Palo Alto County Rsvp Invites Anyone 55+ To Make A Difference In The Community By Becoming A Pen Pal

(Estherville, Iowa) The Palo Alto County RSVP volunteer program invites anyone 55+ to make a difference in the community from the comfort of your own home during the Iowa winter and spring months by becoming a pen pal. RSVP, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, provides meaningful community involvement and service for anyone age 55 and over.

The Pen Pal Program is simple and requires little time, yet is so rewarding for the volunteers, students, and teachers involved! It is an organized and scheduled exchange of letters, ending in a short party at the conclusion of the program at which pen pals get to meet each other in person. The Pen Pal Program with the Emmetsburg West Elementary fourth grade will begin January 2019 when students return from the holiday break. Students write the first letter, which is mailed directly to the volunteer. Volunteers will then reply to the letters from the students, which should be one letter every three weeks.

Some potential pen pals have remarked, “I would not know what to write.” The beauty is that the students write the first letter, filled with all kinds of questions, and all you need to do is answer those questions. Then, you may fill in or elaborate as you feel so inclined. Letters may be handwritten or typed. However, letters must be some form of hard copy so they can be delivered to the students.

The teachers value the Pen Pal Program as part of their curricula which include sentence and paragraph structure, addressing an envelope, composition of a letter and even spelling. Students appreciate bonding with a pen pal, learning to write letters and meeting their special friend at the party. Volunteers report the joy and excitement of communicating with young people and having a constructive way to spend some Iowa wintertime.

To become an RSVP Pen Pal or to learn more about the Pen Pal Program, please contact Casee Ross, RSVP Coordinator in Palo Alto County, 712-852-5351, cross@iowalakes.educreate new email. The RSVP office is located on the Emmetsburg campus of Iowa Lakes Community College, the local sponsor of Northwest Iowa RSVP since 1977.

For More Information:

Casee Ross
RSVP Coordinator, Palo Alto County
cross@iowalakes.educreate new email
712-852-5351