Posted in N&V

RESOURCES FOR PETS AND THEIR PEOPLE

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by Bob Buddemeier

Is there anything you need to know for the benefit of your pet?  Or perhaps the more basic question is, do you know if there is anything you need to know for the benefit of your pet?  In either case, MyRVM has something for you.  “Pet Resources” is a page in the (alphabetically organized) Groups and Activities section of the Activities and Amenities item of the main menu.

The need for such an information source was identified by an informal group of pet owners, and Vicki Gorrell took on the task of assembling the material for MyRVM.  The material is based on the experiences and focused on the needs of pet owners at RVM.  A list of site contents, with comments in italics, follows:

  • List of residents willing to help on a short-term basis in case a sudden personal emergency leaves you unable to fulfill “parenting” duties.
    –  Illness and accidents are regrettably common with advancing age; there needs to be someone who will be informed, and be able to initiate care arrangements if you take a surprise trip to the ER.
  • Resources for residents with pets (vet recommendations, pet sitters and walkers, where to buy food, etc.)
  • A list of pet sitters for hire
    –   Recommendations for the above two items reflect resident experience and do not cover all possibilities.
  • Ways to prepare for emergencies when you have pets
    – These issues received a great deal of attention following the Almeda Fire evacuation.  It’s important to be prepared to shelter in place (e.g., prolonged power outage) and to evacuate (either from cottage to tower, or off-site)
  • RVM pet policy
    –  Most provisions are straightforward; information on getting a Jackson County license for your pet can be found at https://www.jacksoncountyor.gov/departments/health___human_services/programs_and_services/animal_services/pet_licensing/index.php.
    –  Pet name tags engraved with pet and owner information can be ordered from a variety of online sources; do an internet search for “pet name tags.”
  • RVM pet registration form
  • Pet directory section of the annual RVM directory form (fillable pdf)
    –  Participation is optional, but you can have your pet listed in the pet section of the annual RVM Directory
  • Care and Feeding Journal
    –  Included for those who might wish to record their pet care procedures and leave them in an obvious place for a pet minder to find.

When Vicki was asked what message she wanted to get across to pet owners to accompany a description of the Pet Resources site, she said “I’d really like to emphasize to everyone that they make arrangements for their furry, feathery, finny, or scaly friends in case they are no longer able to care for them. Our pets aren’t objects. They feel anxiety, fear, pain. They’re wholly dependent on us for their safety and care. For the joy and companionship they give us, we owe them continuing security.”

 

Silence

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by Bob Buddemeier

I am deaf.  Not Helen-Keller-hear-no-sounds deaf, but impaired enough for my deafness to be a life-changing handicap.  That’s life-changing (and not for the better) both as I experience it and as a statistical prognosis – according to the wellness and aging pundits, people with hearing or visual impairments are more likely to develop dementia. The usual explanation for that observation is lack of mental – including social – stimulation.

A year or two ago, my hearing loss changed rather decisively.  To explain, a few words about the basics of hearing: the basic audiology test has two components.  One is volume sensitivity as a function of frequency (pitch); the other is word recognition.  If you can’t hear the sounds of a word you won’t recognize it, but some hearing disorders result in failure to recognize even when volume is (or should be) adequate.

As an example, the joke about the three geezers sitting on a park bench —

Geezer #1:  It’s windy today, isn’t it?

Geezer #2:  No, today’s Thursday.

Geezer #3:  I’m thirsty too, let’s go get a drink.

At least two of the geezers have word recognition problems

My hearing recognition has dropped severely in the last 1-2 years; my volume sensitivity is reduced, but not to a corresponding degree. This has created social isolation. I have recognized that I need to get out and associate with people more, but hearing problems both create the need and interfere with meeting it.

What factors, in general and at RVM, contribute to hearing-induced isolation?  A lot depends on the people one is trying to communicate with. Someone who enunciates carefully, and speaks with high enough volume and slow enough speed, can be understood even by those with substantial hearing impairment – if the setting is appropriate.  Those speaker characteristics are all too rare, and appropriate settings too uncommon. Background noise, especially in a setting that is acoustically “bright” (lots of reflective surfaces) can swamp out the meaning of even clear statements. Parties, full dining rooms, events with audible music, and multiple concurrent conversations are all situations that make anything but the most basic communication impossible.  Ironically, the defining problem of many kinds of deafness is not silence, but noise.

An example of my experience – I participate in a discussion group and a book club, both of which meet in a Manor floor lounge and usually number 6-10 attendees. With a group of this size, it is hard to understand much of what is being said. I can track the general flow of discussion by interpolating and extrapolating from what I hear, but not well enough to engage in point-by-point discussion.  A specific example is missing humorous remarks, since the punchline is usually effective because it deviates from expectation.  I am seldom tracking well enough to get both the lead-up and the conclusion. I wonder how many other people living at RVM have similar experiences.

Are there any solutions?  For the most part, the onus is on me to enlist people whom I want to associate with and who are willing to associate with me individually or in very small groups and in quiet places.  I am not very good at taking this kind of social initiative. Perhaps seeking out other deaf people would be a logical starting point – judging by the number of visible hearing aids adorning residents, there should be a fairly wide field to choose from.

Is there something that can be done for the hearing-impaired on an institutional basis?  We take mobility limitations as standard, we have a low-vision center, but what about hearing?  One workable possibility is switching as many meetings as possible from in-person to Zoom, or some other video format.  Zoom is less subject to environmental noise and sidebar conversations, and offers everybody a face to face view of the speaker(s).  It can also be recorded for subsequent review, if needed. This combination of features makes it more user-friendly for the hearing-challenged, compared with a roomful of people seated in a rectangular layout and communicating without amplification.

Krista Amundson, RVM Foundation Director, reminded me that several years ago RVM invested time and money in the installation of a radio frequency broadcast system (Auditorium, Sunrise Room, and a mobile option).  Residents who wore a receiver and a headset could control the volume of the received broadcast, but interest in using the system dropped off in the face of the need to wear equipment, and the fact that volume correction was at all frequencies rather than selected for the needs of the wearer.  Discussions of wiring the auditorium and Sunrise Room for broadcast specifically to hearing aids has continued, and Scott Wetenkamp (Chair of the Residents Council Communications Department) has said that plans for hearing aid antenna loops are still “penciled in” to long-range plans for replacing the auditorium flooring, but that wifi or bluetooth may prove to be a more practical solution.  More recently there has been discussion of having screens with transcriptions of verbal presentations, but I’m not aware of anything of that sort in the planning stage.  In all cases involving volume enhancement, the issue of signal-to-noise ratio is a critical factor.

One institutional action that would help is developing design standards for common areas that would favor sound absorbing surface treatments  (wall, ceiling and window coverings) and furniture.  A good test case would be a review of the Arden design and function — I find it impossible to participate in a conversation there unless it is very early or very late in the evening, when few other tables are occupied.

Recently a New York Times article entitled “Honey, Sweetie, Dearie: The Perils of Elderspeak” was circulated on the RVMList. [To read or download a pdf of the article, Click Here]  The subtitle is “A new training program teaches aides to stop baby talk and address older people as adults.”  I think most of us can support this as a generally good idea, but one statement in the article brought me up short: “Sometimes, elderspeakers employ a louder volume, shorter sentences or simple words intoned slowly.”  These are exactly the steps to take if you want to facilitate understanding by the hearing-impaired, and I do not think that they should be generically discouraged as part of elderspeak.

Classes for both staff and interested residents in techniques and principles of communicating with older adults could be an interesting and useful addition to RVM educational offerings – provided that anti-elderspeak training does not run counter to the steps that can be taken to improve communication with the hearing impaired.  Such a class would be most effective if it included deaf people as active participants, and could be offered to the general population as well as targeted audiences (e.g., inclusion in staff training). As anyone who has been trained in singing, acting, or public speaking can testify, optimizing vocal communication is not something that comes naturally to most people, but it can be learned and is useful in general and not just for interacting with the deaf.

 

Gardening in Retirement

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by Rita Reitz

I was eight years old when my mother gave me my first package of zinnia seeds and my own garden plot in a side yard of our home in Ripley, Tennessee. Little did I dream that I would develop a lifetime love of gardening and flower arranging.  My zinnias and Queen Anne’s Lace weeds from our pasture got used for table arrangements whenever my mom served her delicious Southern dishes to guests.  After I left home I grew flowers and a few vegetables whenever I could — including having an award-winning garden in a Menlo Park, CA, neighorhood a mile from Sunset Magazine.

When I moved to RVM, I took ownership of my Plaza unit before it was finished and brought 60 carefully potted perennials to begin my garden in the area where our Memory Care facility is now located.  The first weekend of May I put in my irrigation system and planted the plants before returning home to pack, sell my house and move to RVM six weeks later. When I returned, I found my garden already blooming and growing beautifully.

With the help of Liz Caldwell, the resident garden chairperson at that time, a tour of the gardens was arranged with lemonade and cookies served in our new gazebo, and music provided by Preston Mitchell, Mary Jane Morrison, Erika Barrows and members of the recorder ensemble.

About seven years ago we learned that the resident gardens would be moved at the end of the summer to a new location to make way for the new Memory Support building.  Then that date was revised and we suddenly had to prepare to vacate beginning April 1.  I had a trip to Russia planned for mid-April, so quickly began potting my perennials in order to move as soon as plots were available. I managed to move those pots to the new location before I left, but the soil in the new raised beds was a huge disappointment and required a lot of amendments before actual planting could begin when I returned.  When completed, the resident gardens had 107 plots, 10 free-standing raised containers, and a greenhouse. Gardening there became a very popular activity.

When Covid-19 hit – with a campus lock down, social interactions curtailed, and bagged meals delivered to our doors — gardening suddenly became a wonderful way to visit and spend time outside. I embarked on a project to introduce folks to the garden and to each other.  With the help of Jeannette Bournival and others providing editorial, video and soundtrack help, I produced a video where I interviewed Greg Tuman, our Grounds Supervisor at that time, who had designed and coordinated the plans for our new Resident Garden.  Greg contributed photos of the area before and during  development, and resident Barry Johnson provided drone coverage for our production.  Each resident garden area was included in our virtual tour, which is still available for viewing online at:  https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Rogue+Valley+Manor+Resident+Gardens

I recently hosted “Music in the Garden” where all RVM residents were invited to tour my English style country garden and also some other gardens where gardeners placed balloons to welcome guests.  I provided piano music with guests sitting at tables under pop-up canopies with lemonade, music and even several karaoke-style vocal numbers including “The Rose” sung by visitors.  I chose this time of the season to feature my signature garden trellis blooming with Cecil Brunner miniature pink roses, along with other late spring flowers including many roses, peonies, iris, columbine, primroses, sweet peas, pansies, and hydrangeas, among the 75 or more kinds of plants growing in my garden plots.

I invite folks to visit my garden and, as my sign says: “Welcome to my garden.  Sit and enjoy.  Happiness grows here.”  From my garden bench under the trellis, one sees Mt. Ashland, Centennial Golf Course, a bird bath with solar fountain, and a bird house, currently with two families of birds—tree swallows and English sparrows — in addition to a huge number of blooming flowers.  From time to time, I cut roses, zinnias, yarrow, lavender and sweet peas, etc. as they come into season and make small arrangements for residents in the Health Center, Care Suites and others.  Happiness grows in my garden!!

 

 

Well, Well, Well

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by Bob Buddemeier

A few weeks ago, The Complement was privileged to participate in the Crafts and Hobbies Opportunities Fair organized by Gary and Meryl Hanagami, co-chairs of the Wellness Advisory Committee (WAC).  Exercise of the journalistic skills of writing and photography can be considered both as crafts and hobbies; I say “privileged” because we are not part of the group of activities and organizations for which the WAC is assigned responsibility.  [For a photocollage of the Hobbies, Crafts, and Wellness Fair, see Views of Opportunity.]

Following the Fair, Gary produced an informative report on its outcomes – an achievement not nearly as common at RVM as I think it should be.  This led me to ask him for an interview with the idea of writing more about the Fair.  What I learned convinced me that the real story was not the Fair, but the recent development of the Committee and its mission.

Gary and Meryl had been here less than a year when they were recruited to head the committee by Saul Krimsly and Dolores Fisette, whose term was expiring at the end of the fiscal year.  Saul was to assume the role as Secretary of the Executive Council and as fate would have it, ended up in a more functional position as Chair of the Dining Services Advisory Committee. The Hanagamis accepted the assignment because of their interests in wellness and fitness, and Gary’s experience with organizational management.

Their initial formative decision about the direction of the committee was that it would not simply be a channel for transmitting information based on residents’ or the department’s input, but that it would function proactively to connect residents with wellness activities and their benefits. This decision reached into every aspect of committee membership and function.

Before taking over the committee, Gary and Meryl had made a point of trying out all the Wellness Department class offerings and talking to other resident participants. Early actions included revising class descriptions to provide an informative summary scale of effort required, and developing a communication plan that included periodic articles in hillTopics.  Gary secured new committee members for this project; Nan Trujillo took the lead, with other resident volunteers to follow.  Concerning his recruiting efforts, Gary said “I only wanted people who were willing to do real work and were invested in their own wellness activities,” making it clear that his job was to provide conceptual and operational leadership, and not to do every task.

One task that was undertaken prior to the Hanagamis assuming the Chair of the WAC was their organization of RVM’s first Pickleball Friendly tournament between residents and staff.  That involved not only the games themselves, but also the effort to inform and recruit staff members to play, and a program to coach them, originally provided by Tim Miller and now by WAC teammate Doug Godwin.  The original event was a success, and is now in its second iteration for 2025.  The process encompasses eight training classes put on by the residents for the staff, and will culminate in a round-robin tournament taking place in June with a second tournament planned for later in the Fall.

An ongoing effort that the committee is committed to is the expansion of the Summer Games to include events suitable for participation by those with ability limitations. Committee member Anne Irons is spearheading this effort. The pilot will target two events that have been designed for play by those with mobility limitations: corn bag toss, and snakes & ladders.  A handicap system will allow fully abled players to compete on similar terms to those with limitations.  We can expect these modifications to appear in the next round of the Games.

The Wellness Orientation Tour is a cooperative activity created and led by Diahana Barnes, Fitness Assistant, and supported by WAC volunteer Nancy Maxwell.  Tours take place on the second Wednesday of each month; the team has conducted four so far.  The tour is designed to provide newer residents an opportunity to experience many of the activities provided by the Wellness Department.  On the tour you’ll interact with our hobbies and crafts groups, view our swimming pool, sauna and steam rooms, observe our still-being-constructed Personal Training Center, and conclude with a presentation at our HyrdoWorx therapy pool.  During the beta test in December, members who attended commented, “I wish this was available when I was a new resident.”  Ironically, in the first three tours of the year, most of our attendees were longer-term residents rather than our newer clientele.  Interested in taking this tour?  Sign up at the Manor’s front desk.

What else can we look forward to?  Probably quite a lot.  One of the Hanagamis’ first ideas was to establish “Wellness Advisory Captains” positioned in each of the major living venues (Manor, Terrace, Plaza, and Cottages) who would be a resource for those residents and champion wellness activities in those locations.  However, as Gary ruminates, “…we’ve been so busy getting the major projects going, we’re missing the boat on creating this vehicle to enable better execution of those concepts.  We’ll get this done sooner than later.”

Optimistic, but don’t count it out; under the leadership of the Hanagamis, the Wellness Advisory Committee is rapidly setting and achieving new goals.  So don’t be surprised if one of their Captains appears at a community meeting espousing the Way to Wellness!

 

 

 

The Virtue of Volunteering for Pets – a report from the field

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Submitted by our correspondent,
Bob Berger

 

Like many residents, Margie and I arrived at RVM “between pets”, so we explored how to remedy this lack of a close relationship with an animal friend.  In the end, we decided not to adopt or foster, though these seemed to be our only options.  Instead, we discovered a third option – becoming a volunteer in an animal support organization,

I chose FOTAS (Friends of the Animals), a group of volunteers supporting the Jackson County Animal Shelter in nearby Talent because of its stated purpose “to improve the quality of life for animals in Southern Oregon by facilitating adoptions, medical care, education, and resources to our community.”

 

I’m a dog walker for FOTAS.

On any day I interact with 6-8  pets with a wide variety of breeds, personality traits, and socialization needs. Think of it as “speed dating” with furry friends. The objective is to find a forever home for deserving dogs. And while I don’t wake up with any of them, I get immense satisfaction from contributing to the adoption of animals that may not have had the easiest of lives, and appreciating their progress in becoming adoptable during their stays at the Shelter.

 

Yes, felines can also become your voluntary pets if you prefer. There are also many other positions that are less physically demanding, including helping with spay/neutering clinics, vaccination/chip clinics and public adoption events.

 

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, give me a call or talk to other RVM residents that volunteer, including Paul Schettler and Kiki Nowak , or call FOTAS at  (541) 613-6099 .

A reminder — Contribute to a special “Pet” issue of The Complement

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Yes, you still have time to submit your contribution to the upcoming Complement issue devoted to Pets at RVM, the first in a quarterly series of themed issues. That wet nose among your friends wants to be a part!

We welcome…

— thoughtful essays on how pets contribute to life and community at RVM.

— first- or second-hand stories about how our remarkable pets have changed our lives

— creative first person work: drawings, poems, humorous anecdotes, photos and what-have-you on pets you know and love

— video snippets (like GIFs) of your pet for inclusion in The Complements production of …. Pets of RVM – Naked.

We are targeting the issue for July, allowing time for submissions and pre-production. All contributions are requested by May 15, 2025, but we probably won’t be able to say no to a pet lover submitting after that date.

E-mail submissions to openinforvm@gmail.com. We prefer Word and jpg files.

 

Views of Opportunity

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Contribute to a special “Pet” issue of The Complement

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The Complement editorial team is pleased to announce an upcoming Complement issue devoted to Pets at RVM, the first in a quarterly series of themed issues.

You are welcome to contribute with…

— thoughtful essays on how pets contribute to life and community at RVM.

— first- or second-hand stories about how our remarkable pets have changed our lives

— creative first person work: drawings, poems, and what-have-you on pets you know and love

— video snippets (like GIFs) of your pet for inclusion in The Complements production of …. Pets of RVM – Naked. — other thoughts?………….

We are targeting the issue for July, allowing time for submissions and pre-production. All contributions are requested by May 15, 2025.

If you wish to submit work requiring a significant effort on your part, please communicate with a member of the Editorial Team for feedback on whether there will be room for your work in the final layout.

All contributions will be archived for browsing, but there will not be room to feature all contributions on the front page index. Please accept our humble apologies for our inability to accept without limits.

E-mail submissions to openinforvm@gmail.com. Attachments intended for publication should be in MS Word (docx) format; images should be in jpg format and submitted separately from the text (which may have included images to show intended layout).

 

Managing Life’s End

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By Bob Buddemeier

Let me put this as delicately as possible.  You are going to die.  If you are like most people you don’t know when, where, or how, BUT you have some definite positive or negative preferences about the answers to those questions.

A recent presentation by Jan Rowe, RN (ret) and Athera Brockbank, Clinical Manager for Providence Hospital hospice, laid out the choices to be made and actions taken in anticipation of life’s end – both well in advance and when the end draws near.  Their presentation addressed primarily medical issues, with an admonition to also take care of the paperwork and other advance arrangements: will, trust, designating a health care representative, powers of attorney, mortuary arrangements, etc.

This article is a summary of the key points of the presentation, including guidance on where to find further information. A video of the presentation is available for viewing on MyRVM (Go to MyRVM>Staff Departments & Services>Health Services>Educational Resources>End of Life Presentation 2025.

Record of Preferences:  The do-it-in-advance items are preparation of an Advance Directive (AD) and a POLST (Portable Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) form – and discussion of the contents with your medical provider and your Health Care Representative, who should be willing to support your choices. These are the places to record preferences such as “do not resuscitate” or “do not intubate,” for example.

The POLST is primarily oriented toward emergency personnel and first responders; it needs to be signed by your Principal Care Provider, and should be posted on your refrigerator door.  The AD is also known as a living will but it does not need to be drawn up by a lawyer or notarized; it must be witnessed by two people. It is a flexible document – although standard forms are available, this can be drawn up in any way you want.  Copies should be given to your medical providers and family or friends who may be looking after you or your interests.

Treatment Options: There are two treatment options to be considered in case of serious or terminal illness, palliative care and hospice.  Both require referral by a doctor. Palliative care is for those who are seriously ill and need special care (e.g., for pain management).  The Providence Hospital palliative care operates though their home health care program, for people who can’t conveniently get to a hospital or provider’s office. It can be combined with a medical treatment program.

Hospice is for those with a prognosis of death within six months. It cannot be combined with medical disease treatment, but it does not need to meet home health care requirements. It is focused on the relief of distress and symptoms and attends to the individual’s emotional as well as physical needs during the final stages of life.

Death Management:  In Oregon, the terminally ill patient who wishes to control the circumstances of their death has two recognized options:  Voluntarily stopping eating and drinking (VSED), and Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), enabled by Oregon’s Death with Dignity (DWD) Act.

VSED results in a natural death, is usually painless, and requires no permission or authorization.  However, one’s doctor should be notified, and the process does require determination and may require 24-hour care.  The official cause of death is recorded as either the underlying disease or dehydration.

MAID is described as follows – Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act provides an end-of-life option that allows a terminally ill, qualified person to legally request and obtain a medication from their physician to hasten their inevitable death in a peaceful, humane and dignified manner at a time and place of their choosing.  To be “qualified,” people must be over 18, competent to make decisions, and able to administer the medication themselves.  They must make two separate oral requests and one written request to the  MD or DO who will write the prescription, and have a second doctor confirm that life expectancy is six months or less.  Death is recorded as caused by the underlying condition.

Information and advice: Jan Rowe and Prathiba Eastwood are End of Life Choices Oregon (EOLCOR) volunteers at RVM.  EOLCOR is a 501(C)(3) non-profit that performs the following services free of charge,

  • Make home visits to educate clients and loved ones about all of their choices
  • Offer emotional support, especially to those without family or caregivers who agree with their choice
  • Work closely with hospice personnel
  • Help find supportive doctors and pharmacies
  • Offer guidance through the MAID process and info about VSED
  • Assistance and presence at planned deaths, if requested

RVM permits MAID and VSED in all living situations except the Memory Support Center.  For information on RVM policy and potential support, see Melissa Preston, Aaron Williams, Fr. Joel, or Linda Bellinson.

The RVM library has an information binder entitled “Resources in the RVM Library and Beyond on Death and Preparing for It.”

Offsite Organizations

END OF LIFE CHOICES OREGON                       503-922-1132
www.eolcoregon.org

VSED Resources Northwest                                   360-919-6363
VSEDresources.com

Oregon Health Authority
Oregon.gov/oha
Search “Death with Dignity Act”

Death with Dignity National Center                    503-228-4415
Deathwithdignity.org

Compassion and Choices                                        800-247-7421
compassionandchoices.org

 

 

 

 

 

So Many Choices, So Little Time

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By Joni Johnson

RVM will host a Hobbies, Crafts & Volunteers Opportunities Fair on April 11 from Noon to 3 PM in the Auditorium.  It will be a chance for everyone to find out about the many activities available to residents of Rogue Valley Manor.

As most of you know, we have a multitude of activities to choose from to keep our bodies and minds engaged. Our April Fair is focused on the Hobbies, Crafts and Volunteer Opportunities that many of us have heard about or seen people participating in throughout the campus.  Have you ever wondered how we’ve managed to have a beautiful bonsai display within our swimming pool area or how our community gardens grow?  Our April Fair is designed to provide you with answers to these questions, and with others you may not have even thought about.

There will be approximately two dozen teams of people to answer your questions about what they do and where and when they do it.  And who knows, you might connect with like-minded people with one or several of these groups and become an active member!

Mary Ann & Wayne Hager, Co-Chairs of RVM’s Volunteer Committee, along with Meryl & Gary Hanagami, Co-Chairs of the Wellness Advisory Committee, supported by Bill Tout, Recreations Committee Chair, are spearheading the orchestration of our April Fair.  Our Community Engagement Team, led by Director Sarah Karnatz, is sponsoring the event, and is planning a host of resident enticements to satisfy your body while the myriad of groups should help build your spirit and strengthen your mind.

If you’re looking for a place to exercise your writing skills, how about talking to Bob Buddemeier of The Complement to see what they have to offer.  Feeling a bit stressed out lately?  Seek out Nancy Ottis whose Meditation Group will offer a place to calm your mind, or how about asking Arlene Ching about the benefits of Rooftop Gardening?  Curious about the origins of your family tree?  Rita Derbas and her Genealogy group could Sherlock your way down the right path.  And who would have thought Paul Ackerman’s Rogue Rover’s RV group existed?  But he’s there as well.  Feeling ambitious?  How about starting or reactivating a group that is in need leadership?  We have those too!

RVM is known for its resident volunteers, and we’ll have several of those groups as well.  If you want to exercise your legal chops, talk to Marilyn Perrin about CASA and helping those too young to help themselves.  Curious about supporting high school girls navigating their way to and through college?  Seek out Julie Crites and learn about our Fairy Godmothers program. Or would you like to provide the homeless with a bit of comfort? Ruth Draper with Sleeping Mats for the Homeless may be right up your alley!

Remember how it was for you, uprooting your comfortable life to adopt a new one at RVM?  Talk about the choices we must make here, or about finding out how to go about making them?  You  can help new residents assimilate and navigate life at RVM — simply talk to Suzana Gal about joining the Ambassadors Group.  Still not enough?  Seek out Mary Ann and Wayne Hager or Bill Tout. They’ll help you find a crafting group to your liking.

Living here really can be the start of something wonderful!  So, join us at the Hobbies, Crafts & Volunteer Opportunities Fair on Friday, April 11 from 12-3 pm. in the Auditorium.