I would like to nominate Greene County Department for the Aging’s RSVP Program for the Service Impact Award. Greene County Department for the Aging’s RSVP volunteers have been making an impact in their community for the last 35 years and continue to make an impact on lives of seniors in our local communities. Greene County Department for the Aging (GCDFA) operates a Homebound Meals Program for homebound seniors located in Greene County, New York. RSVP volunteers deliver meals to homebound seniors five days a week. Last year 144 RSVP volunteers volunteered 5,382 hours delivering meals to homebound seniors’ who without access to nutritionally balanced meals would be at greater risk of losing their ability to continue living independently.  Volunteers are dispatched from five senior centers and four satellite locations throughout the 653 square mile rural county. Greene County is large rural county with no cities and only five villages which account for only 25% of the county’s population.  Public transportation is extremely limited in most areas of the county greatly increasing the number of homebound seniors. During the year from 2009-2010 volunteers delivered 56,100 meals to 356 homebound clients.

Additionally Greene County Department for the Aging operates a Homebound Medical Transportation Program using RSVP volunteer drivers.  Last year 39 RSVP volunteers volunteered a total  of 5,270 hours providing 2,916 rides to 172 elderly homebound clients many of these rides being out of the county due to the fact that Greene County has no hospital.

RSVP volunteers continue to make an impact on the healthy futures of Greene County seniors by providing them access to nutritionally balanced meals and transportation to medical services.