The Catskill Chronicle

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY (May 20, 2014) – The 41st Annual Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Recognition Day Luncheon was held on Monday, May 12 at the Villa Roma Resort & Conference Club House in Callicoon.

Deborah Allen, Director of the Office for the Aging, welcomed the 200+ crowd that gathered to honor the seniors, Caryn Mathews, Director of RSVP gave opening remarks, and Pastor Bob Kersten gave the invocation.

Additional remarks regarding the 41-year success of RSVP in Sullivan County were given by Scott Samuelson, Chairperson, Sullivan County Legislature and Cindy Kurpil-Gieger, Sullivan County Health Chairperson Health & Family Services

A total of 283 RSVP volunteers performed over 58,800 hours during 2013. Ten volunteers served over 1,000 volunteer hours during 2013 and received a special award certificate. Members of the “1,000 Hour Club” were presented to: Barbara Burns – 1,000, Patricia Curtis – 1,200, Margaret Ippolito – 1,172, Tina Greenberger– 1,530, Annette Rein– 1,081, Sonny Smith – 1,295, Marcelle Wagner – 1,232, Marlene Stoutenburg – 1,036, Barbra Viele -1,157.

Special Service awards were presented to the community “TOUCHSTONE” program, which provides telephone reassurance to homebound seniors in our community.

A Certificate of Appreciation was presented to Michelle Semerano and Mike Sakell from WDNB Thunder 102.1/Bold Gold Media Group for announcing the RSVP volunteers birthdays each morning on the radio and their continued on-air support of the RSVP program. During 201 there were 338 RSVP volunteers’ birthdays announced.

Each Legislative District chooses a “RSVP Senior of the Year”(Listed below). One senior is chosen as the Sullivan County RSVP Senior of the Year.

The Senior of the Year Award for Virginia “Ginger” Rasulo“ was awarded posthumously in recognition of all her diligent efforts, for her tireless devotion and constant commitment to excellence in her service to the Sullivan County Community.

District Senior of the Year Award Winners:

District#1 Senior of the Year: Patricia A. McArthur lives in the Town of Bethel she has been an RSVP Volunteer for 4years and has donated 2551 hours. She is a volunteer in our Community priorities focus area and does needlework for a variety of programs RSVP Supports with Handcrafted Items.

District# 2 Richard Harding lives in the Town of Forestburgh he has been an RSVP Volunteer for 3.5 years and has donated 268 hours. He is a volunteer in our RSVP Medical Transportation Program.

District# 3 Weldon “Dean” Calloway lives in the Town of Rockland he has been an RSVP Volunteer for 6 years and has donated 571 hours. He is a volunteer in our Healthy Futures Focus area and is a volunteer and peer trainer for Sullivan/Orange County Hospice program.

District# 4 Senior of the Year: Barbara Haggerty lives in the Town of Mamakating she has been an RSVP Volunteer for 3 years and has donated 125 hours. She is a volunteer in our Community priorities focus area and does crafts for a variety of programs RSVP Supports with Handcrafted Items as well as our telephone reassurance “Touchstone program”.

District# 5 Senior of the Year: Alice Schlichting lives in the Town of Delaware she has been an RSVP Volunteer for 3 years and has donated 1435 hours. She is a volunteer in our Community priorities focus area in the I.O.U thrift shop in Callicoon.

District# 6 Senior of the Year: Justina Constable lives in the Town of Liberty she has been an RSVP Volunteer for 2 years and has donated 749 hours. She is a volunteer in our Homebound Meal Delivery assistance distribution.

District# 7 Senior of the Year: Marcelle Wagner lives in the Town of Fallsburg she has been an RSVP Volunteer for 25 years and has donated 44,000 hours. She is a volunteer in our Community priorities and does needlework for a variety of programs RSVP Supports with Handcrafted Items.

District# 8 Senior of the Year: Ruth Owens lives in the Town of Fallsburg/ Thompson she has been an RSVP Volunteer for 5 years and has donated 1,200 hours. She is a volunteer in our Community priorities focus area in the Noah’s Arc thrift shop of the United Methodist Church in Monticello.

District# 9 T’shara D’Das lives in the Town of Thompson she has been an RSVP Volunteer for 5.5 years and has donated 425 hours. She is a volunteer in our Literacy Volunteers of America Program in Monticello.

Special Congratulations to: Joseph Carr, Town of Lumberland. Anita Hartmann, Town of Neversink. Susan “Sue” Kohler, Town of Callicoon. Dorothy Schultz, Town of Cochecton Tina Greenberger, Town of Highland.

If you are interested in getting involved in RSVP, call Caryn Mathews, RSVP Project Director at 807-0251 for more information.