New director at helm of RSVP

Sara Cowger is not in Kansas anymore but she brought a lot of ideas from her home state to her new position as director of Retired Senior Volunteer Program for the Flathead Valley.

Cowger was previously employed with Johnson County Parks and Recreation Department in Kansas where she oversaw more than 50 programs at three centers.

“We had arts and crafts, enrichment, computer classes, travel, Red Hat groups,” Cowger said. “We had writing classes — for people interested in writing their life stories.”

She summed up her career specialty as helping people have fun. Cowger sees the RSVP job as similar since volunteering helps people live more fulfilling lives.

“People want to give back to the community,” she said.

A freshly minted Montana resident, Cowger, 49, didn’t move to the Flathead Valley for the job.  She moved to Columbia Falls in late 2009 to marry Rick Cowger.

The two met when she led a travel group to the Grand Canyon.

“He was the tour guide,” she said.

Rick had lived in the Flathead Valley for about 15 years. He wasn’t about to move to Kansas so she packed up in zero-degree temperatures and traveled here with her dogs, Merlin and Romeo.

After moving and marrying, she began looking for a position in her field. She applied for the RSVP director job that opened after Bobbie Kelly resigned.

“I’ve always worked in human services and I’ve always liked my jobs,” she said.

 With a degree in recreation administration from Kansas State University and nearly 20 years of experience, the director position was a perfect fit. She started about three weeks ago.

“People say to me ‘So you’re the new Bobbie,’” she said. “I’m sitting at the same desk but no one replaces someone else.’”

From an office in the Agency on Aging building on Kelly Road, Cowger oversees the RSVP program that includes over 400 volunteers providing services like delivering Meals On Wheels or working at community facilities such as hospitals and museums.

“I’m trying to reconnect with all the work stations,” she said. “I call them opportunities.”

Established in 1973, RSVP receives funding from The Corporation for National and Community Service, Flathead County and United Way to network volunteers 55 and older with opportunities to help multiple organizations in this area.

In response to the shortage of volunteers, RSVP opened its matching service in 2009 to any adult.

“Someone 54 and younger — we will utilize but we try to help those 55 and older first,” she said.

The website www.FlatheadRSVP.org has lists of organizations requesting volunteers but also invites people to bring their own ideas for creating programs .

Cowger has several upcoming events where seniors have a chance to pitch in for a day, such as the Older Americans Picnic on June 4.

“We need to help to serve and put on musical entertainment,” she said.

On June 9, volunteers have an opportunity to assist Project Homeless Connection from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This event, which started in San Francisco, gathers resources throughout the community to help people find a way out of homelessness.

Cowger has a long list of ideas and goals for expanding RSVP’s reach under her direction.

“I was affiliated with a program in Johnson County where retired business people taught computer classes to senior citizens,” she said. “The classes were limited to eight people so they got more one-on-one help.”

She also wants to explore collaboration with parks and recreation programs to create intergenerational opportunities. Cowger plans to seek more involvement in schools where cuts have been made in programs like art.

She recalled a successful program called Picture Person in which a volunteer makes a presentation on a famous artist like Charlie Russell then leads children in a hands-one activity related to one his paintings.

“They learn in a fun way,” she said.

To reach out for more volunteers, Cowger is creating a speakers bureau to seek invitations to present programs on RSVP to local organizations. Anyone interested in booking a presentation may reach her at  758-5712.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.