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SENIOR CORPS: MAKING A
DIFFERENCE FOR GENERATIONS
Across the state, more than 11,000 seniors age 55 and older are serving their communities through Senior Corps. An important member of the Corporation for National and Community Service family, Senior Corps volunteers contribute their time and talent through three separate initiatives: Senior Companions, Foster Grandparent Program, and Retired and Senior Volunteer Program. Through these programs, Senior Corps participants help to meet critical local needs by becoming mentors, coaches or companions to people in need and contributing their job skills and expertise to community projects and organizations.
To honor the significant impact Senior Corps volunteers have on their communities, May 6-10, 2013 was celebrated as Senior Corps Week across the country. In Michigan, this was marked with celebrations throughout the state and a proclamation from Governor Rick Snyder. To continue the well-deserved tribute and recognition of this crucial national service stream, the Michigan Community Service Commission (MCSC) is celebrating Michigan's outstanding Senior Corps members and programs with this month's edition of Answering the Call to Serve. Read on to learn more about the ways Senior Corps is using service to make a difference for generations.
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 Retired and Senior Volunteer Program The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, also known as RSVP, is one of the largest volunteer networks in the nation for people 55 and over. Seniors use the diverse skills and talents they've learned over the years to serve in a variety of volunteer activities within their community. Service opportunities are as diverse as the communities in which volunteers serve and include activities such as: - Organizing neighborhood watch programs
- Renovating homes
- Teaching English to immigrants
- Assisting victims of natural disasters
In Michigan, one remarkable RSVP volunteer was recently recognized by the MCSC with the 2013 Outstanding Senior Corps Member Award. The award was presented to Art Nichols of Kalamazoo at the April 24 Giving and Volunteering Celebration at the Capitol. Art joined RSVP - Your Invitation to Volunteer - 21 years ago as an In-Home Support volunteer. As such, Art assists other seniors with their independent living needs by providing companionship, grocery shopping assistance, meal preparation, moral support, and financial expertise in regards to medical bills. Additionally, for the past 16 years, Art has served as a certified Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) volunteer counselor and has saved his clients more than $250,000 in just one year. As a dedicated MMAP counselor and RSVP volunteer, Art provided more than 270 hours of volunteer service in 2012 and assisted nearly 240 senior clients. Thanks for your service Art! Back to top |
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Foster Grandparent Program
The second of three Senior Corps programs, the Foster Grandparent Program (FGP) provides a way for volunteers age 55 and older to meet the critical needs of children and youth in their communities. Through FGP, seniors serve 15 to 40 hours each week in schools, hospitals, juvenile correctional institutions, daycare facilities, or Head Start centers, acting as role models, mentors, and friends to children with exceptional needs. More specifically, Foster Grandparents:
- Help children learn to read and provide one-on-one tutoring
- Mentor troubled teenagers and young mothers
- Care for premature infants or children with disabilities
- Help children who have been abused or neglected
- Much more!
In the Great Lakes State, Foster Grandparents are an important component of many nonprofit organizations, schools, and more. To honor the critical impact and role these seniors have on the lives of the youth they serve, two Foster Grandparents were recently honored as 2013 Outstanding Senior Corps Member Award finalists: Phyllis Harvard Smith of Southfield and Harvey Gerstenberger of Sandusky.
 Phyllis has served more than 150 high-risk children in need during her six years in FGP. The students, often living in extreme poverty or having recently emigrated from another country, rely on Phyllis' tutoring and mentoring to guide them through complex academic and emotional situations. As a result of her nurturing attention and assistance, Phyllis' students are better positioned to succeed in school and life with more than 80 percent of her students showing improved academic and social skills.
 Harvey joined the Thumb Area FGP in2005. Since that day, he has been a faithful and committed volunteer to the severely disabled students he serves. Each week, Harvey dedicates 20 to 28 hours of time to his students, but can often be found assisting in the classroom on his days off as well. A big thanks to Phyllis and Harvey for their continued commitment to youth in their communities!
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Senior  Companions Program
Senior Corps members in the Senior Companions program make a difference in their communities by enabling adult clients to live independently in their own homes. Senior Companion volunteers provide assistance and friendship that allows elderly and disabled adults to remain independent in their homes instead of having to move to more costly institutional care. In addition, Senior Companions give families and professional caregivers much needed time off from their care-giving duties by:
- Running errands with clients
- Taking individuals shopping
- Helping clients pay bills
- Driving patients to doctors appointments
In Mancelona, many local residents have benefited from the services of Senior Companion Sharon Tinney. Sharon has been volunteering as a Senior Companion since 2004 and each week provides 20 hours of service to several seniors. In her nine years with the program, Sharon has provided services to more than 40 senior citizens in four different northern Michigan counties. As a result, Sharon has given 11,253 volunteer hours and driven more than 100,000 miles to visit seniors and aid them in completing their necessary activities. The support Sharon provides does not go unnoticed as she enables other seniors to stay in their homes and remain engaged in the community.
Thank you Sharon for volunteering your support for other seniors in northern Michigan!
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Has hearing all the ways that Senior Corps makes a difference inspired you to answer your own call to serve? Many service opportunities exist across the state - you can give an hour, a day, a week, a month, or even become a Senior Corps volunteer yourself! To find an opportunity in your community that matches your unique skills, interest, and availability, search our new statewide volunteer portal, Volunteer Michigan.
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About the MCSC
The Michigan Community Service Commission builds a culture of service by providing vision and resources to strengthen communities through volunteerism. In 2012-2013, the MCSC is granting more than $7.5 million in federal funds to local communities for volunteer programs and activities. The MCSC is funding 23 AmeriCorps programs and six Volunteer Michigan grantees. The Governor's Service Awards and Mentor Michigan are also premier programs of the MCSC.
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