Philanthropy Today
Philanthropy Today
The Flint Hills Volunteer Center on the GMCF Community Hour Episode - 197
The Flint Hills Volunteer Center coordinates over 925 volunteers serving in 85 different opportunities across Riley County. It helps seniors age with dignity in their homes while creating meaningful service roles for community members.
• Operates the medical transportation program with volunteers driving 57 clients to medical appointments in Manhattan
• Facilitates the Neighbor-to-Neighbor program, providing leaf removal, snow clearing, and other home maintenance services
• Coordinates 69 volunteers who deliver meals through the Friendship Meals Program
• Supports 248 volunteers helping with Harvesters and local food pantries
• Celebrates volunteers of all ages, with the oldest currently being 100 years old
• Plans community events, including an annual 9/11 commemoration and "Heart for the Holidays" fundraiser
• Works to meet the increasing needs of seniors, who will outnumber children under 18 by 2035
• Provides weekly email updates about volunteer opportunities
• Creates meaningful relationships between volunteers and those they serve
Support the Flint Hills Volunteer Center during Grow Green Match Day at GrowGreenManhattan.com or visit flinthillsvolunteercenter.com to become a volunteer.
Philanthropy Today is brought to you by the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation. In this episode we feature a recently broadcast segment of the GMCF Community Hour as heard on NewsRadio KMAN. In this segment of the GMCF Community Hour, lori Bishop, on behalf of the Flint Hills Volunteer Center, is our guest and we are joining.
Speaker 2:this interview in progress is our guest and we are joining this interview in progress Program in 1974. But we did that because we had college students and others under the age of 55 that wanted to volunteer, and so numbers are huge. I think we had over 925 volunteers this last year volunteer.
Speaker 1:So that's a lot of bodies.
Speaker 2:That's a lot of bodies, but a lot of help needed.
Speaker 1:And they volunteer in a lot of different capacities.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we have 85 different opportunities where they can volunteer.
Speaker 1:What does an opportunity consist of to volunteer?
Speaker 2:Well, we just got one this morning asking for help for the Bill Snyder Half Marathon. So they're needing volunteers. So other nonprofits reach out to us if they're needing volunteers and then that's our goal is to find those volunteers to help meet their needs.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, what is AmeriCorps?
Speaker 2:AmeriCorps throughout the years. Back in 1974, we were under ACTION, the federal agency retired senior volunteer program and then it changed to Corporation for National Community Service and then it changed to AmeriCorps and so under AmeriCorps we're the AmeriCorps Seniors Program for 55 and under. So that's still after 51 years. We're still RSVP.
Speaker 1:It's nice to visit with you about something that I don't qualify for anymore. Really, you said 55 and under right Over. Oh, okay, I still qualify, qualify for anymore, really.
Speaker 2:You said 55 and under right.
Speaker 1:Over. Oh okay, I still qualify Darn. I was trying to weasel out of something there on a Monday even.
Speaker 2:Yeah, really.
Speaker 1:But you know there's so much that goes on with AmeriCorps and intrinsically involved in the work you do.
Speaker 2:Yes, in the work you do, yes, and so what with our AmeriCorps seniors program? Just speaking specifically here in Riley County? Um, one of the things that we provide volunteers for is to provide medical transportation rides. Um, we are up to 57 clients now, um, where we've got a list of volunteers that will take them to and from their medical appointments only in Manhattan, because we have no, no enough volunteers to take them anywhere else. So that's a huge project for us. Several years ago, we took over the city's neighbor-to-neighbor program, so we have volunteers that go out and do leaf removal, snow removal, things like that to help, especially in the wintertime, especially this past winter. The priority is to give to those who might get a citation for not having their sidewalks cleared, so they're. Our first priority is to get that done. We have over 69 volunteers that deliver meals for the Friendship Meals Program. We just we have so many programs that we offer.
Speaker 1:That is what you needed how many people do you have just to coordinate all this?
Speaker 2:well, interesting. You asked that because right now we're just down to me and a part-time person.
Speaker 1:Oh my yeah good luck with that yeah, it's. It's been a challenge I bet so and you know, and we can talk a little bit about maybe it's appropriate to talk a little bit about, you know some of the things that are obviously going on on the national scene with financial cutbacks and a lot of things, and I'm sure that that's impacting your organization and the work you do quite a bit. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And unfortunately we're not allowed to talk about that.
Speaker 2:Okay, but it happens right, yes, so we'll go that angle. We can confirm, yes, and it does. It makes it a little difficult to do, but we're just all passionate. We've got an excellent board, an excellent board of directors, who's right there helping us move forward and get everything done that we need to get done. But it's just. You know, you think about what we do. We have 69 volunteers that deliver meals. We have 15 clients that take 57 people to medical appointments. We have 248 volunteers that help at, like, harvesters meals, you know, food pantries, those kinds of things. So what happens without all those volunteers? You know it makes it a challenge.
Speaker 1:Yeah, speaking of volunteers, let's so let's spotlight one, ronnie Grice. Yes, and we talked about him earlier with Vern in the first segment of the program, receiving the Distinguished Service Award, and he has become quite a player in the world of the Flint Hills Volunteer Center.
Speaker 2:He is amazing. He was our president last year and he is very instrumental in helping us with our 9-11 event that we host every year. So you know you got to love Ronnie. You know we first met when we were in the 2011 Leadership Manhattan class, so I've known him since then.
Speaker 1:He brings such positivity and just he's. Just, you know and I don't talk nicely about Ronnie very often, because we're really good friends, you know but he just brings joy to everything that every time you see him, he's, he's. He just brings a certain level of happiness.
Speaker 2:He's very passionate about what we do. He'll go out and tell people about the services that we provide. And so you know I was talking to Carla earlier you know, by 2035, seniors outnumber children under the age of 18 for the first time in US history. So let's think about what's going to happen, Even though here in Manhattan, in Riley County, the average age is around 25. Well, that's because of K-State and Fort Riley, but you think 10% of those are over 55. But another additional you think about 3% of those are over 75. Well, that 3% wants to stay living in their own home. They want to age with dignity. They want their independence to avoid nursing home care. That's what we're here for. We're here to help those adults stay active. But on the flip side, you have all those volunteers, that between 55 and 75, who are former retired professionals in our community, our veterans. So you think about that core of volunteers that we have was instrumental in getting us to where we are now. So we play both sides of the fence.
Speaker 1:What's it take to become a volunteer? What does it take to become a volunteer?
Speaker 2:Just somebody wants to give their time. You know they could stay in the same profession. What does it take to become a volunteer? Just somebody wants to give their time. You know they could stay in the same profession. They could learn a new profession. We send out a weekly email that talks about upcoming volunteer opportunities and they'll sign up. You know from that. You know until you're actually in a nonprofit sector. You don't know what the needs are in the community until you're actually serving through a nonprofit, and so it's a great way for community members to understand what the trials and tribulations are from nonprofits.
Speaker 1:So the process is what?
Speaker 2:Well, they can go online to our website, flinthillsvolunteercentercom. They can enroll as a volunteer, and from that point on we contact them and so we send them an enrollment or a welcome package, and then they can also submit their hours online, which makes it really easy too. And so it's really nice, because some of those that first signed up to do a medical ride, well, then they found out about Cookie Brigade, where our volunteers bake cookies and we send those to Fort Riley. Then they might learn about, oh, how they can be a docent at McCain or help at the bread basket. So that's the opportunities that they can learn about. Stay in the same profession, learn something totally new. We have some that just retiring.
Speaker 1:They're born so they need something to do it seems like you fill a whole lot of holes for a lot of folks, don't you? We do you said you have over 900 volunteers for the volunteer center yeah, we have uh around 325 or over 55.
Speaker 2:Gotcha.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Our oldest volunteer turned 100 last November.
Speaker 1:Really now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, sybil Roberts.
Speaker 1:You don't have too many of those, do you?
Speaker 2:She had told me two years prior she wanted to live to be 100 because she wanted a big birthday party. So last year I took cake balloons, they brought her to the senior center and we had a big thank you for her, and so we probably have over 30 volunteers that have volunteered consistently for over 20 years. Wow yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but people can still get involved. Just go to the website floodhillsvolunteercentercom.
Speaker 2:They might sign up to do one project and then they learn about what all they can do and yeah from there. It's just amazing, yeah.
Speaker 1:What's everybody's favorite one? Is there a favorite?
Speaker 2:No, it's fair. We have so many opportunities, so probably the one-time volunteer opportunity is probably the best, because then you can always fit it into your schedule. So yeah, it makes it interesting.
Speaker 1:Now you have a number of events. You have some fundraising events and then you have a big public event that ties in with Patriots Day.
Speaker 2:Our 9-11, yeah.
Speaker 1:And that's become a big deal.
Speaker 2:It has. You know we're already in the planning stages for it. Last year was huge. We gave away over 200 pairs of shoes to elementary school-aged children. We'll be doing that again this year. We'll have our breakfast again, where we'll have a guest speaker, so we're really, really looking forward to it.
Speaker 1:What can people do to help you?
Speaker 2:Sign up to volunteer. You know, we could have 2,000 volunteers and we would still not have enough volunteers.
Speaker 1:Really there's that much demand.
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, yeah, there is. When you think of all the nonprofits we have in this community.
Speaker 1:Just like on Grow Green Mash Day, we have 90-some nonprofits that are participating in that and obviously Grow Green Mash Day is a big day for you.
Speaker 2:It is and for all your listeners, please get online and send a check or support us, because we're really focusing this year on our RSVP program because of the fact that aging population is really growing and we need to help those seniors stay in their own homes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you have fundraisers. We have our heart for the holidays.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that will be November 21st at the Country Club. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 1:That was fun last year.
Speaker 2:Oh it was. It was a blast yeah yeah, raise some money.
Speaker 1:Got to see a lot of happy faces yeah, yeah it was. It was good to see those bidding wars I sat with ronnie and cheryl yeah and uh and and jacqueline lindy, yes, no fun at that table whatsoever with the six of us. No fun whatsoever, yeah but it's great.
Speaker 2:It's another night where somebody can learn about who we are. Uh, c fisher gave an excellent uh speech on what he does for medical transportation and actually we we had two volunteers sign up to do medical transportation after hearing his speech. So, um, you know I can go back. You know I've been in Manhattan now 36 years as director and you know I've got stories clear back 36 years. You know, and um, and it's just, it's just nice to see those that we can help. You know, those that are thankful, I, you know we'll. I have one that I beg her not to do it, but she does it, she sends it, she's a medical client and always sends a $25 check.
Speaker 1:You know that's how much they, you know, appreciate our services, you know Well it gives them a lot to do and I bet it helps them, you know, especially those that may be new to the community that are looking for some things to do and and, and I bet it helps them, you know, especially those that may be new to the community. Yeah, that are looking for some things to do. It helps them become familiar with the things that happen here in town and they get to contribute well and with medical transportation um.
Speaker 2:You know, they become friends. Yeah, you know I bet so yeah and yeah.
Speaker 2:So you've got that. You pick them up. You've got that conversation taking them. You've got the. You pick them up. You've got that conversation taking them. You've got the conversation back. Do you're feeling the pain that they're feeling if they're going to chemo or radiation? You know, yes, we have public transportation, but many of those can't afford even public transportation. Plus, you're on a bus with all these unknown people and you know germs and this way they're, you know, able to have that one-on-one connection, and so way they're you know able to have that one-on-one uh connection and so, um, you know they make friends.
Speaker 1:We talked about a lot of things here in our segment and we need to move on and talk with carla. Uh, the flint hills bread basket got flint hills all over the place today on the show. Anything else you'd like to add before we go?
Speaker 2:no, I just again grow. Green day is coming up and I think every non-profit you're going to talk to is going to ask the same thing. But just you know, we ask to keep us in mind, support our RACP program and those volunteers who give so much of their time, who gave their time to our community and continue to serve by volunteering. So it's a win-win for Riley County.
Speaker 1:GrowGreenManhattancom is the website to go to to start making those contributions. Take a look at the list of agencies that all benefit from Grow Green Match Day. Lori Bishop, thanks for joining us. You take care. Thank you Great to be here. We'll see you again, probably before the holidays, huh.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes.
Speaker 1:We'll talk about home for the holidays and so much more. Flint Hills Breadbasket is next. Carla Hagemeister is waiting by standing by, ready to step in on the GMCF Community Hour here on NewsRadio KMAN.