Rogue Valley Manor Community Services (RVMCS) has always been about reaching out to the southern Oregon community to provide help where it is needed, and this year, that spirit was brilliantly evidenced by one of the RVMCS divisions reaching out to absorb two additional programs that were about to be cut because of shortfalls in Oregon's state budget. This brings the total of RVMCS-sponsored programs to eight: the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP), the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and under the RSVP banner: Call-A-Ride medical transportation program; Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance (SHIBA) program; Respite Care; the child day-care program CARE; and the two newest programs, Lunch Buddies and the TransMed medical transportation program for Medicaid clients.
The two new programs were previously operated through the local Oregon Department of Human Services' Community Partnership Team. However, in an effort to streamline services, the Department of Human Services underwent a major reorganization and dissolved the Community Partnership Teams statewide. The staff at RSVP realized the need to carry forth the efforts of the local Community Partnership Team, in particular, the services provided by the Lunch Buddies and TransMed programs.
Lunch Buddies is, at its heart, a mentoring program designed to reach at-risk elementary school-age children, who have been identified by school personnel as needing an additional stable force in their lives. The overall intent of Lunch Buddies is to provide a consistently positive and caring mentor to a child in need, no matter the reason. Community volunteers who wish to serve as Lunch Buddies undergo criminal background checks and training prior to participation in the program. After being paired with a child, Lunch Buddies visit their charges on a weekly basis during the lunch period.
The volunteers who serve as Lunch Buddies have the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities with the children. Sometimes that simply means helping with schoolwork, sharing a story or board game, or enjoying quiet talks together. Sometimes Lunch Buddies can be spotted out on the playground, having fun with their buddy-child in a game of kickball. As people become more involved in the program, they often realize they've become a friend to other children as well. This ripple effect benefits the whole school.
The other program RSVP added this year, TransMed,
is a medical transportation program primarily for child Medicaid clients.
These children, who are referred to the program by their caseworker, receive
door-to-door transportation service from volunteer drivers. Because many
appointments to which the children are taken involve counseling of some
nature, the personal comfort provided by the volunteer drivers is very
reassuring to these troubled youngsters.
