Special Programs & Initiatives

RSVP partners with several local organizations and community members to develop and implement programs that are entirely or partially coordinated out of the RSVP office.  If you are interested in learning more about any of the following or in getting involved as a volunteer, partner agency, or client, please contact RSVP at 812-876-3383 or [ email ].  Likewise, if you have an idea for how you would like to partner with RSVP for a new project, we are always open to fresh ideas and enthusiastically encourage you to be in touch.

in partnership with Shalom Community Center, Amethyst House, SCCAP, Martha's House, and New Leaf-New Life

RSVP Job Links makes a difference that lasts.  Job Links reaches out to the community’s unemployed and underemployed through Job Coaching and the Adult Mentoring Program.  Both coaches and mentors act as resources to help clients secure employment, stabilize their life situation, unlock their potential, and achieve self-sufficiency and success.
Volunteer Job Coaches meet one-on-one with adults of varying ages, backgrounds, and socio-economic levels.  Coaches help inventory skills, evaluate job needs, develop resumes, identify educational opportunities, and link to employers who are hiring.  Clients are also connected to resources in the community for additional assistance, including transportation.  Through the friendship and support of the coaches, clients can secure steady employment, gain independence, and look forward to providing for their family’s future.  Free, confidential, non-discriminatory job coaching sessions are held at two sites:  the Shalom Community Center (a walk-in site) and Area 10 Agency on Aging (by appointment).  

The Adult Mentoring Program (AMP) connects an experienced, successful mentor with an unemployed client one-on-one over the course of a year.  The goal of the mentoring relationship is to empower clients to take charge of their future through employment, education, and the mentoring friendship.  Within the course of a year, more in-depth work can be done with clients on job hunting and interviewing techniques, dressing for success, managing relationships with superiors, improving one’s skill set, obtaining further education, making the move to a higher level job, and many other topics.  Each client’s course of action is personalized, depending on the client’s specific needs and goals.  After being matched, mentors and clients set their own timetable for getting together.  Again, these sessions are free, confidential, and non-discriminatory.
If you would like to learn more about being a volunteer Job Coach or Mentor, please be in touch.  We are always eager to find more talented volunteers to expand the number of clients we can reach.  Full training is provided, and no experience is necessary.  The commitment is for a minimum of 2 hours/month.
If you are a client seeking services from one of our dedicated Job Coaches or Mentors, please contact RSVP Job Links at 812-876-3383.

~ RSVP Bulk Mailers ~

RSVP Bulk Mailers provide services to several local nonprofit agencies.  They help with stapling, folding, labeling, and sorting bulk mailings of all varieties.  Led by an RSVP volunteer who is retired from the bulk mailing department of the post office, this group of more than 30 volunteers is a treasured community resource for the agencies that depend on them.

If you are interested in volunteering with the RSVP Bulk Mailers, or if your agency would like to learn about their FREE services, please contact Christine McKenna, RSVP Director, at 812-935-2514 or [ email ] to get connected.

~ RSVP America Reads ~
in partnership with Monroe County School Corporation, Richland Bean Blossom School Corporation, Monroe County Public Library, Spencer-Owen Community School Corporation, and others

4 out of 10 fourth graders cannot read at grade level.  America Reads Tutors help change this statistic.  They assist children with spelling, writing, and reading and make lasting differences in the lives of our local youth.  America Reads Tutors who volunteer during the school year are typically matched with 2 students.  Tutors meet with each student for 30 minutes every week.  America Reads Tutors who volunteer during the summer months help children in the Monroe County libraries, one-on-one and on a weekly basis.  More than 60 America Reads Tutors currently serve in over 20 local schools and 2 libraries in Bloomington, Ellettsville, and Spencer.  

If you are interested in volunteering as an America Reads Tutor, please contact Michelle Martin Colman, RSVP America Reads Coordinator, at 812-322-1500 or [ email ].  No experience is necessary, and training and ongoing support are provided.  

If you know of a student who could use the FREE services provided by caring America Reads Tutors, please contact Michelle Martin Colman, America Reads Coordinator, at 812-322-1500 or [ email ].  

~ Walk a Mile in My Shoes ~
in partnership with Monroe County School Corporation, Richland Bean Blossom School Corporation, St. Charles' School, and others

Walk a Mile in My Shoes is a diversity awareness program aimed at teaching people how to re-spect (i.e. to look at again) both others and themselves.  There is the old adage: “Do not be critical of others.  You never really know someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes.”  Our world is filled with a wonderful variety of human beings, and we greatly benefit from trying to understand, rather than judge, others, from listening compassionately, and from examining our own prejudices.  Programming varies depending on the group, age of participants, and/or amount of time available.  One part of the program regularly features RSVP volunteer storytellers who share brief stories— including joys, challenges, moments of despair, times of hope, and inspiring feats of overcoming obstacles.  In doing so, participants recognize the dangers of prejudging others, the misinformation that stereotypes propagate, and the harmful consequences of making assumptions.  We also hope to convey the vast value  of our differences and what can be gained from working together and learning about others.  Following the storytellers, other RSVP volunteers break up into small groups with participants for thoughtful discussion and activities.  

We are eager and excited to bring Walk a Mile in My Shoes to community groups of all ages.  However, most often, presentations occur in local schools.  We want to encourage youth to be leaders and to help create positive changes by serving as role models for our community.  Louis Robinson, Walk a Mile in My Shoes storyteller, shares, “I don’t want children who hear my story to ever have to go through what I went through.  I want them to remember so they can help keep it from ever happening again.”  Teacher Diane Siddons celebrates the program’s value: “This activity was inspirational and informative.  The children haven’t stopped talking about this!”

We are looking for volunteer storytellers!  Have you ever felt discriminated against or simply misunderstood because of your religion, age, size, economic situation, abilities, ethnicity, gender, etc?  We would love storytellers of a wide breadth of backgrounds and would be honored for you to join us once or on an ongoing basis.  Your story can range from 3-10 minutes.  Please contact us or refer someone you know.  Your story matters.  

We are looking for volunteers to help facilitate activities and discussion!  If you are interested in joining the Walk a Mile in My Shoes team, please contact RSVP.  You do need to have any experience— simply an interest in cultivating an invaluable appreciation of diversity in youth and community members of all ages.

If you know of a class or community group (of any age!) who would like a Walk a Mile in My Shoes presentation, we can arrange for one that uniquely meets your needs.  Please contact RSVP to discuss the details (812-935-2514 or [ email ]).

~ Crafting Bridges ~
in partnership with New Leaf-New Life

Crafting Bridges began in 2006 as an effort to bridge the gap between inmates and their children and to offer incarcerated individuals an opportunity to utilize their time in jail for positive change.  RSVP volunteers engage the inmates in conversation as the inmates make a variety of gifts for their children.  

The most popular activity within Crafting Bridges has been the inmates decorating pillowcases for their children.  To make this project happen, RSVP volunteers have sewn, washed, and ironed pillowcases, joined inmates at the jail while they decorated the pillowcases for their children, and packaged them to be sent home to their children.  Inmates have decorated their pillowcases in a variety of ways.  Messages like “I love you,” “I miss you,” “You are my sunshine,” and “You mean so much to Daddy” show up frequently.  Some inmates draw colorful pictures of their child’s favorite cartoon character, sports team, or flowers and rainbows.  Others choose to write messages: “Even tho’ we’re far apart, I hold you close to my heart, I wouldn’t trade you for the world, No money, no cars, or beautiful girls.  Sorry about the mistakes I’ve made, please forgive me for all the days in your life that I have missed, You’re my smile, my heart, my hug, and kiss.”

Inmates have given Crafting Bridges consistently encouraging feedback and are always engaging, welcoming, and grateful.  One inmate observed “All of a sudden, after us guys work on these projects, you hear people talking over dinner and saying things like ‘I miss my kids.  I gotta stay out of here so I can be with them.’ ”  Other inmates have shared “This is the first gift my kids have gotten something from me in 11 years.  I can’t even tell you what this means to us;” “I’ve been in and out of jail and prison my entire life, and this is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this project.  I haven't seen this kind of compassion in years.”

Segments from two gracious thank you letters further demonstrate the reason Crafting Bridges exists: “I wanted to write a letter to say thank you for your time and kindness.  I am 25 years old, and I have a daughter who will be 3 in May.  This is the first time that I have been incarcerated, and I have been here for almost 21 months now.  It has been very hard for me to stay in contact with *** (that’s my little girl).  And I can’t thank you enough for helping me with communicating with her.  I didn’t think she would be getting anything from me for Christmas, and now she will have a picture of me and a colorful card.  It means so much to me. Thank you!!  I also want to say that the kindness that you all expressed while you were here amazed me.”  The other note shares, “I am writing to let you know how much better I felt when you guys were here, as well as gone.  Bringing those Christmas pictures in to send to our families was the best thing ever (being in my situation).  My daughters are very important to me.”

If you are interested in being involved in Crafting Bridges in any way (sewing pillowcases, donating materials, going into the jail, wrapping gifts), please contact Christine McKenna at RSVP at 812-935-2514 or [ email ].

~ Knit and Stitch ~

RSVP volunteers knit and sew hug-a-bears, lap robes, hats, and mittens for children in crises, patients in chemotheraphy, premature newborns, and elders and youth in need.  

~ Emergency Shelter ~
in partnership with American Red Cross of Monroe County

RSVP is working with the American Red Cross of Monroe County (ARMC) to develop a team of trained volunteers who are prepared to staff emergency shelters when the need arises.  Even if you are trained, you aren’t committed to help— only if it works for you at the time.  When a disaster occurs, ARCMC needs enough trained local volunteers to staff two shelters for one week, 24 hours/day.  You’d only be asked to help out that particular week for 2+ hours.  Volunteer tasks include: checking people in, overseeing food, cleaning, keeping track of supplies, recreation, communicating outside news, dorm management, and helping during meal times.  If you would like to help staff an emergency shelter when victims are in dire need of services, please contact Christine McKenna, RSVP Director, at [ email ] or 812-935-2514 to learn details about our next training.                  

~ Intergenerational Service Initiative ~
in partnership with Boys and Girls Club and Girls Inc.

RSVP volunteers engage in various service projects alongside local youth attending the afterschool and summer programs of Girls Inc. and Boys and Girls Club.  In doing so, bridges are built across the generations, RSVP volunteers serve as positive role models, children develop a taste for volunteerism at an early age, older adults get to enjoy the energy of youth, and diverse populations are served by the projects.

~ Medical Round Up ~
in partnership with TRIAD, Adult Protective Services, Monroe County Solid Waste Management District, Monroe County Sheriff's Department, and AARP

80 percent of streams sampled by the U.S. Geological Survey have shown evidence of drugs, hormones, and steroids, adversely affecting wildlife and humans alike.  

Unused or expired medicines and sharps should not be flushed, burned, thrown in the trash, or left in medicine cabinets.  Why?  If they get into drinking and ground water, medicines can contaminate the environment.  If flushed down the drain, some medicines may kill bacteria in sewage treatment plants and septic systems and may produce bacteria that are resistant to drugs.  Burning medicines can release toxic pollutants into the air.  Medicines and sharps can be scavenged from your trash receptacles (or your medicine cabinet) to be illegally sold or ingested.  Medicines can be taken accidentally and cause serious health problems.  For these and many other reasons, RSVP and our partners coordinate the annual Medical Round Up, an educational outreach and collections program that informs people of the harmful consequences of improperly disposing of their medicines and empowers them to make changes.  Every September, RSVP volunteers, along with Reserve Officers and staff from the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District are stationed at sites throughout Monroe County to collect your medicines.  Please contact Christine McKenna, RSVP Director, at 812-935-2514 or [ email ] to learn more about getting involved in Medical Roundup.

Year round, please bring your unused/expired medicines and sharps to the Monroe County Solid Waste Management District, located at 3400 South Walnut Street, Bloomington, IN.  They are open Monday-Saturday, 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. and can be reached at 812-349-2848.  Their staff will dispose of your items in ways that protect the planet and our community.  Thanks for being mindful of how your actions significantly impact the world!