Jul 27, 2017 2 min read

Community Action Southwest has received a Senior Corps RSVP grant of $78,577 from the Corporation for National and Community Service to support 88 Retired and Senior Volunteer Program participants who serve in Greene County.

The grant will expand Community Action’s presence in Greene County, which was previously unserved by a Senior Corps RSVP project.

“This award is a great opportunity for CAS to enhance the services to seniors in Greene County, and we are excited to engage this population even more than before,” said Darlene Bigler, CEO of Community Action.

The money was awarded as part of a Senior Corps grant competition to expand RSVP to new geographic areas. Through Community Action Southwest, RSVP volunteers will:

• Package and distribute home-delivered meals to homebound elderly;

• Educate older adults about financial literacy;

• Prepare taxes for senior citizens, low-income individuals and people with disabilities through the VITA tax assistance program;

• Provide telephone reassurance to isolated seniors to ensure their well-being;

• Mentor children through intergenerational activities in Head Start classrooms.

Volunteers can sign up by calling Stacy Stroman, director of senior services at Community Action Southwest, at 724-852-2893, or by visiting the CAS website at www.caswg.org.

Established in 1971, RSVP engages Americans age 55 and older in citizen service that addresses the nation’s most pressing challenges.

While serving, RSVP volunteers also improve their own lives, staying active and healthy through service. Research points to mental and physical health benefits associated with volunteering, including lower mortality rates, increased strength and energy, decreased rates of depression and fewer physical limitations.

In 2016, more than 208,000 Senior Corps RSVP volunteers served in communities across the country. Through community and faith-based organizations, RSVP volunteers served more than 300,000 veterans, mentored more than 78,000 children and provided independent living services to more than 797,000 older adults.

According to the annual Volunteering and Civic Life in America report by CNCS, more than 21 million Americans 55 and older contributed more than 3.3 billion hours of service in their communities. Based on the Independent Sector’s estimate of the average value of a volunteer hour, their collective service provides a yearly economic benefit valued at $78 billion.