From May 9-15, Volunteer Maine celebrated the week formerly known as Senior Corps Week, a national celebration of service that had been hosted by the AmeriCorps federal office. With May also being Older Americans Month, Volunteer Maine celebrated its own Maine AmeriCorps Seniors week through content takeovers on our Facebook and Twitter accounts. This blog series will summarize the stories, facts and info shared during the week. Join us in honoring Maine's dedicated AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers!
Get to know Maine's AmeriCorps Seniors Programs: Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
Overview
AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP provides grants to organizations to engage Americans 55 and older in tutoring and mentoring youth, responding to natural disasters, supporting veterans and their families, and meeting other critical needs. (Courtesy, AmeriCorps)
In Maine
We have five organizations that host an RSVP program:
- Aroostook RSVP (credit: photo left)
- Catholic Charities Maine SEARCH RSVP
- Penquis RSVP (credit: photo right)
- RSVP Of Southern Maine (Southern Maine Agency on Aging)
- University of Maine Center on Aging on RSVP
Service snapshot: Catholic Charities Maine SEARCH RSVP
45 Catholic Charities SEARCH RSVP volunteers served 474 hours in Kennebec and Somerset Counties in March - June 2020, during the height of the pandemic. Volunteer activities included phone reassurance/wellness check-ins, grocery shopping, and physically-distanced critical transportation (Info courtesy: Catholic Charities Maine)
Service impact: UMaine Center on Aging
“This twice weekly free class is a gift for my health so I can age in place” -- RSVP Bone Builders class participant
To learn more about RSVP in Maine, use the link below.
Want to join RSVP in Maine? Check out the AmeriCorps Seniors Pathfinder -- just use the link below.