A Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteer helps with hearing evaluations of students at Hough Elementary. Volunteering at schools is one of the major services that those in RSVP provide to the community.
Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteers stock food bank shelves for one of the local food banks in Clark County.
A Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) volunteer unloads food from a truck to fill one of the local food banks in Clark County.
For those looking to get involved in community service after retiring, Clark County has a service that can help to match up people with local nonprofits to help both volunteers and groups find the best fit.
The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) matches retired individuals 55 and older to different organizations and agencies in order to get them involved in the community even after they have left the workforce. Currently, more than 700 senior volunteers are a part of the program in Clark County alone, helping out local nonprofits, RSVP Program Aide for the Human Services Council Jo Jones said.
The program has been around for decades, starting in 1971, Jones said, adding that about 100 different agencies in the county, mostly focused in Vancouver, are in RSVP’s system of volunteer matchmaking. Funded through a federal grant, she said that now the Human Services Council serves as the overarching host organization for the program.
Different agencies involved include local medical centers, food banks, thrift stores, the American Cancer Society, the Firstenburg Community Center, volunteering in school districts and colleges, and even the Clark County Genealogical Society and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra among many others.
Jones explained that those interested in taking part in RSVP can look at volunteer opportunities and apply online (at hsc-wa.org/volunteer-programs/rsvp). All potential volunteers then receive a background check after which they can get to volunteering.
Jones said that volunteers are the ones who make the choice of where to volunteer, giving them control over where they take their efforts.
As to why seniors should take advantage of the program, Jones said that although would-be volunteers might be able to find the agency of their choice on their own, RSVP provides a centralized list, bringing 100 different groups and nonprofits together for them to choose from.
Apart from having all the organizations in one location to choose from, having a background check can make the senior volunteers more readily able to join up with whichever group they choose as that first certification has already been handled through RSVP.
Regarding why people have becom involved through RSVP, Jones gave examples of losing a spouse or loved one or being laid off and needing something to fill the gap, something that community service could help. Of course, some individuals just want to give back, which RSVP can help them achieve.
“They just want to do more in the community, to help the community,” Jones remarked about RSVP volunteers.
