Metro Atlanta RSVP
What: Adults 55 and older providing volunteer peer services to other older adults, including free educational presentations, staffing at community events and one-on-one counseling.. The program is sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission Area Agency on Aging and serves Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties.
Where: Atlanta Regional Commission, Center for Pan Asian Community Services, Clayton Senior Services, Cobb Senior Services, DeKalb Office of Senior Affairs, Gwinnett Council for Seniors, Truly Living Well Center for Urban Agriculture.
Services: Preventive health, nutrition and food security, obesity prevention, transportation options, consumer and Medicare fraud, computer literacy, disaster preparedness and how to access needed programs and benefits.
How to get involved: Must be 55 or older and have an interest in helping empower others with information and resources. Training will be provided and you need not be an expert in any of the subject matters. A six-month commitment is requested. Information: Mary Newton, volunteer coordinator at 404-463-3119 or mnewton@atlantaregional.com.
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission, Area Agency on Aging
Metro Atlanta RSVP by the numbers
177 volunteers
1,220 hours of training
14,904 hours of volunteer service
64,687 individuals served
Statistics are from 2014. Service is equivalent to eight full-time employees.
Source: Atlanta Regional Commission, Area Agency on Aging
When Jerry Moore teaches other older adults he delights in getting a smile out of them.
Moore, 86, is with Metro Atlanta RSVP, volunteers age 55 an older who give peer-to-peer education to other seniors to help them remain healthy and independent. The program is run by the Atlanta Regional Commission with a federal grant through the Corporation for National and Community Service. It serves Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties.
During the course of a year, about 175 Metro Atlanta RSVP volunteers go out into the community to speak at senior centers, libraries, schools and other places seniors are gathering. They participate in health fairs and distribute literature at various other events.
Sometimes the topics are heavy: disaster preparedness, diabetes screening and medication management.
Moore takes photographs, sings and tells funny stories to lighten and lift the mood of his audience.
Having other seniors make these presentations on aging and healthy living is a winning combination, says Kristie Sharp, volunteer and special programs manager with ARC, Area Agency on Aging.
Seniors seem to accept information more readily when it comes from a peer. Some volunteers come to them because they know what it’s like to have diabetes or other chronic illnesses and they can relate to those going through similar struggles, Sharp said.
Volunteers don’t have to know everything, they just need to be able to present information clearly. They receive training through ARC and are armed with materials from experts.
Last year, volunteers in Metro Atlanta RSVP logged almost 15,000 hours and reached more than 64,000 people.
“They are a huge, huge help,” said Sharp.
Volunteers are also valuable at providing feedback on materials and know how best to connect with seniors.
Retiree and volunteer Wilma Jenkins has used her professional background in corporate training and management to develop a more user-friendly format for speakers. She has also helped tweak the evaluation form to measure audience engagement.
Jenkins now serves on the RSVP curriculum review committee and coaches new volunteers. A volunteer since 2011, she has logged more than 1,200 hours and given more than 100 presentations. She was recognized by the Council of Volunteer Administrators of Metro Atlanta (COVA) as Volunteer of the Year for 2014.
Moore, of Atlanta, started volunteering in 2013 after a relative introduced him to the program. Now, the two sometimes make presentations together.
He is also twice retired — from the Navy and from a successful real estate career in Maryland. Born at Grady Hospital in 1928, Moore moved back to Atlanta in 1993.
He’s given presentations on diabetes, the importance of keeping good health records and sexuality.
“I’ve learned that HIV and AIDS are high among seniors,” said Moore. “Seniors, especially senior women, are vulnerable. They don’t ask questions.”
Moore encourages other seniors to keep learning. He also wants to see more seniors become volunteers.
“I’ve always preached, if you make your money off the community, then give something back to the community.”
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