Senior Corps
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Senior Corps is a United States government agency under the authority of the Corporation For National and Community Service. Its stated mission is to provide aid to senior citizens in communities while promoting a sense of community. There are about 400,000 members nationwide.
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[edit] Programs
Senior Corps is composed of three main programs: Foster Grandparents, Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and Senior Companions.
[edit] Foster Grandparents
First operational on August 28, 1965, the Foster Grandparents program enables seniors to interact with and support young children, thus acting as foster grandparents. Open to seniors 55 and over, the program's goal is to provide a way in which to help children by providing emotional support to victims of abuse, tutoring, mentoring, and caring for children with disabilities.
[edit] Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
Much like the Foster Grandparents program, RSVP seeks to provide a method in which senior citizens can give back to their community. Flexible in nature, RSVP allows participants to choose how and when they work. The program's goals are wide and varied, and include things such as tutoring children, building homes, helping immunize children, relief services, and aid to community organizations.
One of the more widespread RSVP programs is a Telephone reassurance service. RSVP volunteers contact other seniors by phone to ensure their well being and to provide a friendly chat with the elderly.
[edit] Senior Companions
The Senior Companions program is aimed at helping citizens who need extra assistance to live independently, such as adults with disabilities or those with terminal illnesses. Participants in the program are 55 and over, and, much like with the Foster Grandparents program, provide support, both emotional and physical, to those that require it. This is achieved in many ways, including; assistance with housework, providing transportation, offering companionship, and simply adding richness to their clients' lives.
[edit] History
Senior Corps was formed from a merge of its constituent programs, Foster Grandparents, RSVP, and Senior Companions. The three were originally mandated under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 with similar aims. When the Corporation for National and Community Service was formed by then-president Bill Clinton in 1993, the three organizations were reformed into a single agency--Senior Corps.
