Dove, Inc.

Did you know that May is Older Americans Month? Each May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) leads our nation’s celebration of Older Americans Month (OAM). Their theme this year is “Age Out Loud”. What it means to age has changed, and celebrating Older Americans Month is a great time to look and see what our retired and senior volunteers are accomplishing as they age out loud. Every day our RSVP volunteers “Age Out Loud” and respond to the needs of our communities. Many of our volunteers serve in places that ensure “Healthy Futures” for so many people in our communities. This includes giving to those aging in place by helping with transportation, meal delivery, companionship, coaching exercise programs, and distributing information, or staffing hotlines, food pantries, and soup kitchens. Within the last fiscal year, our volunteers served over 27,000 hours in this category alone. According to the Independent Sector, a volunteer’s time in Illinois is worth $25.34

From the January 1987 DoveTales newsletter - below is a copy of  the Domestic Violence Program "wish-list"   Child's record player Wooden building block Large wooden dollhouse Child Guidance toys table and chairs Hand Puppets Felt, assorted colors Stuffed animals Scrap lace, ribbon and ruffles Tape Recorder Puzzles Popcorn popper   Sound fun doesn't it?    The current list going in the May 2017 newsletter is below.  Little more practical.  So if you can help us out with a few plungers or dishwasher pods or even a tablet, maybe thrown in a hand puppet or two!  It will all be greatly appreciated.   Domestic Violence Shelter Needs   BOX FANS TOILET PLUNGERS NIGHTLIGHTS RADIO/ALARM CLOCKS, ELECTRIC WHITE NOISE MACHINES (2-3 for 2 nd /3 rd shift working clients trying to sleep, as well as large families, to mask noise) TABLET (for Group use) 9V BATTERIES GAS GIFT CARDS NEW STROLLERS WALMART GIFT CARDS DISHWASHER DETERGENT ‘PODS’

During the dark, cold days of January----possibly inspired by the “clean slate” of a brand new year-----I undertook a major clean-up of my office.   Evidently, when I started this job many years ago, I thought every piece of paper I received was sacred.   I was rapidly running out of storage space, so I began the process of cleaning, sorting, shredding and tossing.   As the job progressed, a few things became apparent.   First, I was probably about one ream of paper away from a visit from the nice folks at the Hoarders TV show.   I had a lot of moments asking………Why did I save that?.....How long has that law been obsolete?……Whatever were you thinking when you saved that???   As I sorted, cleaned, tossed and carted off to the dumpster, I had an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and a new sense of organization.   Coming to the office, opening a desk drawer or file drawer became a much more pleasant experience. As I reflected on how cathartic this experience was and the benefits