Outstanding National Service Program - RVSP, Valley Area Agency on Aging

The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is sponsored by the Valley Area Agency on Aging and engages local volunteers in critical positions to help the community and benefit the individual volunteer. The focus areas of the RSVP program are: aging in place (food delivery and companionship), K-12 success (tutoring and school readiness), and other community priorities, like addressing the Flint water crisis. RSVP volunteers also support the KISS Program. KISS (Keeping Independent Seniors Safe) uses volunteers each day to make telephone reassurance/safety calls. One of the most impressive components of RSVP is its responsiveness to meeting local needs and challenges. In Genesee, Lapeer and Shiawassee counties, access to food for seniors, adults and families can be a challenge. To alleviate this, RSVP places volunteers with the three Catholic Charities soup kitchens that serve meals 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year, as well as Meals on Wheels, which delivers meals to home-bound senior five days a week. Nearly 900 individuals have received these independent living services. RSVP utilizes volunteers as drivers to medical appointments, with 36 volunteers providing 10,907 hours of companionship and rides for 521 clients, several of whom are veterans.