RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
RSVP provides civic participation and volunteer service opportunities to persons 55 years and older. There are no restrictions based on education, income, or experience, nor any membership dues. RSVP is part of a network of over 760 RSVP’s throughout the United States. The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNS) is the primary funding source for RSVP which is part of the National Senior Service Corps. RSVP has been in existence since 1971 and sponsored by HCCAA since 1972. RSVP targets the primary four areas of National Service which are Health, Education, Environment, and Public Safety.
RSVP volunteers work in a variety of civic and community service organizations in the core nine county service area. Senior Citizens Centers, nursing homes, museums, libraries, civic theaters, crisis pregnancy/abuse centers, food pantries and clothes closets, soup kitchens, animal shelters, public schools, Head Start and offices of numerous civic and community organizations are just a few of the places RSVP volunteers donate their skills and time. The volunteers do everything from cooking, delivering meals to the aged and disabled, quilting, answering phones, filing, teaching someone to read or taking someone to the doctor. Volunteers assist with special community programs such as HOSTS, Communities In Schools, 4-H, FFA, FHA, Boy and Girl Scouts/Brownies, Crime Prevention - S.A.L.T. and T.R.I.A.D, AARP, American Cancer Society, American Legion/AmVets-Auxiliaries, Red Cross, EMS, Non-Profit Community Boards, Volunteer Fire Departments, and Disaster Preparedness/Homeland Security.
The RSVP program also welcomes volunteers under age 55. The –55 volunteers can be community volunteer recruiters; recruiting other volunteers to join volunteer services in the community. Volunteer service hours provided by –55 age volunteers are used as in-kind contribution to match Federal funds.
RSVP insures all volunteers age 55 and older through CIMA Older American Volunteer Insurance Program for accident insurance, personal liability insurance, and excess automobile liability insurance (There is insurance available for –55 volunteers if local funds are available)
We have been able to offer numerous volunteer opportunities and expand programs with additional funding through grants which help meet critical community needs. These programs include: SVCI (Senior Volunteers for Childhood Immunization), EPIC (Every Person Influences Children-Parenting Skills Workshops), RSVP HAPIN (Helping A Person in Need), and SBS (Shaken Baby Syndrome) child abuse education/prevention.
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