Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
Rogue Valley Manor Community Services Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) provide a variety of opportunities for the retired and senior population age 55 and above to participate fully in the life of their community through significant volunteer service. The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is nation-wide, partially funded by the federal government through the Corporation for National Service. Wherever an RSVP is placed, they are required to be sponsored by a non-profit entity; the Jackson County RSVP is sponsored by the Rogue Valley Manor.
RSVP currently has over 1,000 registered senior volunteers who provide volunteer service at 106 non-profit organizations or programs throughout Jackson County. Approximately 915 of these volunteers are active in each calendar quarter; the program recorded 161,757 volunteer service hours this past fiscal year. Using the federal government’s monetary value of $20.25 per hour, this figure equates to $3,155,879. RSVP volunteers are offered mileage reimbursement and supplemental insurance for that time in which they volunteer.
Among the volunteer opportunities provided by RSVP are specific service programs directly coordinated by the program. These include:
Call-A-Ride
This is a program using volunteer drivers to transport the elderly or disabled, that have no others means of transportation, to medical related appointments.Respite
The Respite volunteers provide a time of relief on a weekly basis to the primary care giver of an elderly, infirm person. With this service, the caregiver has, as one recipient-turned-volunteer explains, “a time to breathe.”SHIBA
This is the acronym for Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance. Volunteers in this program have been trained to assist individuals in all aspects of the Medicare system, from choosing the best supplemental policy to any billing difficulties they might encounter.C.A.R.E.
CARE (Caring Assistance with Resourceful Experience) is a program in which trained volunteers visit Family Child Care Providers to assist in developing a safe and nurturing environment for children and offer technical assistance to achieve locally determined quality standards.TransMed
TransMed provides medical transportation to Medicaid clients, primarily children.Lunch Buddies
Lunch Buddies is a mentoring program pairing volunteers with elementary age children, and is presently expanding to work with middle and high school age children.
The Rogue Valley International Airport Information Booth This booth, located in the center of the Airport, is manned entirely by RSVP volunteers. The booth is open 64 hours weekly.
RSVP is a unique program in the community, as it is two-fold; not only is help provided during this time of budget cuts to existing services in the community; at the same time, these seniors are kept active in the life of their community. The resources they bring to all of us are invaluable.
For more information, please refer to the following websites:
The program creates a 'win/win' situation for everyone involved. The children benefit from the experienced, compassionate care they receive, and the Foster Grandparents benefit by gaining personal fulfillment.