Bloom Senior Center Receives Governor's Volunteer Award

The Hazel Bloom Senior Center in Glenwood has been recognized with a Governor’s Volunteer Award.

The Governor’s Volunteer Award program honors Iowans across the state who volunteer their time and talent to serve and better their local communities.

The Bloom Senior Center was one of 32 group winners and 189 individuals recognized at an awards ceremony in Urbandale last month. Bloom Senior Center President Bonnie Millsap and board member Dennis Kelly accepted the award on the center’s behalf.

Locally, Bloom Senior Center volunteers and other volunteers in the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) were honored during a celebration at the center July 15.

Jan Schnack, RSVP  Coordin-ator for Volunteer Iowa –  a component of the Iowa Department Of Health and Human Services, presented certificates to nearly two dozen volunteers in attendance at the program.
Schnack praised the senior center’s volunteers for giving their time to serve the center and greater Glenwood community and for looking out for one another. She said she’s impressed how Bloom Senior Center volunteers work together to carry out tasks – like coordinating meal deliveries to homebound residents.

“A lot of you have been volunteering for years,” she said. “I was coming down here every day for two months and what I started to recognize is just the family (atmosphere). You’re right there to help everybody -you’ve got everybody’s back.”
Millsap said everyone recognized for the award did their own part to make the center a better place.

“You all volunteered to do something and it’s just wonderful,” she said. “I’m proud of all of you.”

Millsap pointed out that the senior center wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of Hazel Bloom.

“That was her wish – she always wanted a center for all the citizens of Glenwood,” she said. “We need to remember that.”

Schnack noted that there are many ways for retired seniors to volunteer their time and talents in their local communities.

Some of the ways RSVP volunteers currently make a difference include serving or delivering meals, driving people to doctor appointments, teaching exercise or other classes, exchanging letters with local students, rocking babies, working at local food pantries and more.

The Volunteer Iowa RSVP program matches people aged 55 and older with meaningful volunteer opportunities at local non-profit organizations, local governments and health care agencies.