Boone county hospital has sponsored of rsvp 55+ volunteer program of boone and greene counties (rsvp 55+) since 2009

Rsvp was established in boone county in 1987 and expanded into greene county in 2005. Through rsvp we challenge people age 55 and older to use their energy skills, innovative spirit, and experience to respond to community needs through volunteerism. Rsvp 55+ has a history of meeting or going beyond its programming targets. Having been in existence for a long time and therefore recognized and generally accepted as an agency providing quality volunteer opportunities and services to recipient organizations and community citizens boone county hospital is applying for expansion of programs into a geographic area or guthrie county iowa. The primary cncs focus area selected for volunteers to serve in is healthy futures. Volunteers will also serve in education, economic opportunities, and community priorities. Healthy futures populations served will be elderly and or disabled adults, elderly/disabled homebound and socially isolated through adult caregiver respite, in-home visitation/phone friend, and grocery shopping. Children will be served through the schools, seniors and retirees will be educated on frauds and scams and community members may be served through identified community priorities as rsvp 55+ begins working within the county. 75 unduplicated volunteers will serve in outcome-based programming. At the end of the three-year grant anticipated outcomes will fulfill healthy futures - caregiver respite H14-number of caregivers receiving increased social support; in-home visitation and phone visits H9A-number socially isolated elderly or disabled having increased social support; grocery shopping H12-number of individuals with increased food security; economic opportunity - financial fraud prevention to older adults O9-number of individuals with improved financial knowledge: and education - children will be served through ED5A -number of students with improved academic engagement or social and emotional skills. As we write this grant our sponsored program rsvp 55+ continues to provide services of food delivery to the door, phone calls to isolated individuals, and school pen-pals during the midst of the pandemic. These services will be replicated in guthrie county. We commit one elementary for pen pals. A grant award additional schools will be contacted for pen pals. During the pandemic, we will work with guthrie county public health and follow CDC recommendations to ensure we minimize covid risk factors for volunteers and those served. When funders invest in volunteer and community engagement infrastructure, the bottom line is that communities experience increased capacity for impact - addressing critical needs and solving more problems. Boone county hospital is requesting a cncs federal investment of $75,000 to provide volunteer opportunities for 85 unduplicated volunteers. Our sponsored program rsvp 55+ has a history of securing above match dollars. Boone county hospital will work closely with rsvp staff to identify and secure match funds. These expansion federal dollars will be supplemented by but not limited to in-kind space $6000. This amount is based on space cost per square foot plus average costs of utilities and internet services. There have been conversations with guthrie county auditor and public health director if the grant is awarded both will have further conversations with US on office space location options in the county. A guthrie county individual contacted the rsvp 55+ director about our services in guthrie county before knowing we were applying for expansion. She has contacted local churches and other organizations in advocacy for rsvp expansion and space. Other sources of a match may be supplemented by local businesses and service organizations, foundations, and staff fundraising. We look forward to establishing many guthrie county local partnerships.