Southern
Rhode Island Volunteers has a new look!
By Deborah
Tanner
 |
| Photo credit for all photos: SRIV |
SRIV’s
volunteers are the heart of this organization. They share their time, talents,
skills and more with neighbors in need.
Today, SRIV
launches its new look that features just that - the heart of its volunteers.
The launch of SRIV’s new look speaks to the heartfelt compassion that our
service agency gives to the communities it serves.
SRIV is proud
that this new look will illustrate how far we have come as an organization.
SRIV has evolved from a program that focused solely on service and support from
seniors to an organization that now engages volunteers 13-years-old and
up.
SRIV’s
volunteers partner with multiple agencies to provide services across all
generations residing in Southern Rhode Island.
SRIV’s mission
includes continued growth of a county-wide group of dedicated volunteers who
assist in making life a bit easier for those facing challenges.
SRIV has three
core programs:
Includes the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Washington County for volunteers 55 plus years of age, and our Community Volunteers which is a membership of volunteers 13 to 54 years of age. They can be individual volunteers, school group volunteers or community service volunteers.
Independent Aging Support (IAS)
SRIV’s signature
program provides assistance to senior citizens and adults with disabilities.
Services of this program include: transportation to healthcare appointments,
grocery stores, food pantries or food delivery from food pantry partnerships,
like the Jonnycake Center of Peace Dale, North Kingstown Food Pantry and Meals
on Wheels of RI.
Other IAS
services include visitation and companionship to alleviate the isolation that
often comes with living in this rural area of Rhode Island and on a limited
basis, home maintenance such as leaf raking and snow shoveling, may be
available.
Disaster Preparedness Program
SRIV’s Disaster Preparedness Program individuals
to be members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for the Southern
Rhode Island area. New for 2017, SRIV will be working collaboratively with
Westerly’s CERT team and surrounding teams interested in collective training -
we’re all in this together!
SRIV’s new look
is a symbol of our promise to be a part of the solution to the needs of
Southern Rhode Island residents. The heart logo represents the core value of
our mission that volunteers have giving heart and serve with heart. The color
palette reflects the energy of the communities
SRIV serves. Blue is considered by many to be beneficial to the mind and body
and red symbolizes joy, life and energy.
Recent
communications from individuals receiving assistance from SRIV reflect the
gratitude they feel and the need for help.
Client J. R. notes, “Thank you for
your gracious help. Let us make this
coming year the healthiest ever by helping support others that are in need.” J. R. receives transportation support to
medical providers from SRIV volunteers.
N. O. notes, “Thank you for working with my mom—you are
an angel for helping me with this.
Volunteering is a work of heart.”
In my 16 and a
half years at SRIV, I have seen many come and go. Volunteers and recipients of
assistance, each individual with challenges and talents as individual as they
are. Each individual with compassion,
gratitude and caring. I can tell you
that they have all touched my heart.
Some I have had
to say good-bye to as they have come to the end of their life journey, have
moved away, or have had to move on from their time volunteering at SRIV due to
health challenges of their own.
It’s bittersweet
definitely because the relationship with SRIV has to change—change happens, we
cannot stop it, but we can endure every change, every challenge with heart and
in the end what endures is a lasting impression of caring, love and
service.
I am the richest
person in the world for having the privilege of being some small part of this
journey we call SRIV.”