Looking around, we don’t see it, but the truth is that the nation is bursting with 40,000 or more public and private nonprofits that desperately need retired senior volunteers. The need is so great that the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program was formed to help match nonprofits to the volunteers they needed.
Numbers Don’t Lie
RSVP partners with 600 to 1400 local agencies across most states, depending on the size. That’s some 40,000 placements nationwide. The federal program is administered locally by both public and private organizations that serve the public in some way. There are 500,000 retired senior volunteers in service and more are needed.
Wide Variety Available for Retired Senior Volunteers
Once enrolled in RSVP, Retired Senior Volunteers are assigned to an area where they can use their skills or where they have requested. Some might work for their local police department, conducing safety patrols. Others might work for their local chapter of a national environmental group, helping with planning, publicity and projects. Still others might be part of a team that responds when there is a natural disaster. Then there are those who tutor children or mentor youth. There is a wide range of possibilities, making it possible for retired senior volunteers to choose the area where they feel most comfortable or where they feel most needed.
Retired Senior Volunteers
While they give to others, their actions are keeping them active and healthier. They gain self-esteem and satisfaction from the work they do. New friendships, work relationships and the meaningful encounters with clients make volunteering so important to them. Some even discover a second career while helping society tackle its problems.
Hi, I’m leaving this request for my mom. Her name is Marcy Arnold. She lives in Roseau, MN she is not very mobile, but would love to help others, especially immigrants to learn english. She went to college to become a teacher, but became a full time mom instead. Please contact her at the email above, or call her at 218-331-2644. She should be back home from visiting us by September 1st. I am an americorps vista member, and I know first hand how much helping can help you, with health, depression, and just general well being! thanks for your time!
Jennifer Kouame