Celebrating 50 years of service

Lindsay Owens, Washington Times-Herald, Ind.
·3 min read

Nov. 6—More than 300 Retired Senior Volunteer Program or RSVP participants from Daviess and Martin County were honored during the annual banquet Monday at the Eastside Park Community Building.

To be exact, 319 volunteers gave 82,219 hours of service making Daviess and Martin County better places to live work and play.

Emily Ramsey, RSVP's volunteer coordinator may have said it best.

"After a week of working here, I told my friend,"These people are crazy. They spend every moment helping someone and if they aren't currently helping, they have plans to be helping someone soon," said Ramsey, who started with RSVP in May. "The amount of hours of their time they give is just incredible."

Kim Herbertz, RSVP executive director, said the group gathered Monday was the largest to date.

"RSVP started in 1973 at the YMCA with a handful of volunteers. In 1989, RSVP became independent and incorporated as its own non-profit," said Herbertz, who has led the organization that was once housed in the old creamery on Sixth Street for the last 15 years.

In 1994, then-Mayor Tom Baumert asked if RSVP would be interested in moving into the newly constructed community building and be its caretakers.

"We are very fortunate that he thought of us and we have been here ever since," said Herbertz, who also honored Susan Ballengee who served as RSVP executive director for roughly three decades. "Over the past 50 years, thousands of volunteers have come through our doors. I'm very grateful to Susan for all of her hard work and for building an organization with a strong purpose and the highest integrity."

Funded through a variety of sources including the City of Washington, United Way of Daviess County, Daviess County Commissioners, Daviess and Martin County Community Foundations, Our Community Foundations, IU Center for Rural Engagement, REMC Operation Round-up, Americorps Seniors among others, RSVP volunteers serve the community in a variety of ways. This year, a partnership with Purdue Extension and Jamestown Square led to a grant from AARP Challenge that also helped bring trikes to residents at Jamestown Square Apartments.

Volunteers assist with many other projects in the community including vision screenings for 2,400 children, manning the reception desk at Daviess Community Hospital, crocheting items for children, wrapping gifts at Little Elves Workshop and making paper flower bouquets for nursing home and hospital patients.

"This is my 32nd year with the city and I see daily what you, the volunteers, do for the city of Washington and our two counties. What you do is astronomical," said Washington Mayor Dave Rhoads.

Loogootee Mayor Noel Harty also stressed the importance of the work of RSVP volunteers.

"Our communities could not make it without the support of volunteers," Harty said.

While 319 volunteers were honored with the special lunch, 43 were honored with Gold Service awards for giving 500 hours or more of their time.

Gold recipients were: Sara Bachman, Mark Bault, Lisa Bland, Theresa Bault, Pat Brochin, Judy Brustkern, Tony Burger, Jeannie Burks, Linda Cornelius, Sharon Elkins, Shirley Embry, Barb Fyfe-Risch, Helen Gibson, Barbara Graf, Martha Greene, Darin Holder, Betty Huelsman, Earl Jerger, Marsha Kluemper, Joe Kremp, Becky Kremp, Barb Lengacher, David Lennon, Dosia Mangin, Gary Mattes, Rose Ann Morris, Don Ochs, Phyllis Ochs, Sheila O'Maley, Rose Palmer, Tom Peter, Ron Ray, Elaine Renoir, Lois Schnarr, Joyce Schwenk, Chris Seal, Emma Silcock, Larry Smoot, Arlene Sobecki, Karen Streicher, Jim Strosnider, Karen Taggart and Vicki Wittmer.