Monticello, NY – This week, Sullivan County celebrated the valuable contributions of RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who pledged to “get things done” for our nation as part of the annual AmeriCorps Week, March 13-19.
“The weeklong celebration – highlighted by a video we created for our social media pages – honors our volunteers plus the contributions and support of thousands of local organizations that make AmeriCorps programs possible,” explained RSVP Coordinator Martha Tully. “Sullivan County’s RSVP is proud to be part of AmeriCorps and grateful for the AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers who are getting things done.”
At the national level, AmeriCorps engages 250,000 Americans each year in sustained, results-driven service through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors programs. These dedicated citizens help communities manage COVID-19 response, ensure students stay on track to graduate, combat hunger and homelessness, respond to natural disasters, fight the opioid epidemic, help seniors live independently, support veterans and military families, and much more. More than 1.2 million Americans have served their country through AmeriCorps, and millions more have served in AmeriCorps Seniors since 1994.
A growing body of research shows that service has an effect on more than just the communities served, but also on the members themselves. AmeriCorps alumni credit their year of service for developing leadership skills that bridge divides, solve problems, and open doors to career and educational advancement.
“Volunteers choose how, where, and when they want to serve, with commitments ranging from a few hours to 40 hours per week,” Tully said. “We can definitely find an opportunity that fits you with one of our 60 participating not-for-profit partners.”
RSVP volunteers enjoy many benefits, including:
- Opportunities to meet new people in the community while making a significant difference in the lives of others
- Sharing talents and experiences with one or more of the participating non-profit partners
- Special recognition events
- Flexible placements with regard to time commitments
- The satisfaction of making a difference in the community
- Help to transition into retirement
- Partial mileage reimbursement (full mileage reimbursement for medical transportation and home delivered meals)
- Supplemental excess accident medical coverage for medical treatment and hospitalization, excess volunteer liability insurance and excess automobile liability insurance.
Current RSVP opportunities include distributing home-delivered meals to homebound seniors in the community; preparing taxes for senior citizens and low-income families; providing telephone reassurance to isolated seniors to ensure their wellbeing; providing medical transportation to important doctor’s appointments and specialty services throughout Sullivan and Orange Counties; hospice care; helping out at local museums and historical societies; and much more.
“Our volunteers themselves report better health and longevity having served in their community,” Tully noted. “There is research that demonstrates the mental and physical health benefits associated with volunteering, including lower mortality rates, increased strength and energy, decreased rates of depression and fewer physical limitations. We even have two 100-year-young active volunteers!”
If you are interested in joining RSVP of Sullivan County Americorps, please contact RSVP Coordinator Martha Tully at (845) 807-0255 or Martha.Tully@sullivanny.us. To watch the video, visit https://youtu.be/XCaivz5abV0.