The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Resident shares time, talents volunteering in Lake County
Perry Township resident Marge Burnett said volunteering is a significant part of her life.
“It gives me a reason to get up every morning,” the 75- year-old said.
It was shortly after her husband Stew died in 2007 that she began looking for ways to stay active.
“I joined the Perry Senior Center and volunteered preparing meals for our monthly potluck lunches,” she said.
Later she was introduced to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program.
“Since I was a retired widow with no children or grandchildren, I thought this organization might be good for me as I like to keep busy and perhaps make some new friends,” Burnett said. “RSVP lets you determine what kind of volunteer assignment you would like to participate in.”
Program Director Cristen Kane said RSVP helps individuals ages 55 and older who are interested in giving back to the community by finding them meaningful volunteer opportunities.
Currently, RSVP has over 500 volunteers serving over 80 agencies in Lake County, she said.
Kane matched Burnett’s skills with the needs of numerous local organizations. She volunteers on an average of four days a week and about four hours a day.
“I have worked at various organizations over the years including Senior Day at the Great Lakes Mall for RSVP consulting with seniors on the benefits of becoming an RSVP member and its rewards; The Salvation Army checking in volunteers who were assisting school-aged children to get ready for the new school year in the Back to School Bash; Project Hope stuffing envelopes for a mass mailing; working with the American Red Cross with the blood drives; volunteered at the Mentor Chamber of Commerce entering data for the Lake County Safety Council and in 2017, I became a panel member of the Health Services Committee for United Way Lake County,” she said.
Burnett also volunteers with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office filing and scanning documents; Holden Arboretum filing in the human resource office and assisting the volunteer coordinator; the Lake County Drug Repository sorting sealed drugs by type and the Lake County Free Clinic performing data entry duties. She is also a member of the Lake County Emergency Management Agency in Kirtland.
“Further I have been an ambassador for RSVP, recruiting individuals, both men and women, to become members and join this wonderful organization helping others,” she said. “Most recently I volunteered with Music and Memory Therapy for Alzheimer’s patients in Lake County.”
When she is not sharing her time and talents at nonprofit organizations, she volunteers at her church by serving on multiple ministries.
“I’ve enjoyed these past 10 years of volunteering and found them to be very rewarding and hope to continue for years to come,” Burnett said.