RSVP links the skill of volunteers 55 years and older with identified community needs. These volunteers serve nonprofit and public organizations by tutoring children in classrooms, helping people recover from natural disasters, delivering meals to homebound seniors, and tending community gardens.
Who do the programs serve? Community members who want to volunteer, the agencies who need volunteers, and the people the agencies serve in Lake and Mendocino counties.
When were the programs established? RSVP and the Volunteer Network were both established in Lake and Mendocino Counties in 2000.
What funding do the programs bring into the community? RSVP received $67,782 in 2013 from the Corporation for National Community Service. The Volunteer Network received funds from a variety of sources, including $20,000 from Mendocino County, $18,000 from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, $10,000 from Friedman Brothers, $8,000 from FEMA for disaster relief volunteers, and $2,000 from the Department of Public Health, for a combined total of $125,782.
How many people do the programs serve? RSVP and the Volunteer Network have a combined total of about 500 volunteers who reach thousands of community members through their service.
What would life be like without RSVP and the Volunteer Network? There would be an across-the-board decrease in the quality of community services provided by non-profits and government agencies. Libraries and food banks would not be able to serve as many people; senior citizens would lose companionship and assistance; shelter animals would not get the same level of individualized attention; the list goes on.
Questions about RSVP? Contact Monica Vanoven mvanoven@ncoinc.org
Next: Foster Grandparent Program »
