Welcome to the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Paducah/McCracken County!

We are the premier volunteer recruitment, training and placement agency for adults older than 55 in Paducah and McCracken County. Whether making calls to the elderly, helping youngsters discover the joy of reading, or developing funding proposals for struggling community programs - RSVP volunteers share a common bond: An eagerness to be productive.

The Senior Center

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1400 H.C. Mathis Drive

Paducah, KY 42001

Phone: (270) 442-8993

Fax: (270) 443-8609

Email: contact@rsvpofpaducah.org

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"... Old age is not a defeat but a victory, not a punishment but a privilege ... we all have the responsibility to remain active in retirement, to keep ourselves well informed, to cooperate with responsible public and private agenciens concerned with programs and activities  that will make our nation strong ... and ... benefit ... all Americans."

Ethel Percy Andrus

(1884 - 1967)

Founder of AARP

The Program:

The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is a national network of more than 450,000 Americans who are age 55 and over and provide volunteer service to their communities through local organisations. RSVP involves adults in community services that matches their personal interests and makes use of skills and life experiences to address priority needs in over 1,500 counties across the Nation.

The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of Paducah-McCracken County is one of over 750 projects located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. RSVP funding is provided by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the State of Kentucky, local townships and businesses.

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RSVP is one of 3 Senior Corps programs within the Corporation for National and Community Service. For more than 30 years, the Senior Corps has linked over 450,000 older Americans to volunteer opportunities in their communities. Its three programs are a vehicle for interested mature Americans to find challenging, rewarding, and significant service right in their own backyards:

• Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
• The Grandfoster Parent Program and
• Senior Companion Program

"Dedicated To Improving The Quality Of Life Through Volunteerism"

The thrust of our program is indicated in our motto. Our organization benefits everyone - from the volunteers involved to the people in the community.

Our vision is to be recognized by the Paducah and McCracken County community as a reliable and dynamic source of rewarding volunteer opportunities for seniors and as a primary supplier of senior volunteers to serve the community's critical human needs.

Many people fail to recognize that the RSVP is not only helping the organizations that benefit from the RSVP volunteers ... just as important is the health benefit for seniors that do volunteer.

Duration: 3:43 min

Our services help other non-profit organizations to fulfill their mission and are therefore usually classified as indirect services. That is not correct since the volunteer opportunities we provide to our seniors allow those volunteers to life a healthier and more fullfilled life. The health benefits seniors receive through volunteering are undisputed and several high-profile studies show that seniors that volunteer live longer, have less health problems and are in general happier than seniors that do not volunteer.

As such, we prefer to say that the RSVP is primarily a social service provider to our seniors, and secondarly a service provider to other non-profit organizations that need volunteers. Click here to read more about the health benefits associated with volunteering.

The Impact and Benefits of Serving:

Senior Corps programs benefit the community, the organization, and the volunteer. Think of what you can do when you give your time to help your community:

• Help Your Community - Know that you are giving your time, talent, wisdon and experience to your community and neighbors who need you.

• Help Yourself - Through service, you can add to the quality and health of your life. Research indicates that volunteers enjoy better health, make new friendships, stay active and involved in the community, and learn new skills.

• Make A Difference - Be part of a national movement to transform America through the involvement of its citizens.

• Save Money for the Organizations You Serve - By donating your time and skills, you help make funds go farther for ogranizations that address critical needs in your community.

Here are some examples of what our RSVP Volunteers did last year:

• Contributed over 74,000 hours of service to Paducah area schools and non- profit organizations

• Collected and distributed food to local food pantries to help feed the needy.

• Joined in our recycling efforts by collecting ink cartridges from area businesses.

• Contributed books to the Paducah Day Nursery along with joining our "Reading to Children" program. Volunteers spend 30 minutes to an hour each week visiting the Day Nursery and read to the children.

• Partnered with 4-H to help with the "Backpack Program", providing single serving food items to area elementary school children who are in need, to help insure that they are fed over the weekend if the parents are unable or unavailable.

• Worked with various special events, i.e. Zack's Hope and Muscular Dystrophy.

• Provided efforts to help over 40 RSVP volunteer stations.

Membership:

We offer maximum flexibility and choice to our volunteers and match the personal interests and skills of mature Americans with opportunities to help solve community problems. RSVP volunteers choose how and where they want to serve - from a few to over 40 hours a week - and makes it easy for mature adults to find the types of volunteer service opportunities that appeal to them.

• Complete an one-time "RSVP Volunteer Interest Form" and the "RSVP Enrollment Form" to register you as a member of the RSVP program. The application will request information for the volunteer supplemental insurance coverage and your desire to receive reimbursement of travel and meals.

• "RSVP Volunteer Handbook" for more information.

RSVP Volunteers:

Here are some of the requirements and benefits for volunteering with the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program.

• Are covered by free Volunteer Supplemental Accident and Liability Insurance protection.

• Want to make a difference in their communities.

• Are at least 55 years of age and serve in Paducah/McCracken County.

• Receive Placement Services - members can choose from a wide range of volunteer opportunities in many different agencies, hospitals and schools.

• Gain membership in a national organization that supports volunteerism.

• May attend the annual Volunteer Recognition Banquet.

• Receive the quarterly RSVP newsletter.

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