As part of Tuesday’s Becker City Council meeting, Mayor Lefty Kleis proclaimed April 5 as National Service Recognition Day in Becker and invited volunteers from the Minnesota Foster Grandparents and RSVP programs to give testimonies and pose for photos.

 

Kleis thanked the five area volunteers for the Foster Grandparent program who include Nancy Heisick, Glenn Lahm, Lois Lahm and Ray Marholz as well as coordinator Pat Brown.

 

The Foster Grandparent Program is affiliated with Catholic Charities.

 

As the group posed for pictures, then dispersed, Glenn Lahm approached the podium and thanked the city for the recognition and explained some of the things he and his wife, Lois do in the kindergarten through second grade classes in Becker.

 

Two hundred local seniors are part of this program and most have devoted an average of 15 hours a week and 1,064 total hours volunteered.

 

“It is so rewarding that we get the chance to live vicariously through our seniors,” said Brown.

 

Children benefit from having seniors in their lives, and seniors benefit from having children in theirs. Catholic Charities Central Minnesota Foster Grandparent Program brings children and seniors together at schools and non-profit organizations throughout the Diocese of St. Cloud to benefit not only the organizations, but the entire community.

 

Thirteen other volunteers were also recognized as being part of RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) and they include Janet Boettcher, Alfrieda and Merlin Dornbush, Pat and Jan Zupan, Evelyn Cox, Jake and Rayolee Jacobs, Edie Schween, Betty Sotendahl and Carol and Jack Kufner.

 

Coordinator Charlotte Strei said that in 2015, 62 RSVP volunteers living in many areas served over 3,900 hours in Becker-based organizations. Eighteen RSVP volunteers with Becker addresses served nearly 1,500 hours as volunteers in organizations based in Becker and surrounding communities.

 

Strei also said 267 Sherburne County volunteers served nearly 30,000 hours in a wide range of organizations and 1,206 Greater St. Cloud Area RSVP volunteers served almost 155,000 hours.

 

Jack Kufner, who lives on Lake Julia, said he and his wife, Carol, volunteer in Becker, Big Lake and Clear Lake and serve in the grades kindergarten through fourth.

 

“These volunteers are active in your local senior center, they serve at the food shelf and they also volunteer in the bailiff program with the county,” said Strei. “It’s such a privilege to be partners with them in these programs.”

 

The mission of RSVP is to engage men and women age 55 or better in meaningful volunteer service that strengthens the well-being of both self and community.

 

RSVP is teaming up with the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) to host their 1st Annual "Move the Mall Walk For Volunteerism",  April 23 from 8-10 a.m. at Crossroads Center in St. Cloud. All proceeds from this walk will go to RSVP and FGP, both members of the National Senior Corps.