Northwest Iowa RSVP - Retired Senior Volunteer Program

11/05/2026

Be on the lookout for any packets in the mail welcoming you to a new Medicare plan. If you get a packet like this, your plan was likely switched without you realizing it. Contact the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) to report this. Contact the SHIP for help picking a new Medicare plan.

11/05/2026

Please visit The Rotary Club. Did you know they are our main Literacy Partner funder for Clay County? Proceeds from their book sale helps fund children’s books in our community.
Last year, every child in Spencer from 2 year old HeadStart through second grade received a brand new book to take home. This year, we added CCE in Royal to our list.

Go check out their sale! I heard it is awesome!

11/05/2026

Info about 1) the Parkinson’s support group held the 1st Tuesday of each month at the Bedell Family YMCA and 2) the upcoming “Journey Through Parkinson’s Disease” classes offered through the Dickinson County ISU Extension and Outreach office.

We had good discussion during our Parkinson's support group this morning about mindfulness, taking time for ourselves, being present, positivity, and doing a reset.

Join us the first Tuesday of the month at Bedell Family YMCA at 9:30 am.

Want to learn more about Parkinson's Disease? Join us for A Journey Through Parkinson's Disease Mondays, November 9, 16, and 23rd at 10 am in the office, 1600 15th Street. Call ahead to register 712-336-3488.

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11/04/2026

11/04/2026

What a great story about a local Pen Pal pair! Special thanks to Amy Frankl at the Kossuth County Advance and Helen Scuffham who wrote this story about her husband and his pen pal. We are in the midst of putting our programs together. If you are over 55 and interested on being part of our Pen Pal Program, please message us.

11/03/2026

This holiday season help us make a difference in the community by donating new, unused socks for men, women and children. Your generous donations of new socks will bring warmth and comfort to local families and individuals in northwest Iowa. The deadline for donations is Tuesday, December 22nd. All pairs of socks will be distributed through Upper Des Moines Opportunity. Drop off your new pair of socks during business hours at either Spencer Media Group, Warner Funeral Homes & Crematory, or the Southpark Mall in Spencer IA.
https://bigcountry1077.com/2026/10/27/drop-off-socks-for-northwest-iowa-families/

11/01/2026

Trick or treating was a hit!
Thanks go out to Kathy at the South Park mall for having us! It was amazing!

10/30/2026

CAASA is looking for volunteers!

10/30/2026

Medicare Questions? We’re Here to Help! 💙

Navigating Medicare can feel overwhelming... but you don’t have to figure it out alone!

Palo Alto County Health System is proud to offer SHIIP-SMP Medicare counseling and fraud support with our certified volunteer, Tim Fakler. 🙌

SHIIP-SMP provides FREE, objective help for Medicare-eligible individuals, families and caregivers, including:

✔️ Understanding Medicare benefits and rights
✔️ Comparing Medicare plans and drug coverage
✔️ Understanding enrollment periods
✔️ Finding programs that may help with Medicare costs
✔️ Learning how to spot and protect yourself from Medicare fraud and scams

📞 Ready to get your Medicare questions answered?
Call 712-852-5495 to schedule an appointment with Tim.

📍 Office located in West Bend

Whether you’re new to Medicare, reviewing your current coverage, or simply have questions.... SHIIP-SMP is here to help!