Senators Collins, King Announce $100,000 to Support Senior Volunteer Service in Kennebec and Somerset Counties
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee, and Angus King (I-ME) announced that Catholic Charities of Maine (CCM) has been awarded $100,000 through the Corporation for National and Community Service’s (CNCS) Senior Corps RSVP program. This funding will support 165 Senior Corps volunteers in Kennebec and Somerset Counties.
“In Maine, hundreds of seniors make significant contributions through our state’s Senior Corps programs, including the RSVP program,” said Senators Collins and King in a joint statement. “One of the many ways these selfless individuals help their communities is through home visits and other volunteer activities, which prevent social isolation. We welcome this funding, which supports Senior Corps volunteers’ efforts to address the unmet needs in our communities.”
Senior Corps RSVP volunteers serving with CCM provide transportation, companionship, and health care referrals to isolated, low-income seniors. Volunteer activities include weekly visits with seniors in their homes; assistance with chores in the home and yard; social interaction; driving seniors to medical appointments, the grocery store, and the pharmacy; and referring seniors to community services for supplemental food, financial support, and homemaking assistance.
The RSVP Program strengthens public and nonprofit agencies by building the infrastructure needed to efficiently and effectively mobilize experienced and skilled volunteers to support vital programs and services that help solve challenges facing communities. Nationwide, RSVP engages more than 200,000 older adult volunteers, retired or not, who serve in diverse roles that may include: combatting elder abuse and financial exploitation; access to care, including opioid abuse and prevention; transportation services that support aging in place; intergenerational education; housing services; and activities in evidence-based programs.
Over the past year, more than 1,500 Mainers volunteered through Senior Corps, and RSVP volunteers benefitted 150 local organizations throughout the state.
