vista and senior corps part ii

Engaging RSVP VolunteersIn Disaster Response

Engaging Senior Corps Volunteers In Disaster Response

Corporation for National and Community ServiceSenior Corps

• Taps the skills, talents, and experience of nearly 500,000 Americans age 55 and over to meet a wide range of community challenges

• Created in mid 1960s and early 1970s• 98.2 million hours served by volunteers• 65,000 participating Local Organizations• 570,200 Frail Elderly Served• 350,600 Children Served


Foster Grandparent Program

• Volunteers/”Grandparents” are 55 and older• Provide loving and experienced tutors and mentors to children and youth with special needs

• Work one‐on‐one with children; serve 15 to 40 hours per week

• Review schoolwork, reinforce values, teach reading, maintain relationships with children


Senior Companion Program

• Volunteers must be 55 and older• Help frail seniors and other adults maintain independence primarily in their own home

• Serve between 15 and 40 hours per week• Assist with daily living tasks such as grocery shopping and bill paying, provide friendship and companionship; provide respite to family caregivers; meal preparation and light housekeeping


Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

• Largest senior volunteer organization in the nation• Engages more than 400,000 people age 55 and older in diverse range of

volunteer activities• Serve 1 to 40 hours per week• 62 million hours served• 741 projects nationwide• 61,500 organizations supported• 103,600 children mentored• 50,000 frail elderly served • Provide independent living services; Recruit and manage other volunteers;

Stock and maintain food pantries; Assist veterans and military families; Prepare tax returns for elderly; Tutor children; tech English to immigrants


CNCS State Office Structure

• 46 State Offices (CSO) in the nation (all states are represented

• Manage the Senior Corps and VISTA Programs• Represent CNCS in local communities• CSOs are ad hoc members of the Governor’s State Commission that operate the AmeriCorps*State and National programs


State Office Role During Disasters

• VOADs should contact their State Office immediately after a disaster

• Liaison with the CNCS Disaster Services Unit • Liaison/contact with RSVGP sponsors• Liaison with State Commissions• Contact for AmeriCorps*VISTA projects• Connection to NCCC

• Link: www.nationalservice.gov – National Service in Your State for list of RSVP projects in your state


RSVP Making An Impact Video


Disaster Strikes Alabama

• April 27, 2011 • 42 counties experienced unprecedented devastation on one day

• 62 tornados ripped across the state• Six of the tornados were F5’s and six others were F4’s


RSVP Volunteers on the Scene

RSVP of Calhoun County• Opened three Volunteer Reception Centers across the County with the support of RSVP and Community Volunteers

• Supported relief efforts• Food and supplies donations• Fed tornado victims and first responders• Registered 3000+ community volunteers• Supported over 400 tornado victims with clothing, food and supplies

• 31,000+ hours contributed valued at over $655,000


RSVP Volunteers On The Scene

RSVP of Marshall County• Second deadliest tornado on record affected 85% of Marshall

County residents• Due to previous planning efforts, nearly 200 Marshall County RSVP

volunteers were immediately mobilized– Volunteers prepared and distributed meals to storm victims and relief

workers– Opened their homes as temporary shelters– Cut down trees, opened access and removed debris from homes, put

tarps on roofs, repaired damaged homes– Performed intake/needs assessments – Continue to work with long term recovery committees

• 11,219 service hours valued at $240,000 was applied toward in‐kind matching funds for FEMA disaster awards


RSVP Volunteers On The Scene

RSVP of Tuscaloosa County

• Engaged on a daily basis with donations management

• Debris removal• Transportation support• Supported the local Red Cross; meal preparation• Approximately 150 RSVP Volunteers generated in excess of 5,000 hours valued at over $100,000


Partnering With RSVP inDisaster Preparedness

• Work with area agencies to determine who and where are needy seniors

• Support organizations by training community residents on being prepared for disasters before a disaster strike; and

• Present disaster educational programs to local schools, senior centers and community centers

• Sandbagging• Obtain emergency contact lists from friendly visit call logs for elderly and disabled

• Make “preparedness kits”


Partnering With RSVP As First Responders

• RSVP Volunteers can support first responders in training community volunteers who are able to assist when a disaster strikes

• Open shelters; staff shelters, meal preparation• Contact shut ins; carry out friendly visits; phone calls

• Leverage first responders• Mobilized to assist at the local EMA and Salvation Army centers


Partnering With RSVP Weeks Into A Disaster

• Manage spontaneous volunteers• Staff volunteer reception centers (VRCs)• Facilitate and help to manage spontaneous volunteers

when a disaster strikes• Donations management• Debris removal• Transportation support• Support the local Red Cross• Meal preparation and delivery• “Chain saw” gangs• Surveillance of shelters; policing


Partnering With RSVP During Long Term Recovery

• Case management• Tutoring kids displaced from schools• Building houses• Debris removal• Meet with FEMA and VOADS to focus on their needs and get RSVP volunteers to meet those needs


Partnering With RSVP

• Corporation For National and CommunityService

• Governor’s Office/State Commissions• Local EMA’s• Local/Government Municipalities• American Red Cross• Long‐Term Recovery Committees• Salvation Army



Jackie Bishop, State Program Director AL

Patrice Dempsey, State Program Director VA


Questions

vista and senior corps part ii

Documents

pro senior corps volunteers