MAP (Medication Assistance Program) Volunteer: Assist low/no income individuals of any age in getting the medications they need. Provide answers to questions, help clients fill out forms and pharmaceutical applications, contact the pharmaceutical companies when necessary, explain the process for getting their physicians to complete forms and either mailing in or faxing the applications,
assist clients if a problem arises, refer to other community resources, as needed. Computer skills helpful.

Thank you for any help you can provide; feel free to call me if you have any questions. Have a wonderful holiday!

Julie Rohrich
Assistant Program Manager, RSVP
MAP Coordinator

Family and Community Services, Inc.
Senior Corps Offices
135 E. Erie Street, Suite 301
Kent, Ohio 44240
jrohrich@fcsohio.org
(330) 677-3939, ext. 307
(330) 677-3950 FAX

Senior Corps programs were created by the federal government in the mid-1960s and early 1970s and since 1993, have been administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service. These programs (RSVP, Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion) tap the skills, talents and experience of more than 330,000 Americans age 55 and better to meet a wide range of community challenges and needs. In Portage County, these programs are administered by Family and Community Services, Inc.

RSVP engages adults in a wide range of volunteer experiences: community restoration and clean-up projects, serving hot meals and emergency food services, teaching financial literacy, tutoring children within the schools, assisting with community-wide emergency planning, helping non-profits with fundraising efforts and serving on the Senior Corps Advisory Council are just a few examples of local opportunities. Placements are based on individual interests and skills, little to no experience is needed as we offer training to our volunteers. We are looking for adults who want to share their time, expertise and leadership in helping out their communities.

Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion volunteers must meet certain income guidelines and receive a small stipend. Foster Grandparents mentor/tutor at-risk students within the school systems. Senior Companions help adults remain independent and in their own homes by providing assistance with things such as shopping, companionship and activities of daily living.

If you are interested in becoming a RSVP volunteer, we would love to talk with you! Our current Senior Corps offices are at 705 Oakwood Street in Ravenna but we will be moving to Acorn Alley in downtown Kent this fall. For that reason it may be easier to reach us via e-mail. Please contact Crystal Shanley, RSVP Program Manager at cshanley@fcsohio.org or Julie Rohrich, Assistant Program Manger at jrohrich@fcsohio.org.

Foster Grandparents and Senior Companion information is available through Michael Semon, FCS/SGP Program Manager at msemon@fcsohio.org, or Susie Ferrell, Assistant Program Manager at sferrell@fcsohio.org.

02-15-2012   11-Day China Trip for Culture Experience & School Visits

Shaker Heights Retired Educator's are launching the China Program for Retired Educators to Experience China October 22-November 1, 2012.

Contact Don or Ying for early bird registration and more trip details @ 330-671-2717

Or email: contactus@nuvutraveler.com Or online: www.nuvutraveler.com.

The trip includes visits to a Chinese elementary school in Hangzhou and a Chinese high school in Shanghai.

AARP TAX-AIDE

Looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a difference in your community? AARP Foundation Tax-

Aide-the nation's largest free tax preparation and assistance service-is now seeking volunteers for the 2012 tax season. You don't have to be an AARP member to volunteer, and you don't have to have any experience doing taxes.

You just have to have a desire to help others. Call Gene Berczik, the district coordinator for AARP Tax-Aide, at 330-562-4320 for more information. There will be a week-long training program in January.

AARP Tax-Aides start doing taxes February 1st.

Feel like you are over-paying your taxes? Have trouble working through all the forms? Then look into AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, a free program of qualified tax aides that help senior taxpayers file their taxes.

By close of business on Tax Day - Tax-Aide will have helped over 2.5 million taxpayers navigate complicated tax codes, ensure proper credits and deductions and file their returns to the IRS and state and local tax agencies. And they do it for FREE!

There are Tax-Aide offices in Kent, Ravenna, Mantua, and Streetsboro. You can schedule a time by calling the Portage County United Way at 330-297-4636 or 1-800-961-0191.

Our own PCRTA fellow retired teacher Mary Evelyn Shabino has worked as a Tax-Aide. If you would like more information, give her a call at 330-325-7110.

ADOPT-A-SOLDIER

PCRTA member Pat Mazzer recently signed up at this website:  www.adoptaussoldier.org/  A soldier was assigned to her and they have had a meaningful dialogue over the past weeks.

Pat says it is important to support our troops at this perilous time. She thought other retired teachers

might like to do this, too. Check it out!

NEOMED PROCTORS NEEDED

Edith Scott who is in charge of PCRTA's NEOMED Proctoring Program is looking for more members who are willing to proctor tests for the medical and pharmacy students at NEOMED.

Proctors work in groups of two or three along with some full-time NEOMED staff to help monitor the students as they take tests. Most of the tests are taken on computers, but you don't have to be computer savvy to proctor.

There are NEOMED tech people on hand to assist. You will receive a proctor training session before you begin to proctor. Call Edie Scott for more information at 330-297-1812 or see her at the luncheon meeting.

FIRST BOOK-PORTAGE COUNTY

First Book-Portage County began  distributing books to programs serving low-income children in 2005. Their goal is to distribute 12 books per child each year to children from low-income families. Last year they gave 4038 books, and this year they want to give 8,000. Since they started, they have distributed books to 1,561 children in 20 community programs.

On Saturday, November 5, they will hold their third annual Bookcase Auction at McKay Bricker Gallery at 141 E. Main Street in Kent. The event is open to the public. Refreshments will be served. Bookcases decorated by local artists as well as baskets of books will be auctioned .

EMPOWER PORTAGE

Empower Portage will be holding a Poverty Simulation on November 4, 2011 from 10 am to 12:30 pm at the United Methodist Church of Kent. The simulation will provide a chance to role play a month in the lives of low-income families working to meet their basic needs on a limited budget over a course of four "15-minute weeks." For more information, call 330-297-7027 Ext/ 365.

SALVATION ARMY TUTORS NEEDED

Helena Parry is the Learning Center Director at the Salvation Army Center in Ravenna. She

is looking for someone who still has that "teaching bug" to volunteer a few hours a week to help

tutor students after school. If you want to know more about this need, call Helena at 330-673-0577 or 330-351-7084 or email her at helena.parry@use.Salvationarmy.org.

02-14-2011 Empower Portage Poverty Simultation

On Saturday, February 26^th, Empower Portage will host a Poverty Simulation at the United Methodist Church of Kent.

A learning experience like no other, the poverty simulation helps people understand the complexities and frustrations of living in poverty day to day.  Each simulation participant is assigned to a "family unit" that works together to meet their basic needs on a limited budget over the course of the four simulated 15-minute "weeks".  A debrief session following the simulation enables participants to look at poverty from a variety of perspectives and then recognize and discuss potential for change within Portage County.

The Poverty Simulation will take place Saturday, February 26^th from 10:30am-1:00pm in Pierson Hall of the United Methodist Church of Kent located at 1435 East Main Street, Kent, Ohio.  Refreshments and free childcare will be provided.

Attached below is a flyer that you can use to advertise the simulation to family, friends, and co-workers.  If you are interested in participating in the simulation or need more information, please feel free to contact me by phone (330-297-7027 ext. 365) or email (lszymanski@portagefamilies.org).

Best,

Lauren Szymanski

1-13-11 Needed:  Instructors For Health and Safety classes

Hello - I am excited to share with you that I am the new Volunteer Manager for the American Red Cross of Summit and Portage Counties.  It's great to reconnect with all the wonderful PCRTA members I knew from my thirteen years with the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program in Portage County !!  I see that your members have helped with various blood drives and I just also want to add my thanks for that support.  I don't know if you are aware that volunteers are trained to be instructors for many of our health and safety classes.  With your backgrounds, you might especially be interested in becoming involved as an instructor in our Babysitting Course or Fire Safety for Cool Kids program.  You may very well already know and work with the Bonnie Wilson and the Portage County staff but if ever I can provide additional information on volunteer opportunities and needs, please let me know.  Glad our paths will cross again.

Kathy Long

330-535-2252 (Office)

330-603-3326 (Cell)

LongKat@usa.redcross.org

Office Hours:  Tues., Wed., Thurs   8:30am-3:30pm

01-04-11 HAMLET OPPORTUNITIES  

On Wednesday, January 12th at 7:00 PM at the Cedar Lee Theater there will be a live digital broadcast from the National Theater in London, England of HAMLET.  Tickets are still available for this at $15 each.  If interested, please e-mail Hal Dubois at duboishalb@aol.com  or call at 330-221-4709.  

On Wednesday, February 2 at 7:00 PM in University Theater at KSU there will be a performance of portions of HAMLET by the Riverside Readers Theater.  This performance will introduce characters, plots and themes of the play as readers take on the characters parts.  There is no cost for this and everyone interested is welcome.  Additonally, if anyone is interested in reading a small part (a couple of lines) contact Hal DuBois through his e-mail at duboishalb@aol.com or  call him at 330-221-4709. 

INGENSIA AND "OUR HAMLET"

Ingensia is a program envisioned to promote and facilitate lifelong learning of the highest order.

"Our Hamlet" is the "pilot project" for the Ingensia program.

"Our Hamlet" is being planned and developed in cooperation with the Kent State University School of Theatre and Dance, whose primary interest is the development of an informed, prepared and engaged audience for their presentation of Hamlet in mid-April 2011.  However, that link is expanding rapidly to other facets of the University, with interest and involvement capable and likely of expansion into an inter-disciplinary juggernaut!

The primary events in the "Our Hamlet" campaign are being designed in accordance with several core values at the heart of the Ingensia concept:

-That our academic understanding of the many individual, contextual, and pedagogical variables involved in the adult education process and current theories about that process require a continuing professional, well-documented investigation and study.

-That an understanding of and engagement in the process of lifelong learning is vital to individual well-being and to the health of economic, political, social and environment systems dependent on world and community-wide learning, knowledge, communication, understanding, and cooperation.

-That every effort should be made to provide individuals with the opportunity to reflect on excellent literature and other subjects that touch on the fundamental questions of philosophy through a flexible, sophisticated, evolving approach to the ideals of Ingensia and their application, utilizing a diverse combination of methods, technologies, perspectives, circumstances, and cultures. Adults engaged in lifelong learning provide a meaningful, motivating exemplar to others, especially traditional students who, more than ever, will need to stay on a constant learning path that develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills that are fundamental tools in their pursuit of happiness.

Kent, Ohio, the Tree City, is a perfect place to plant the seeds of Ingensia.  It is a community dedicated to the education of its citizens and people from around the world, and to becoming engaged in the use and development its vast resources with vision, care, and a palpable spirit of cooperation and goodwill.

The reach of communications technology is being employed by Ingensia, and has the potential to reach beyond our GPS coordinates and residential population.

The "Our Hamlet" Calendar includes:

Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at 7:00 p.m., at Kent State University Roe Green Center (Music & Speech Building), Room D207

OR

Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at "The Tannery" (Next to "Acorn Alley") 138 E. Main Street, Suite 203 (2nd Floor), Downtown Kent. 330-672-7300
 
Come meet our planning team and "Sparks"!Learn more about the upcoming "Our Hamlet" series of special events! Find the FREE participation opportunities that are best for you!

Wednesday, January 12^th at 7:00 p.m.  Road trip to the Cedar Lee cinema to see the National Theatre's HD digital broadcast from the United Kingdom of their incredible production of Hamlet.  Discounted tickets to view this NT Live event available on a first come basis by contacting Hal DuBois (methods below).

Wednesday, February 9^th at 7:00 p.m.  The first meeting of participants in an "Our Hamlet" Study Group facilitated by Cathy Cikra and Hal DuBois.  The group will meet once a week every week on Wednesday evenings through mid-April for a one-hour, in-depth discussion of the play's many features and themes.  Participation on a first committed, first served basis, but no prior experience with Shakespeare's plays is required!  Space is limited, although additional Study Groups will be formed if there is sufficient interest.  There is little to no monetary cost involved.

February-April 2011:  Community Reading Groups.  A flexible alternative to a Study Group, Reading Groups are already springing up around Kent.  Many existing groups, including public institutions, businesses, service clubs, associations and churches are ideal bases for forming a group.  The time is now to contact us so we can find the perfect opportunity for you!  Attend the Reader's Theatre event, and plan an hour or two to get together and share your ideas.  When the time comes to participate in events surrounding the KSU production in mid-April, you'll be ready, willing and able to get the most out the experience!

Wednesday, April 13 at 7:00 p.m.  "Café Elsinore" All of our Reading and Study Groups will meet and actively engage students currently reading the play in local high schools and at KSU.  This will be an event!   Mark your calendar now!

April 15-23, 2011:  Hamlet, directed by Mark Monday, at Kent State University!

Get engaged!   When you find something you love, don't let a fear of commitment get in your way.  Tell us you're interested, intrigued or uncontrollably excited by calling 330-673-4730, e-mailing duboishalb@aol.com.  Spread the word, join a Reading or Study Group, become a "Spark" or attend a special event or two.  "Our Hamlet" is a limited engagement and a unique opportunity to advance yourself and your community!

Empower Portage is an effort to end poverty in Portage County and consists of three components; the Bridges Training for organizations and employers, ‘Getting Ahead' classes for those seeking to transition out of poverty, and the Circles^TM Campaign to provide support for this transition.

Become a Circles® Ally

• Build Lasting Friendships
• Provide emotional support and social resources
• Help people in poverty create greater stability
• Help break down the barriers holding people in poverty

"Being an Ally is very hard work, but some of the most important work I have ever done. Before now, I just paid lip service to issues surrounding poverty. Now I'm in it with both feet."

Become an Ally or provide a dinner for our weekly Community Dinners or provide a monetary donation.

Become an Ally!

P.O Box 302
Ravenna, OH 44266

Phone: 330.297.7027 Ext. 314

Fax: 330.296.2684

E-mail: jyoho@portagefamilies.org

9-30-10  Volunteers Needed at the Clothing Center!

The Phyllis Zumkehr County Clothing Center's mission is to provide, free of charge gently used clothing and other personal and household items as available to individuals in need, while reducing the waste stream and promoting a positive experience for volunteers.

The Center currently needs new volunteers to help operate the Center.  Volunteers are needed for the 3^rd Friday and also the 4^th Tuesday of each month. The Center is currently open from 10:00 am-2:00 pm. Many volunteers work the entire 4 hours with a lunch break and others work 2 hours either in the morning or the afternoon. We need at least 6 volunteers including a head coordinator on duty whenever the Center is open.

The duties of the volunteers include weighing incoming donations and giving receipts at the back door, rough sorting the donations, hanging and displaying the clothing, and working the front counter as the shoppers come in and check out their items. The duties of the coordinator are to work with the Program Manager to make the program run smoothly during the day and to insure that enough volunteers are scheduled to work on the assigned days or to make arrangements for substitutes.

We currently have 25 groups sharing the responsibility and joy of helping to clothe the poor in our county.

We invite you to join this group of dedicated volunteers.

Please feel free to call me with any questions @ 330-296-0503.

Candy Pollard

Program Manager

County Clothing Center

3377 Sate Route 59

02-18-2010  NEW PROCTOR ORIENTATION FOR NEOUCOM PROCTORS
 

Wednesday, March 10

Olson Hall at NEOUCOM/P Campus (Please Use Main Entrance)

9:30-11:30

Call Edith Scott to sign up at 330-297-1812

Continuing proctors, please call to schedule proctoring dates

Disney wants to inspire one million people to volunteer a day of service to a participating organization in their communities. So they're celebrating these volunteers' good works by giving each of them a free 1-day, 1-theme park ticket to the Disneyland® Resort or Walt Disney World® Resort.

There's no better time to make a dream come true for others and let Disney make a few come true for you. Proctoring at NEOUCOM can earn you a day at Disney. If you can't go to Disney, your ticket can be transferred to a child. Check out Disney on line or you can register with Mandy Zantow at RSVP (330-296-2666 X342).

02-18-2010  FUTURE EDUCATOR CONFERENCE NEEDS JUDGES

Ohio: Illuminate the heart and mind. Teach! This is the theme for the 2010 Future Educators' Ohio annual state conference to be held at Kent State University on Friday, April 23.

You can and should be a part of this conference. High school students who plan to enter the field of education have prepared for competition. Their contests will be judged by retired teachers.

Judges will be needed from 8:30 to about 11:30.There will be a meeting with the judges to answer questions, discuss expectations, and distribute materials.

You can choose to participate in judging speech, display, lesson plans, scrapbook, or poster competitions. The rules, guidelines, and scoring rubrics for events are available on the Ohio Department of Education website. Judges are invited to remain for the entire conference.

How to sign up: Go to www.mysignup.com/feaohiojudge to sign up to judge a specific competition. Call Judy Morgan (330-653-8174) community service chair to volunteer. For more information, contact Julie Wilcox at Kent State University (330-672-0556).

10-08-09  Family & Community Services

Dear members of the Portage County Retired Teachers Association,

We are excited to announce that Family & Community Services Inc. has brought on five new AmeriCorps VISTA to spearhead a free financial literacy program. After assessing the need in the local community, we realize that financial education is an essential resource for individual empowerment and financial self-sufficiency.

Our financial literacy program is known as Strategies for Attaining Financial Empowerment. $.A.F.E.’s main goal is to target individuals within Portage, Summit, Stark, Columbiana, and Tuscarawas counties that would benefit from financial literacy education classes. These classes will provide participants with the knowledge, tools and resources necessary to gain control of their household finances, make responsible credit and budget decisions and ultimately assist them in moving out of poverty through education.

The program will be launched in partnership with Consumer Credit Counseling Services. After completing financial literacy training through CCCS, we will recruit and train volunteers, locate and secure local sites and facilitate community outreach classes.

We’re currently looking for $.A.F.E. volunteers to teach the financial literacy courses, set-up and tear-down the equipment used for the classes, technical staff, and general office work. Classes are scheduled to begin in Portage County in January 2010. As a volunteer, you will have the opportunity to provide your local community members with the ability to gain financial freedom!

During our term of service there will be many obstacles to overcome. We’re counting on the strength and support of community members, local organizations and businesses to stand with us in the fight against poverty! By volunteering your time and efforts to this initiative you are empowering your community tremendously.

If you would like more information regarding the $.A.F.E. program, please feel free to contact us at 330.297.7027 ext. 351 or ahousen@portagefamilies.org.

Sincerely,

Andre Housen