CALLICOON, NY — The 41st annual Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Recognition Day luncheon on May 12 at the Villa Roma Resort saw a crowd of more than 200 people gather to honor the senior VIPs for their contributions to their communities.

A total of 283 RSVP volunteers performed over 58,800 hours during 2013. Ten seniors who served over 1,000 volunteer hours were inducted into the Thousand Hour Club: Barbara Burns, Patricia Curtis, Margaret Ippolito, Tina Greenberger, Annette Rein, Sonny Smith, Barbara Viele, Marcelle Wagner and Marlene Stoutenburg.

Special service awards were presented to the Touchstone program, which provides telephone reassurance to homebound seniors. A certificate of appreciation was presented to Thunder 102’s Michelle Semerano and Mike Sakell for announcing 338 RSVP volunteers’ birthdays on the radio.

The Sullivan County RSVP Senior of the Year award was presented posthumously to Virginia “Ginger” Rasulo, and was accepted by county legislator Cindy Kurpil-Gieger, U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson and Caryn Mathews RSVP project director.

Also honored (by county legislative district) were:

District 1: Patricia A. McArthur, Town of Bethel, for assisting various needlework and handcrafted items programs

District 2: Richard Harding, Town of Forestburgh, for supporting RSVP’s medical transportation program

District 3: Weldon “Dean” Calloway, Town of Rockland, who volunteers as a peer trainer for the Sullivan/Orange County Hospice program

District 4: Barbara Haggerty, Town of Mamakating, for supporting various crafts programs and the Touchstone program

District 5: Alice Schlichting, Town of Delaware, for her work at the I.O.U thrift shop in Callicoon

District 6: Justina Constable, Town of Liberty, who assists in distributing homebound meals

District 7: Marcelle Wagner, Town of Fallsburg, a 25-year volunteer with 44,000 hours, for supporting needlework and handcrafted items programs

District 8: Ruth Owens, Town of Fallsburg/Thompson for her work at Noah’s Arc Thrift Shop in Monticello

District 9: T’shara D’Das, Town of Thompson, for her work with the Literacy Volunteers of America in Monticello

Special congratulations were offered to Joseph Carr, Town of Lumberland; Anita Hartmann, Town of Neversink; Susan “Sue” Kohler, Town of Callicoon; Dorothy Schultz, Town of Cochecton; and Tina Greenberger, Town of Highland.

Sullivan County RSVP is sponsored by the Sullivan County Office for the Aging and is funded by the County of Sullivan, the New York State Office for the Aging and the Corporation for National and Community Service.