OVERVIEW

The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is a part of Senior Corps, along with Senior Companions and Foster Grandparent. Senior Corps is administered by the Corporation for National & Community Service, the federal agency that supports service and volunteering programs to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement. For more information on the Corporation, visit www.nationalservice.gov.

Volunteers can choose to serve at a favored nonprofit or public agency, or be placed with a program that allows use of skills and interests and fits a personal time schedule. RSVP matches the varied interests and skills of volunteers with community needs by offering a diversity of volunteer service opportunities through a wide range of placements. RSVP’s top priority is ensuring self-fulfillment and personal satisfaction through volunteer service. Through volunteering with RSVP, volunteers meet new friends and neighbors, keeps physically and mentally active while providing a wealth of services to the community.

YOUR CONTACT

Director
Janice Mattocks
303 McQueen Blvd
P.O. Box 729
Newport, NC 28570
(252) 223-1652
E-MAIL

COUNTIES SERVED

Carteret & Craven

TRIUMPHS

The RSVP program was successful in acquiring a grant from the Carteret Community Foundation for Medical Transportation.
A partnership was formed between Department of Social Services and RSVP. RSVP will provide medical transportation for DSS’s Medicaid clients. The program is reimbursed for mileage, which is used to provide additional services for those in need.
The RSVP program applied and received HCCBG funds to supplement the ever growing medical transportation program.
A partnership between the RSVP program and Atlantic Beach/Pine Knoll Shores Police Departments formed a new Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS) program. This program started with 6 volunteers and now has 11. These volunteers are dedicated to protecting their community and are really enthusiastic. They raised more than $800.00 and served 9 families for Project Christmas Cheer.
Newport VIPS are continuing to be an asset in the community. The police department advocates for RSVP throughout the state. These volunteers were used as a model for other programs throughout the state. The savings to the town is substantial and the benefit to the police department is immeasurable.
Volunteers participated in the annual food drive for RCS in New Bern. 13 RSVP volunteers and 20 others collected more than 120 pounds of food. These volunteers were honored with a dinner and certificates.
RSVP volunteers made a sizeable contribution to CCA during their Project Holiday Cheer Drive. Several volunteers went to the community for toy contribution and had huge returns.

Stressors

Recruiting volunteers. It is difficult to recruit minority and Hispanic volunteers during these hard economic times. Many volunteers cannot continue to volunteer because of the economy. Many are looking for employment to supplement their incomes.
Difficulty in obtaining timely reports from volunteer stations in order to complete program reporting requirements.
Limited local financial support from the counties served, especially in the area of medical transportation.

Aspirations

To create an RSVP Ambassador program. This program will consist of approximately (8-10) RSVP volunteers willing to advocate for the RSVP program by spreading the word about the benefits of volunteering in our communities. These ambassadors will share the mission of RSVP and CCA and represent the program at community events.
To create a program that would encourage individual volunteers to get involved in their neighborhood or anywhere in the community working one-on-one or with a group to help those in need. RSVP CARES (Community Action Referral and Enrichment Service) will be designed to facilitate an easy transition for volunteers to address those needs and interface with program partners to help without causing a burden on anyone participant. This network of volunteers would be willing to help with physical chores for handicap and elderly clients.
To acquire additional funding that would supplement the RSVP medical transportation program. This funding would purchase and maintain a vehicle for the program and thereby enable us to provide more services to the community.

Donate today

A common thread through all of our services, be they Family Services, Senior Services, or Housing Services, is that we help change lives by providing needed resources and support. Coastal Community Action, Inc. provides needed services to thousands of residents in our region annually.

Donate