Volunteers are the Heart of RVP!
April 14, 2020
Did you know that one-quarter of Americans volunteer every year? In both Oregon and Washington, the rates are actually even higher! Around one-third of Pacific Northwesterners are volunteering at a rate of about 36 volunteer hours per person, every year.
The Returning Veterans Project simply would not exist without the spirit of volunteerism that is thriving in our region. Our mental and physical health provider volunteers are the heart of RVP! And in recognition of April being National Volunteer Month, we want to highlight our incredible volunteers and the amazing work they’re doing to support veterans and families in our community.
What do our awesome RVP Volunteer Providers do?
Our volunteers provide free, timely, and quality health care for those who otherwise would not have access. They donate their services to someone in need from our local veterans and military communities, all in a way that fits their practices’ availability. Whether it is providing mental health counseling, naturopathic medicine, or other important health services, our volunteer provider network is diverse and is making a huge difference in the lives of those we serve!
It’s the gift that keeps on giving because it spreads out to the rest of their family and community. - RVP Volunteer Provider
In 2019, RVP Volunteers donated over 3,050 hours of free services to more than 350 post-9/11 veterans, service members, and their families! Our volunteers are helping heal the wounds of war as their way of giving back to those who served. And to support our volunteers, we provide free continuing education trainings to equip our local health providers with the tools they need. To join our community of dedicated volunteers and serve veterans and families in your community, learn more about becoming a volunteer provider.
Featured Volunteer Providers
Here are just a few of our nearly 200 volunteer providers who are making a positive difference in our community:
Dr. Eric Strand and Dr. Daniel DesJardins of Balance Health and Injury Clinic have provided over 400 acupuncture and chiropractic treatments since joining RVP as volunteer providers in 2013. They’re dedicated to the health and well-being of veterans!
Watch the short video below to hear directly from Col. Dan Williams about how Dr. Strand and Dr. DesJardins helped ease his pain so he can enjoy an active lifestyle.
Allyson Kropf, Licensed Professional Counselor
As a veteran herself, Allyson’s volunteer service for RVP Clients is driven by her own experience with PTSD and struggle to find a counselor with whom she could relate. Ultimately, it’s how Allyson knew what she wanted to do with her career. And she is still serving her fellow veterans as an RVP Volunteer.
Steven Orr, Licensed Professional Counselor & Addictions Specialist
Steven has donated hundreds of hours of free counseling services to veterans needing support for a variety of challenges. From addressing survivor’s guilt to reconciling broken relationships, Steven helps veterans connect the threads of their lives from before, during, and after military service.
Linda Zahavi, Licensed Professional Counselor & Board-Certified Art Therapist
Linda meets all kinds of people from all kinds of backgrounds. People she might not normally come into contact with in other circles, and that’s what she loves!
Electra Allenton, Naturopathic Doctor & Licensed Acupuncturist
Dr. Allenton saw how veterans’ health care services were missing key pieces. It was a gap she knew she could help fill. She became an RVP Volunteer in 2017 and has been saving an hourly slot in her weekly acupuncture schedule to serve veterans and their families free of charge.
Sharon Rose, Licensed Acupuncturist
Sharon has been a dedicated RVP Volunteer Provider since 2011. She believes everyone deserves to feel their best! That’s why she provides free acupuncture services to help heal the wounds of war.
Tracy Thorne, Licensed Acupuncturist
An acupuncturist by training, Tracy knew that the quiet, hands on teachings of Chinese medicine were a powerful remedy to the pain, stress, and trauma that veterans were bringing home from combat. When she learned about RVP, she saw a way to use her skills and give back to those who served.
Impact of COVID-19 and Volunteering
As the impact of COVID-19 on RVP and our community unfolds in ways known and unknown, we acknowledge there are many changes happening within our volunteer provider network. Many are doing what they can to provide telehealth and virtual check-ins, and other high-contact health service providers (such as acupuncture, massage) are experiencing temporary restrictions in their ability to serve. There is a great deal we cannot control, yet our volunteers are doing all they can to continue serving our veterans and families during this time. We are proud and honored to know our volunteer providers are committed to the health and healing of our veterans and families during this uncertain time.
During this challenging time, we need more volunteer health providers who can provide life-changing health services to those in need.
If you are qualified healthcare provider and are able to serve veterans and their families in this time of crisis, please consider joining the Returning Veterans Project by becoming a Volunteer Provider.
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