The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is America’s largest volunteer network for people age 55 and over. "One stop shopping" for all volunteers who want to find challenging, rewarding, and significant service opportunities, RSVP helps make volunteering a more meaningful experience by offering information, support and guidance. Offering a full range of volunteer options with thousands of local and national organizations, volunteers are able to choose how and where they want to serve, choose the amount of time they want to give and whether they want to draw on their skills or develop new ones.

The goal of RSVP is to bring together local agencies and organizations with senior citizens age 55 and over wishing to volunteer within their community in an area that interests them.

Who qualifies for our program?
Senior citizens wishing to volunteer must be age 55 or over.

Benefits of being a RSVP Volunteer
Do you or someone you know 55 years or older have some spare time on your hands? Why not spend that extra time helping your community! There are several benefits to being a RSVP Volunteer, including:

• A free consultation with a RSVP coordinator to help identify the best possible volunteer opportunities that suite your own individual interests and availability;
• Reimbursement for transportation* costs between home and volunteer station/site;
• Meal reimbursement* on days when you have served a minimum of 4 hours;
• Secondary supplemental accident and liability insurance;
• Pre-service orientation and training from the organization where you decide to serve;
• A free subscription to  the RSVP quarterly newsletter; and
• The satisfaction of helping our community.

Call RSVP today at (210) 222-0301 for more information and to set up a consultation with a RSVP coordinator!

*Reimbursements are provided in accordance with RSVP Policies & Guidelines and subject to availability of funds.

What kinds of volunteer opportunities are available?
We believe every volunteer’s time is valuable, so we like to discuss your particular interests, skills, time availability, and location/station preference. This allows us to place each volunteer in a rewarding position in our community. Volunteer opportunities include:

• Providing transportation for those in need;
• Education assistance for children through mentoring;
• Assistance to our countries military and their families;
• Information assistance at libraries and museums;
• Providing the community with information on health and nutrition;
• Teaching public safety through local law enforcement agencies;
• Helping seniors in need at senior centers or nursing homes; and
• Much, much more!

Call RSVP today at (210) 222-0301 for more information and to set up a consultation with a RSVP coordinator!

The History of RSVP
For over 40 years, RSVP has been evolving to meet America’s needs. RSVP grew from a seed first sown in the early 1960s when the 1961 White House Conference on Aging called attention to the continuing need of older people to stay active through service to their country.

In 1969, an amendment to the Older Americans Act was added that helped to establish the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, or RSVP, in 1971 to help create volunteer opportunities for retired persons.

With the election of Bill Clinton in 1992, the Older Americans Volunteer Program was reauthorized as the National Senior Volunteer Corps (NSVC) under the National and Community Service Trust Act. RSVP, a part of senior programs of the NSVC, was renamed the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program to reflect the new reality that not all older volunteers were retired.

The changes that the RSVP program has experienced throughout the years reflect the changing faces of senior volunteer-ism in America. The program continues to grow, and as it grows, RSVP will continue to provide opportunities for all seniors to answer the call to service.

RSVP is a part of Senior Corps, along with Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions. Senior Corps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that improves lives, strengthens communities, and fosters civic engagement through service and volunteering.