RSVP of Lee County

The "Retired Senior Volunteer Program" (RSVP) was authorized under the Older Americans Act of 1965 by the United States Congress. In 1971, funds were appropriated to the Administration on Aging to initiate RSVP projects nationwide. Later, RSVP was transferred to ACTION, the Federal Agency for Volunteerism, which also included programs such as the Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and AmeriCorps. Presently, there are RSVP projects in all fifty states, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. In Florida, over 27,000 volunteers are serving in RSVP programs.

RSVP is one of the agency’s most flexible grant programs. Organizations determine where the need is greatest and how volunteers can respond to the need as long as it falls within one of AmeriCorps’ six focus areas: Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity, Environmental Stewardship, Education, Healthy Futures, and Veterans & Military Members.