RCRV Mission:  Rockwell Collins retirees connecting to identify and support volunteer needs in our community and beyond while enriching the lives of the volunteers.

Vision

• Provide Rockwell Collins retirees with the opportunity to participate in community volunteer services through RCRV.
• Develop and maintain social interactions with RCRV members and others in the volunteer community.
• Continually inventory the needs of the community and match them with the skills and desires of the Rockwell Collins volunteers.
• Provide a comprehensive range of opportunities for interested retirees to utilize experienced-based skills, to gain the satisfaction of helping others, to keep the mind and body active and to receive recognition for services rendered.
• Communicate with retirees on a regular basis regarding the activities of the organization, opportunities for involvement and the needs of the community.
• Assist retirees with their personal volunteer interests by linking them with RCRV resources and providing insight into community needs.
• Maintain a reputation for valuable, high integrity service.

RCRV Community Project Program

Many retired Rockwell Collins management, financial, engineers, technicians, metal workers and other craftsmen find an opportunity to continue using their creative abilities, talents and experience in the RCRV Community Projects Program. Their efforts benefit many community agencies and persons those organizations serve and have made the Community Projects Program a major RCRV activity.

The broad scope of activities of organizations and agencies utilizing RCRV Community Project Programs represents human services, education, arts and sciences, recreation and other special and general community needs.

The Community Projects Program offers the community the diverse talents represented by retirees who spent many years in the management, design and manufacture of complex electronics equipment.

Community Project applications are virtually unlimited. The following is an overview of many of the recent activities.

1. Assistive Devices

Many devices to aid persons with disabilities have been designed and built or existing devices have been modified to meet the needs of the client:

• Several types of low voltage switches used to control various assistive and/or training devices.
• Several games that allow a person with disabilities to perform a function that he or she could not otherwise perform, such a throwing a ball, Frisbee, glider airplane or bowling ball, hitting a golf ball.
• Fishing devices that hold the pole, set the hook and reel in the fish under remote control of a person with disabilities.
• Chairs to sit in a bathtub to support a person with disabilities.
• Loudspeakers that can rest on the shoulders of a hearing impaired child.
• Exercise bicycles used by persons with disabilities have special requirements that are addressed such as a device to only turn on the TV when the client is peddling the bicycle. The disability may cause the client to bend or break a component of the bicycle and so it is redesigned to withstand the intended use.
• A simple device to assist in folding an 8.5x11 paper into three sections for insertion in an envelope.
• A turntable device to hold items being sorted and packaged. The user may easily rotate the turntable.
• Certain medical conditions require the patient to be continuously wrapped in elastic bandages to control severe swelling. RCRV has built several bandage winders to rewind the bandage so that the patient may rewrap it.
• RCRV repairs various equipment and toys brought in by many community agencies.

More information about these and other projects may be found on the Community Projects list page.

2. Management and Professional

RCRV participates in the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP). For many older adults health care coverage and related insurance needs are very complex and confusing. Also, constant changes in Medicare, Medicare+Choice and Medicaid complicate the challenges faced by older adults and their families. SHIIP gives seniors relevant information to assist the decision they make on health insurance coverage that is right for them. The Iowa Insurance Division provides initial training and quarterly in-service training.

RCRV participates in the Tax Aid program that works with low income families, disabled and elderly to complete personal income tax forms for those who would potentially be unable to file a tax form and get their refund. The Sate of Iowa provides training for the volunteers.

3. Construction

The Community Projects team has designed and constructed several projects for community agencies and their clients.

• The Margaret Bock housing authority provides rooms for low income persons in a newly remodeled building. The Community Projects team ran the wires for door bell, paging, door buzzer, telephone and cable TV to each room. An entryway control box was built and installed.
• Wheel chair ramps have been built for the clients of community agencies.
• A Red Cross interactive display module was built to teach younger children about the Red Cross and to build their personal safety knowledge.
• A table for a wheelchair bound child for use in the classroom. The table may be tilted from flat to 45° and may be raised as the child grows. A storage cabinet is attached to store the students supplies.


4. Education

RCRV along with regular employees of Rockwell Collins volunteer in K-12 schools and projects to enrich the education of the students. Participation is primarily in the Cedar Rapids, LinnMar and Marion school districts. More information about the Rockwell Collins K-12 program may be found at  www.rockwellcollins.com/about/community/K-12/.

RCRV has assisted the Marion High School physics department through the "physics hotline" in which students send questions via e-mail to participating RCRV members who respond with helpful suggestions. RCRV has also assisted the physics department in cataloging and repairing laboratory equipment.

RCRV members assist Cedar Rapids Pierce Grade School with many extra curricular activities such as Lego robot competition.

Elementary computer classes have been organized and taught by Community Projects team members. The classes have been offered by various community agencies. Members have also assisted schools in construction of web pages describing school activities.

RCRV builds equipment for schools to assist in teaching young pupils about science:

• "Wheel of Fortune" wheel for the teacher to place questions on the wheel segments for the students to answer.
• 3 volt power supplies to be used with electrical wiring experiments.
• Kits to build a truss bridge. The students must construct a bridge capable of supporting a student’s weight.
• Blocks of various shapes to be inserted in matching holes in a box.
• A panel hung on the wall of a grade school. The panel holds several interactive displays such as cranks and pulleys.
• A ramp to roll various sizes and weights of balls in physics experiments.


5. Computer Support

Computers have been installed in several assisted living retirement homes and the computers have been networked together. On going assistance is given to maintain the computer networks.

6. Association with RSVP

RCRV works in partnership with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) to identify opportunities to make the community a better place to live. RCRV members participate in many volunteer activities sponsored by RSVP.

RSVP provides organizational assistance to RCRV by tracking each RCRV volunteer’s time and providing liability insurance for RCRV members.

RCRV is operated by retirees with the support and cooperation of Rockwell Collins. The RCRV office is at 927 N. Compton Drive, Hiawatha, Iowa. Compton Drive is located off Boyson Road, just west of the I-380 interchange. Look for the Munson Electric building. Enter the door with the sign for the REACT Center, with whom we share space.

The best way to learn more about RCRV is to attend one of our Thursday morning meetings. Retirees are invited to drop in for any of the meetings. If you represent an agency with a potential project for RCRV, please come to one of the "customer" meetings which are held the 2^nd and 4^th Thursday of each month. Meetings are held in the RCRV office, however check the calendar to verify location and time.

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