RSVP Serves the Community

The Mission of RSVP is three-fold:

• To enrich the community through volunteer placements that utilize the talents, interests, experience, and/or professional expertise of persons 55 and older (retired or semi-retired).
• To enhance the lives of the volunteers and those they serve.
• To provide valuable volunteer services that help address the needs of the community.

Volunteer Hours of Service

When you join RSVP your volunteer hours, that is the time you give to the agency where you are placed, are counted. Part of our job at RSVP is to keep track of every member’s volunteer hours and report them directly to the federal government. This past year 585 RSVP volunteers provided 75,000 hours of service to Ulster County. Volunteer Service is a major source of community support.

Your hours have the potential to translate into grant dollars coming back to our community, our county, and our citizens. Your reported volunteer hours help provide these service agencies, museums and people in need with greater possibilities.

By showing where time is spent, how it is spent, and what actually gets done, our funders are able to understand that our program focuses time and energy on critical human needs and is an asset to the community. RSVP is on the cutting edge of volunteer trends.

Why should I join RSVP?

The health of any community is dependent on the value it holds for all age groups. The primary assets of any community are the people. Volunteering is at the heart of our community’s ability to be a proactive, positive environment for our families, neighborhoods, and schools.

One of the purposes of incorporating a RSVP Volunteer Program into a community is to enable individuals to learn about the great volunteer opportunities that are available and how easy it is to get involved. Seasoned volunteers, as well as those who have never served before, will be introduced to a collection of opportunities throughout the community.

You will find that there is something for everyone. Even those with busy schedules should be able to find an opportunity to get involved. The possibilities are endless.

Special Benefits

RSVP provides all registered volunteers with special benefits that may encourage participation.

The real benefit, however, comes from the sense of meaningful involvement in the community that most RSVP volunteers share.

Statistics clearly indicate that people who volunteer stay active, feel better, make new friends and know that their caring makes a difference in our community.

• Membership in a national organization that supports senior volunteerism
• Free volunteer placement
• Opportunity to learn something new
• Volunteers Insurance Service (VIS®)
  

Becoming an RSVP member is easy.

First, complete an enrollment form. Second, set-up a volunteer interview with the RSVP Representative to discuss your skills, interests and available volunteer opportunities. Third, a volunteer pays a visit to the prospective Station to meet with the site Director of Volunteer Services (D.V.S.) and the other volunteers.

You too can help make a difference in Ulster County. Joining is easy. Just call us at 845- 339-2181 and we will make an appointment for you to enroll and have your personal interview.

Enrollment Form

There are two identical enrollment forms available. One which can be printed out and mailed in, and one which can be downloaded to your word processor to fill out and send by email. The downloadable version is in Rich Text Format. This can be used in many popular word processing programs.

Printable Enrollment Form. If you wish to enroll via mail, you may use this printable form and mail it to: RSVP, 409 Development Court, Kingston, NY 12401. Printable Enrollment Form

Downloadable Enrollment Form.
(Note: Adobe Acrobat Reader is needed to download this form. If you do not have it installed on your computer, click here to download a free copy.) Downloadable Enrollment Form

Priorities for the New Age

RSVP Ulster County's objectives:

• Increasing the number of volunteers working to ensure a brighter future for our youth
• Supporting volunteer assignments that address family care giving services
• Encourage volunteerism at every age
• Engaging Retiring Baby Boomers in volunteer service