RSVP looking to recruit volunteers this spring

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - The Retired Senior Volunteer Patrol is recruiting a new class of volunteers this spring who will visit seniors who are in need of some company.

RSVP is a program by seniors, for seniors. It provides volunteers, who are ages 55 and up, a chance to get out of the house and stay connected in the community all while helping their peers.

“So many of our clients have no one else but us,” said Florence McLennan, RSVP Office Manager. “And the clients are just so, so excited to see us.”

RSVP volunteers visit seniors who have had a hard time leaving their homes.

“Sometimes, we’re the only people they get to see the whole week,” said Lois Mixer, an RSVP volunteer. “They don’t have any family or anything. They’re very interesting. They talk about the past and the present. They really enjoy it. I really enjoy it.”

Visits last anywhere from 10 minutes to hours which provides much -needed company to those who live alone.

“Everybody has a story and they’re very interesting people. So, I follow their story and they follow mine,” said RSVP volunteer Denise Kern. “It’s just a great way to get out into the community and meet people.”

RSVP volunteers also benefit. They receive training, mileage reimbursement, volunteer insurance, an annual recognition banquet and a new-found family.

“The biggest benefit for me is that I’m totally accepted by the people we visit,” said Sister Camilla Lochotzki, an RSVP volunteer. “It shows that each other of us has a goodness inside of us that sometimes we don’t understand or respect, but other people do.”

The RSVP program will be recruiting its new class of volunteers for its training class starting May 1.

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