Sullivan County RSVP Coordinator Monika Roosa, right, delivers some blankets – made by RSVP volunteers – to Sullivan County Federation for the Homeless Executive Director Kathy Kreiter.
Monticello, NY – Sullivan County Community Resources Commissioner Laura Quigley and Office for the Aging Director Lise-Anne Deoul are pleased to announce the appointment of Monika Roosa as Coordinator of the County’s Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).
“As a native of Sullivan County, Monika already brings a deep knowledge of the communities and people she’ll be assisting,” noted Quigley. “She’s also enthusiastic, committed and capable – just like our RSVP volunteers upon whom so many citizens and organizations rely.”
“I’m thrilled to have Monika on board – she’s become part of a team that’s focused on meeting the needs and exceeding the expectations of the thousands of seniors we serve,” added Deoul. “I invite everyone to stop by our office in the Government Center and meet her!”
“My door is always open,” confirmed Roosa. “I am very happy to be here, and my plan is to grow this valuable program and offer even more opportunities to seniors.”
A graduate of Monticello High School and SUNY Sullivan, Roosa earned her bachelor’s in elementary education from SUNY New Paltz and a master’s in educational technology from the New York Institute of Technology. She taught science and reading at Ellenville Central School and subbed at Wurtsboro’s Chase Elementary School but ultimately found her passion in working directly with adults, including handling human resources for 150 employees at a Middletown manufacturing facility.
“I liked being the person they could come see to help them,” she explained.
Even San Diego, where she lived for a time, couldn’t keep her from her hometown of Wurtsboro, where she now shares a home with husband Michael, son Preston, daughter Jovi and two rescue dogs, Sam and Ben.
In fact, it’s Preston whom she credits for making her aware of the open RSVP Coordinator position, when he picked up an employment brochure at the County’s table during this year’s Monticello Bagel Fest.
“It just seemed like a perfect fit,” Roosa acknowledged. “I’m a longtime volunteer myself, and since I’ve been on the ‘other’ side of things before, it’s really important for me to show my appreciation to volunteers.”
Now she’s overseeing nearly 130 of them through Sullivan County’s RSVP Office.
“It’s a great thing, people helping people,” she said. “We’re getting seniors out and about, keeping them engaged and involved.”
Those volunteers serve where they wish, from thrift shops to the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance to the Federation for the Homeless.
“We even have volunteers who are homebound and knit or crochet hats, mittens and blankets for us,” Roosa related. “In fact, the RSVP application gives people the opportunity to list their interests, and we’ll do our best to match them to a need or an organization.”
She encourages anyone over 55 to apply, whether retired or not.
“We provide mileage reimbursement for your travel, plus supplemental liability insurance,” she noted. “And we offer a fabulous luncheon for all our volunteers every year!”
To find out more, call Roosa at 845-807-0255 or visit https://sullivanny.gov/Departments/Aging/RSVPRetiredSeniorVolunteerProgram.
