFORD AND SIOUX COUNTY IS LOCATED TWENTY-THREE MILES TO THE WEST IN CRAWFORD, NEBRASKA. DAWES AND SIOUX COUNTY RSVP VOLUNTEERS SERVE CHILDREN, HOME-BOUND SENIORS AND DISABLED INDIVIDUALS, LOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE BY PROVIDING VOLUNTEER SERVICES THAT ALLOW AREA NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER CNCS-APPROVED ORGANIZATIONS TO OPERATE FULLY THROUGH THE USE OF VOLUNTEER SERVICES. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE FOOD PANTRY MANAGEMENT, FOOD DISTRIBUTION AND DELIVERY, SOUP KITCHEN OUTREACH, TRANSPORTATION, MENTORING, COMPANIONSHIP, DISASTER PREPARATION AND STAFFING BLOOD DRIVES, LIBRARIES AND MUSEUMS. THIS IS JUST A SAMPLE OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED THROUGH A NETWORK OF NEARLY FIFTY VOLUNTEER STATIONS. VOLUNTEER STATIONS ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE AREA FROM MEALS ON WHEELS, FOOD PANTRIES, BLOOD BANKS, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, NURSING HOME FACILITIES, ART CENTERS, MUSEUMS, LIBRARIES AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS. AS A COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY, NCAP IS COMMITTED TO PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. RSVP HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF NCAP'S SUCCESS AND WE WOULD BE HONORED TO CONTINUE HOSTING THIS CNCS SENIOR PROGRAM.