Assisting Grimes area folks to stay in their home since February 19, 2011! |
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Grimes Volunteer Support Services Newsletter
APRIL 2023
Mission Statement-To provide, without charge, needed services to individuals in the Grimes area assisting them to remain in their homes.
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President's Report
I think Spring has sprung!
The weather lately has been hard to keep up with--70's one day and 30-40's the next day.
We are deeply involved at the present time in signing up both volunteers and clients for yard services.
We could not do our job without volunteers. Without volunteers nothing gets done! We have no PAID staff of any kind. Volunteers donate their time, their car, their gas, etc.
If a volunteer doesn't do it, it does not get done!
If you've thought about volunteering for GVSS, give us a call. We've had several years of experience in utilizing employed volunteers!
So far for the first quarter of 2023 we are seeing more trip requests than last year.
Thank you to all of our great volunteers and supporters.
Mike Bleskacek, GVSS President
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GVSS STATISTICS
February Report:
Drivers -33 , Trips -217 , Snow removal - 14; Total Volunteers -37 , miles driven -2089;420- hours providing service and organizing and administering the programs.
March Report:
Drivers -31, Trips -229, Clean/repair -2, Snow Removal-16 -, Total Volunteers -43, miles driven -2465;504-hours provided of service and organizing and administering the programs.
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2023
GVSS BOARD MEMBERS
AND OFFICERS
BobbiJo Wolfe 515-480-6270
Clint Dudley 515-979-6578
Drue Cavanaugh 515-490-4967
Gloria Perry, Financial Secretary
515-681-2861
Jane Hartnett 563-608-5817
Tim Dempsey 515-306-0009
Tom Letsch, Treasurer
515-321-7052
Loree Herman, Secretary
316-312-8802
Wanda Armstrong, Vice President
515-661-8282
Mike Bleskacek, President
515-491-8294
me.bleskacel@gmail.com
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VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
We welcomed Dr. Jane Hartnett to the GVSS Board of Directors in January. She moved to Grimes in March 2020 and became a driver for GVSS in January 2021.
Jane grew up in the Bellevue/Omaha, NE area. She attended the University of Iowa for a BSE in Biomedical Engineering and then attended medical school there.
Jane and her husband Don lived in Manchester, IA for 27 years where she worked in a Family Medicine Practice and served as the Hospice Medical Director for her last 15 years there.
Jane and her husband moved to Grimes to be closer to their daughter who lives in the Des Moines area and their two sons who live in Iowa City.
Jane was thrilled to learn about the GVSS organization and the opportunities for volunteering. When they lived in Manchester, she and her husband Don were aware of the transportation challenges for many of the elderly. Don would often give rides to Jane’s office for an appointment and at the end of the day Jane would drive them home.
Becoming a driver for GVSS was a good fit for me. "As a Christian I feel blessed for this opportunity to serve others. My favorite part of volunteering for GVSS is getting to know the clients and volunteers and knowing that we are helping folks to stay in their homes as long as possible."
Jane is pictured here with one of her GVSS clients, Sandy. Sandy has been a client of GVSS for around three years. Sandy truly appreciates GVSS. Sandy said, "GVSS has been a blessing to me and my family."
"GVSS was even able to assist me when I needed emergency help a couple of times. I don't know what I would do without GVSS!"
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GVSS COORDINATORS
Mike Bleskacek, 55+
515-491-8294
Wanda Armstrong, Appreciation
515-661-8282
Tom Letsch, Snow & Lawn Patrol
515-321-7052
Your name could appear here, DME Coordinator.
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Thank You, Corporate Sponsors
Please tell them thanks for supporting GVSS!
Supportive Heroes
($1,000 +)
Gabus Automotive Group
OPUS Foundation
Walmart
Bankers Trust
City of Grimes
Supportive Partners
($500 - $999.99)
Supportive Friends
($250 - $499.99)
Supportive
Neighbors
($100-$249.99)
Assumption Women's Club
Miller Fidler & Hinke
Presbyterian Women
Godfather's Pizza
Shade Tree Auto
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A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE WHO DONATED TO GVSS IN 2022:
Alicia Watkins, Anne Wandrey
Bill & Rene Lego
Charles & Janet Skellenger
Cindy Bullard, Cindy Manning
Connie Hartin, Cynthia Kreklau
Delores Anderson, Bickford Family
Denise Hansen, Diane Moon
Ethel Sturdevant, Gloria Perry
Harold & Eileen Honeck
Irene Buddenberg, Janice Kubovich
Jay & Gloria Brewer
John & Katelyn Oolman
John Allender, Kristi Brokaw
Kristine Voorhees
Larry & Gayle Peters
Linda Becker, Lisha Steffey
Louise Hauger, Maradee Henry
Marc & Robin Hyland
Marie Hutcheson, Max Boderman
Mike & Eileen Bleskacek
Norman Wilson, Patricia Douglas
Quentin Greenough
Richard Lindgren
Robert & Donna Moore
Ron & Sheila Oolman
Ryleah & Alex Cross
Sally Altier, Sandra Williams
Susan Ballard
Terry & Michelle Hicks
Tom & Cindy Armstrong
Tom & Susan Stone
Tom Letsch & Mary Claseman
Vicky Burch, Wanda Armstrong
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Join These Great Volunteers At GVSS
Aaron Plaskas, Alan Hulstein
Amor Doherty, Andrea Hodapp
Andrea Sabus, Ann Musfeldt
Annette Horner, April Dawson
Becky Landals, Bill Lego
Bob Mueller, BobbiJo Wolfe
Brenda Dunphy, Brian Buethe
Caleb Herman, Carol Lesher
Chad Ewalt, Charles Velasquez
Chris Schmidt, Cirrinity Herman
Clint Dudley, Collin Hodapp
Cyle Taylor, Don McClelland
Drue Cavanaugh, Erika Sellers
Gary Adams, Gloria Perry
Greg Means, Halsey Scales
Harold Honeck
Harvest Bible Chapel
Isaac Hodapp
Jack (John) Flaherty
Jacque Strange
Jane Hartnett, Jay Brewer
Jessika Klaus, Joe Christiansen
Joe Herman, John Oolman
Jordan Bray, Joshua Scott
Judy Strotman, Julie Bindel
Julie Sokolowski, Katy Clark
Kris Campbell, Larry Adams
Loree Herman, Lorraine Shatava
Madison Taiber, Madonna Hughes Marlene Minshew, Margaret Lacona
Mary Claseman, Michael Bleskacek
Michael Vaughn, Mike Levenhagen Natalie Clark, Nicholas Lees
Rachel Dahm, Rene Lego
Ron Oolman, Russ Lickteig
Ryleah Cross, Sarah Henrici
Tim Dempsey, Tom Harris
Tom Letsch, Tom Shatava
Tony Sonius, Vicki Templeton
Wanda Armstrong, Wayne Belner
And we still have room for more!!
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Thank you to Polk County Supervisors for their recent donation to GVSS. Pictured: Mike Bleskacek, GVSS President, Robert Brownell, Supervisor, Tom Letsch, GVSS Treasurer. Thank you for your continued financial support. Thanks to your continued generosity, we are able to continue providing services to the residents of Grimes. |
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Thank you to Opus for being a corporate sponsor for GVSS. Pictured: Gloria Perry from GVSS, an OPUS representative, Mike Bleskacek, GVSS President. We appreciate your support and in helping us continue to provide services to the residents of Grimes. |
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ATTENTION GVSS SUPPORTERS
There is still a little time remaining to support GVSS. Grimes Volunteer Support Services has been selected to receive $1 from every $2.50 reusable red "My Heart" Bag sold by the Grimes HyVee during the months of March and April 2023. Pick up a new bag and help support GVSS
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DAILY MEALS FOR SENIORS
All seniors are invited to congregate meals served daily at the Grimes Senior Center at 410 SE Main St. in the Grimes Community Complex. The Senior Center is open Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and lunch is served at 11:30 p.m.
For reservations, please call 986-5747 by noon the day before - and by noon Friday for a Monday meal. No fees for meals for those 60 and over; however, donations are accepted and appreciated.
Come for the food, friends and fun!
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Need to borrow a piece of equipment?
Give GVSS a call!
When you have need of a piece of durable medical equipment, please give us a call. If we have what you need in stock, we'll be happy to loan it to you without charge for as long as you may need it.
We have crutches, walkers, canes, shower chairs and benches, quad canes, manual wheelchairs, power wheelchairs, bath scales, elevated toilet seats, bed rails, toilet safety rails, and power lift recliners.
GVSS will clean, repair (if necessary), inventory, maintain and provide at no charge, loan of equipment to our clients who have a need. If you have equipment you'd like to donate, give us a call. We can schedule a time for you to bring it to the office or we'll come and pick it up.
Thanks for your support!
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Come talk to us in person between 9:30 and 11:30 AM, Monday, Wednesday or Friday or call and make an appointment.
We are located at 404 SE 2nd Street, Suite 100 in the Grimes Governors District.
GVSS has been providing services to Grimes area residents since February 2011. Since then we have provided more than 23,872 trips, driven over 306,065 miles and contributed over 48,853 hours of service to organize and provide assistance to residents of the community.
GVSS has over 210 clients and over 60 volunteers on our rosters.
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For more information regarding GVSS, go to our web site:
www.grimesvss.com
Home visits can be arranged by calling 515-986-5355
info@grimesvss.com
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You can now support
Grimes Volunteer Support Services
when you shop at
amazonsmile.com
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GVSS is an Active and Proud Member of the Grimes Chamber and Economic Development |
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112 NE Ewing St, Ste B
515-986-4191
E-Mail: thegrimesstorehouse@gmail.com
HOURS
Tuesdays & Thursdays - 9:30 am - 11:30 am
1st and 2nd Tuesday of each month
5:30 - 7:00 pm
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404 SE 2nd Street, Suite 100
Grimes, IA 50111
515-986-5355
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