RSVP Celebrates 50 Years of Volunteer Service
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — For a half-century, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program has connected people ages 55 and older with recruitment, training, and placement. For many, RSVP is also a social outlet and provides a sense of purpose in quiet years.
A 50-year anniversary celebration was held at the Berkshire Athenaeum on Wednesday, featuring tables with around 30 organizations that have partnered with the program as well as food and joyful spirits.
Director Lisa Torrey thanked the city for its continued support and commitment.
"They say many hands make light work, RSVP is the epitome of this," she said. "For the past 50 years, our retired senior volunteers have generously donated their time and talents to our community."
RSVP currently partners with around 50 volunteer sites and has 265 active members. They donated almost 33,000 hours of service to the community in 2022. It is a national program funded in part by AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP with 5,000 host sites in the United States and more than 400,000 volunteers.
Pittsfield has been a local sponsor of RSVP since 1973. The first office was located at the former senior center of Bradford Street and led by Courtney Flanders, the inaugural executive director.
Board member Sheila Marinaro has worked with the program for 20 years, serving as the director a decade ago, and is grateful for the lessons it has taught her about life. Whether it is making cookies or giving rides in the RSVP van, Marinaro has tried all of the volunteering opportunities and enjoys putting a smile on peoples' faces.
She began her work with RSVP immediately after losing her husband of 39 years.
"Volunteering can do so much for everybody," she said. "Anybody, whether you're 55 or not."
Normalyn Powers, who was director from the mid-1990s to 2012, traveled from the eastern side of the state for the celebration.
She said RSVP makes retirees feel indispensable and that doing things for others makes a difference.
Board member Tom Hardy retired in 2016 from a career with an unpredictable schedule that made it hard to do public service. Upon retirement, he sought volunteering opportunities and began driving the RSVP van.
"I thought it was worthwhile," he said. "There is a crying need for people to be transported, really, in Berkshire County and I think the program should be dramatically expanded."
RSVP offers van transportation services to people of all ages for access to medical appointments, social services, volunteer assignments, and more.
During the event, a proclamation was read from the commonwealth and from Mayor Linda Tyer.
"Every year when we sit at City Council budget hearing meetings, we hear the number of hours that RSVP provides the city of Pittsfield and without that, it would be a shame," City Council President Peter Marchetti said.
"So thank you for your hard work."
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