I am writing to express the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program's heartfelt appreciation for our dedicated corps of volunteers.

We also wanted the IR's readers to understand the full breadth of the services provided. Over the last year, 467 RSVP volunteers, age 55 and over, together provided 60,000 hours of community service in Lewis and Clark, Broadwater and Jefferson counties. These dedicated folks supported 80 different community nonprofit; faith-based and governmental agencies. They rocked babies at the Florence Crittenton Home; mentored and tutored children in school district classrooms; recorded books for the sight impaired at the Montana Talking Book Library; cleared trails for the Forest Service in Lincoln; created databases for the Montana Historical Society; helped to secure grants for the Augusta Youth Center and the Whitehall Senior Center transportation buses; helped college students with disabilities take tests at the Helena College of Technology; visited patients at both St. Peter's and the VA Hospital; fought the stigma of mental illness through the Compeer Program; and served as advocates for children's rights through CASA. In short, these volunteers make our communities "heart-friendly." We welcome new volunteers, as we thank our current, dedicated troupe.