BY TERRY FLYNN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
NEWPORT -- Josey Kremer never forgot the motto her mother often used: "God made two people -- one is down, one helps."
Mrs. Kremer and her husband, Ray, live the words of that motto by helping those in Northern Kentucky who are down and need a hand. Their efforts are funneled through Brighton Center's Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP).
"We wanted to do something after Ray retired from General Electric eight years ago," said Mrs. Kremer, of Bellevue. "We have worked in several areas with Brighton Center, but we've been doing RSVP work since the program started about two years ago."
RSVP guides people 55 and over, who want to do volunteer work, in locating service opportunities in their community. The volunteers take on such tasks as tutoring at-risk schoolchildren, teaching adults to read, and working with seniors.
"When we began with RSVP, we attended seminars and classes to learn more about what was needed and how to help," Mr. Kremer said. He and his wife became certified benefits counselors. They work with seniors to identify their needs and steer them in the right direction for available health care and other benefits.
"We started working with Medicare and Medicaid benefits," Mrs. Kremer said. "But gradually we moved to taking care of all the person's needs."
For example, they began looking at the various HMO health care programs offered to seniors, studying literature from all the companies and determining which programs were actually available in Northern Kentucky.
"We developed a list of questions people should ask when they are looking at the HMOs," Mrs. Kremer said. "We found out that some of the programs are not available locally, and not all of them are right for everyone. This is a serious situation for seniors who are usually on a small, fixed income."
Melissa Hall, director of Brighton Center's Family Development Center, said RSVP provides area seniors with one central source for help.
"The people working in the various RSVP programs are trained through Brighton Center," she said. "We are always looking for recruits, and for new ways to use our volunteers."
The Kremers agreed that it would be difficult to attach a number to the hours they spend working with seniors in Campbell, Kenton and Boone counties.
"You need to get out and meet the people," Mr. Kremer said. "Often, these seniors can't get out themselves. We not only advise them in many areas regarding benefits, but we may make calls for them to different agencies and go to their homes to talk to them." He said the RSVP training "matches our interests to a particular program within RSVP. The work we're doing now suits our interests and our lifestyle. We're happy to be able to help."
For more information on the RSVP program and other aspects of the Brighton Center, including the employment training network, child development, youth services and community building team, call 491-8303.
