SeniorCare Board of Directors President Thomas Sullivan sent a letter to the Gloucester Times and Salem News Editors to acknowledge AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP volunteers.
To the Editor:
During this season of giving, what better time to thank SeniorCare’s hundreds of volunteers who donate their time and energy to support our community throughout the year? On behalf of the SeniorCare Board of Directors and staff, we applaud you for your efforts. In 2023, 362 volunteers donated over 31,000 hours — serving both Cape Ann and North Shore elders and 17 non-profit organizations who partner with SeniorCare’s AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program.
AmeriCorps Seniors, formerly known as Senior Corps, is part of the AmeriCorps initiative, which was signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1993. The goal of AmeriCorps is to engage Americans of all ages in service to address critical community needs, and the goal of AmeriCorps Seniors is to harness the skills, knowledge, and experience of individuals 55 and older for the benefit of their communities. Nationally, 140,000 AmeriCorps volunteers gave 47 million hours in the past year.
Locally, AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP volunteers provided more than 9,000 hours of service to the Meals on Wheels home-delivered meals program, 1,600-plus hours were given to seniors needing transportation to their medical appointments, 1,000-plus hours were spent hand-crafting beautiful items (blankets, hats, gloves, etc.) that were distributed to hospitals and other organizations, 2,500-plus hours of tax assistance were provided at local libraries, councils on aging, etc., and much more!
As noted in the recent commentary piece, “Celebrate volunteerism: ‘The lifeblood of nonprofits’ (Times, Nov. 23, 2023) from Ken Riehl and Carl Gustin, the services given by volunteers make it possible for many of our local non-profit organizations to exist and flourish — allowing them to provide more of their particular service to the community.
For information on AmeriCorps Seniors opportunities on Cape Ann and the North Shore, contact SeniorCare at 978-281-1750 and ask to speak with the volunteer coordinator, visit our website at www.thevolunteerlink.org, or follow us on Facebook @RSVPNorthshore.
Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season and a spectacular New Year.
Thomas E. Sullivan, MD
President, SeniorCare Inc. Board of Directors