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Local Logan Organization Receives Federal Grant to Support Senior Volunteer Service
Funding will support 150 Senior Corps RSVP volunteers at the Public School Partnership
Logan, Utah. – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced that the Public School Partnership (PSP) will receive a Senior Corps RSVP grant of $51,750 to support 150 RSVP volunteers serving in Cache and Rich Counties. The grant and senior volunteers will be managed by the Public School Partnership, a nonprofit housed in Utah State University’s TEAL Department that currently hosts an AmeriCorps*VISTA program.
RSVP volunteers will provide college and career readiness mentoring, offer companionship and social support for older adults, and deliver meals to seniors. In addition, RSVP volunteers will mentor elementary students to boost children’s social and emotional skills. The Public School Partnership will provide support and professional development opportunities for RSVP volunteers during their service as well as for the VISTA volunteers serving under the organization.
“For generations, seniors have been making a powerful impact in their communities, and their service is more important now than ever,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers Senior Corps. “With so many people in need, senior volunteers are making a difference in the lives of children, veterans, elderly, and disaster survivors. Leading the way are nearly 270,000 Senior Corps volunteers. We congratulate Utah State University Center for the School of the Future for their strong application, and thank all Senior Corps volunteers for their dedication to service.”
According to last year’s Volunteering and Civic Life in America report by CNCS, more than 21, million older adults – nearly a quarter of those 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, the yearly economic benefit of this service to the nation is valued at nearly $184 billion.
In Utah, more than 3,500 seniors contribute their time and talents in one of three Senior Corps Programs – Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companions, and RSVP. Today, more than 2,700 RSVP volunteers serve in approximately 345 service locations across the state.
In addition to helping others, older volunteers are also helping themselves by living active, healthy lives through volunteering. A growing body of 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.
RSVP is one of the largest volunteer networks for adults 55 and older and engages the skills, talents, and experience of volunteers to meet a wide range of community needs. RSVP volunteers across the country make an impact in their communities by helping seniors live independently in their homes, tutoring and mentoring at-risk youth, expanding economic opportunity for veterans and their families, and assisting in disaster recovery efforts in their communities.
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Senior Corps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service. CNCS engages millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service each year through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs and leads President Obama’s call to service, United We Serve. For more information, visit nationalservice.gov.
Funding will support 150 Senior Corps RSVP volunteers at the Public School Partnership
Logan, Utah. – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) announced that the Public School Partnership (PSP) will receive a Senior Corps RSVP grant of $51,750 to support 150 RSVP volunteers serving in Cache and Rich Counties. The grant and senior volunteers will be managed by the Public School Partnership, a nonprofit housed in Utah State University’s TEAL Department that currently hosts an AmeriCorps*VISTA program.
RSVP volunteers will provide college and career readiness mentoring, offer companionship and social support for older adults, and deliver meals to seniors. In addition, RSVP volunteers will mentor elementary students to boost children’s social and emotional skills. The Public School Partnership will provide support and professional development opportunities for RSVP volunteers during their service as well as for the VISTA volunteers serving under the organization.
“For generations, seniors have been making a powerful impact in their communities, and their service is more important now than ever,” said Wendy Spencer, CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency that administers Senior Corps. “With so many people in need, senior volunteers are making a difference in the lives of children, veterans, elderly, and disaster survivors. Leading the way are nearly 270,000 Senior Corps volunteers. We congratulate Utah State University Center for the School of the Future for their strong application, and thank all Senior Corps volunteers for their dedication to service.”
According to last year’s Volunteering and Civic Life in America report by CNCS, more than 21, million older adults – nearly a quarter of those 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, the yearly economic benefit of this service to the nation is valued at nearly $184 billion.
In Utah, more than 3,500 seniors contribute their time and talents in one of three Senior Corps Programs – Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companions, and RSVP. Today, more than 2,700 RSVP volunteers serve in approximately 345 service locations across the state.
In addition to helping others, older volunteers are also helping themselves by living active, healthy lives through volunteering. A growing body of 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.
RSVP is one of the largest volunteer networks for adults 55 and older and engages the skills, talents, and experience of volunteers to meet a wide range of community needs. RSVP volunteers across the country make an impact in their communities by helping seniors live independently in their homes, tutoring and mentoring at-risk youth, expanding economic opportunity for veterans and their families, and assisting in disaster recovery efforts in their communities.
###
Senior Corps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency for volunteering and service. CNCS engages millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service each year through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Social Innovation Fund, and Volunteer Generation Fund programs and leads President Obama’s call to service, United We Serve. For more information, visit nationalservice.gov.
