RSVP's mission is to initiate programs and projects that bring about continuous improvement in people's lives and which meet identified community needs through organized volunteer service systems.

Description:
Mayflower RSVP sponsors the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program of Plymouth County, MA, the Summer Reading Program for Early Childhood Literacy in the Town of Plymouth and is co-founder of two area wide networks for individuals and organizations that engage volunteers: Southeastern MA Volunteer Council/SEMVC and the South Shore Network Of Volunteers + Agencies/SSNOVA. RSVP's Program Development Specialist
currently works with Plymouth County towns mobilizing Senior And Law-enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) Councils to identify public safety needs of local seniors - then mobilize volunteers to resolve those needs. Volunteers are encouraged to apply results-oriented planning to their activities where ever they serve.

The Retired & Senior Volunteer Program recruits citizens 55 years or older to provide volunteer services which are monitored regularly for tracking continuous improvement. Training is available for assessing personal impact, the analysis of which becomes the basis for planning improvement.

Volunteer opportunities are available within partnering organizations such as the public schools and non-profit organizations as well as community-based projects that engage multiple service partners to address initiative areas such as Literacy or Public Safety & Security.

In addition, there are volunteer opportunities within RSVP's operational structure - designed to engage additional service partners and strengthen the impact of volunteers where ever they may be active.

History:
RSVP began as the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in 1973, under the sponsorship of South Shore Senior Citizens, Inc. Two years later, it was transferred to Old Colony United Way, Inc, the forerunner of today's United Way of Greater Plymouth County.

From 1973 - 2000, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program recruited and supported 2,500 volunteers serving one or more of approximately 175 public and private, non-profit Service Partners. The cumulative service of those volunteers amounted to approximately 1,500,000 hours across Plymouth County.

In 2000, the RSVP program became a non-profit corporation to expand its mission and expand its capacity to engage citizen volunteers across Southeastern Massachusetts. In addition to the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program it now sponsors a Summer Reading Program designed to bring together local teachers and trained Volunteer Reading Partners to address the need for enjoyable reading activities during the summer for the children most at-risk to not be reading at grade-level by the end of third grade.

Contact person: Joan Thompson, (phone), (email)
Office fax number: (508) 746-7795

Address:

36 Cordage Park Circle; #220 Plymouth, MA 02360-7320 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.MayflowerRSVP.org

Directions:

Nearest Bus Stop: Cordage Park Market Place