by Jacquie Willis
submitted article
Doris Deml, a resident of St. Cloud, is an active Retired and Senior Volunteer Program volunteer. Deml retired in 2011 after working 9.5 years as an assisted-living administrator. Looking for a meaningful way to get involved, Deml enrolled with RSVP and volunteers for Tri-Cap as a transportation driver. The Tri Cap Volunteer Transportation Driver program aims to serve the general public, providing services for medical appointments and a variety of other service destinations in rural Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties.
Throughout her working career, Deml has always worked with people.
“When I first retired, my dog didn’t talk to me,” she said.
As a result, Deml turned to volunteering as a way to connect with others and supply the social interaction she desired.
“I see this as a way to make a difference in peoples’ lives,” she said.
Since Deml began driving for Tri-Cap, she has volunteered 728 hours. The people she serves may have no other way of getting to their appointments. It’s really important to them and satisfying for Deml. She told a story of an elderly woman who she drives that resides in the country.
“She just tells me over and over again how important this [transportation] is for her,” Deml said.
For Deml, human interactions and relationships have been a rewarding aspect of volunteering.
“I transported a little boy every Friday for about 14 weeks,” she said. “Somebody told him he wasn’t smart enough for the first grade and I said, I think you’re really smart. If you weren’t smart, how can you tell me at 6 years old how many stops signs we had to stop at?”
Throughout their trips together, Deml would point out his knowledge.
“It was nice to see him laugh and gain self-confidence.” she said.
She even made a special exception for him. Typically, she doesn’t let people eat in her car, but one day she offered him a bag of chips. He said, “Oh are these [chips] for me? I won’t leave any mess back here.” Deml happily explained there was never a problem back there.
Deml said she never imagined the deep connections she would foster through volunteering and the impact it would have on the area. The Greater St. Cloud Area RSVP is proud to support Deml and the 31 other RSVP volunteers who drove 16,811 hours for Tri-Cap in 2014.
If you are 55-plus and interested in learning more about becoming a RSVP volunteer, contact the RSVP office at 320-255-7295 or rsvp@ci.stcloud.mn.us.
The mission of RSVP is to engage men and women age 55 or older in meaningful volunteer service that strengthens the well-being of both self and the area.
The vision of RSVP is to be a bridge between those who need and those who give. RSVP is a national, nonprofit organization that is part of the Senior Corps. The Greater St. Cloud Area RSVP serves Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties.
