RSVP presentation outlines programs, impact and April open house

Kate Seal, identified in the transcript as assistant director of the local RSVP (AmeriCorps Seniors) program, told Verona Senior Center volunteers that RSVP is a 55-and-older volunteer-placement program supported primarily by federal AmeriCorps Seniors funding and supplemented by grants from Dane County, the city of Madison, the state of Wisconsin and private sponsors.

She described RSVP's program areas and local coordinators: community connections (local coordinator Jan Paul was named as the point person for placements), group projects/homeworkers (Julia Piersdorf cited as a coordinator for those projects), driver services (including a driver-escort program and home-delivered meals), intergenerational/tutoring programs, foster-grandparent placements, Triad safety and crime-prevention programming, and a bus-buddy program funded by the city. "Being of service to those around me gives me purpose," Seal said as she explained why volunteering benefits both volunteers and the community.

Seal shared regional RSVP impact figures presented in her talk: about 1,200 volunteers serving the county/region (transcript mixes county names), 151,632 volunteer hours reported across programs, about 14,469 quilts, hats and similar items donated through group projects, roughly 4,280 rides and 743 passengers served by driving programs, and about 107,000 meals delivered via home-delivered-meal programs. Seal said RSVP partners with roughly 130 local sites.

She closed with an invitation to an RSVP open house on Wednesday, April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the RSVP office, 6501 Moss Road, where attendees can meet program coordinators and learn about volunteer opportunities.

Note: the transcript contains inconsistent place and coordinator spellings (see audit). This article uses the spelling "Dane County" and the coordinator name "Jan Paul" where the transcript shows both variants.