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RSVP of North Central Iowa asks Worth County for $4,500 to support volunteer reading program
Summary
Allison Mason, director of RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program), requested $4,500 in local match funding for fiscal year 2026 to maintain volunteer literacy supports in Worth County schools and other community programs.
Allison Mason, director of the RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) of North Central Iowa, requested $4,500 from Worth County as the local match required to secure state and federal grant funds for fiscal year 2026.
"Our biggest goal is to help support community needs by connecting people who are 55 and older with volunteer opportunities in their community," Mason told supervisors. She said RSVP is a branch of AmeriCorps Seniors and focuses in Worth County on reading buddies, pen pals and reading coaches in local classrooms.
Mason reported that last year RSVP served 41 students in six classrooms across two school districts in Worth County and that 88 percent of participating students showed improved reading scores between fall and spring assessments. She said the program currently has 42 volunteers in Worth County and that the requested $4,500 serves as part of the 30 percent local match the state and federal grant require.
Board members expressed support for the program’s growth and its role filling classroom needs. A board member described the volunteer recruitment as largely word-of-mouth and credited local library partnerships and a volunteer coordinator for the expansion.
The county said it will consider the request in the context of the FY26 budget process; supervisors provided no immediate final vote during the presentation.
RSVP also listed other volunteer placements in Worth County including food pantries (Nyack and Hawkeye Harvest) and Elderbridge Agency on Aging.
