Volunteer Services
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
The mission of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) is to invite adults age 55 and older to share their life experiences, skills and talents in meaningful volunteer opportunities responding to community needs. RSVP’s key objective is to enrich the lives of seniors by matching their personal interests, life experiences, and skills with rewarding volunteer opportunities in their area. These generous, productive and capable seniors improve the quality of life for hundreds of people one hour at a time. RSVP offices in Manchester and Nashua support over 530 volunteers county wide who provided 85,145 hours of service in 2011. The benefit of these services to the community is estimated at over $2 million dollars. Signature programs offered by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program include:
Thresholds and Decisions
This critical thinking and decision-making course has a twenty-five year history in the northeast. It is delivered to inmates in county jails by trained volunteers. Trained RSVP volunteers meet one-on- one in weekly one hour sessions with selected inmates for twelve weeks. These sessions are also supported by a weekly two hour group session reinforcing the five steps of good decision making. The recidivism rate of graduates of the Thresholds and Decisions Program is 14%, compared to the recidivism rate of the general inmate population, which is over 60%. For more information, contact Lyn Collins at lcollins@snhs.org or call 634-1169.
RSVP Roger M. Collins shows his pen pal the dog tags he wore in Viet Nam during a visit to the Beech Street School.
The Pen Pal Program
RSVP’s award-winning Pen Pal Program partners third grade students with caring and nearby RSVP seniors who, through an exchange of letters, foster an interest in reading and writing to improve language, written communication and social skills. This unique partnership promotes nurturing relationships that share experiential wisdom and encourage the child’s growth into a confident, responsible and caring individual. The Pen Pal Program started in Nashua in 2004 and is also in two schools in the Manchester area.
RSVP Bone Builders
Trained RSVP volunteers deliver the RSVP Bone Builder’s Program at no cost to women (and men at risk) at assigned sites. The RSVP Bone Builders Program relies upon weight training to protect against fractures caused by osteoporosis by increasing muscular strength and bone density. Balance exercises aimed at preventing falls and fractures are key components of the program. Studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine and the Journal of the American Medical Association show that elderly women who participated in a weight training program twice weekly for a year gained an average of 1% of bone density. Participants also reported increased strength, better balance, more energy and feelings of well-being. Participants meet twice a week for a minimum of 6 months. See schedule below:
The RSVP Bone Builder Program uses low-impact weight training to protect against bone fractures and to improve overall health. And it’s fun, too!
Davidson Landing II
145 Ledge St.
Nashua, NH
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 – 11:15 am
(class started April 14, 2010)
Wagner Court
101 Burke St.
Nashua, NH
Monday and Wednesdays from 2-3:15pm
(class started Jan. 10, 2011)
Hallsville Court
870 Hayward St.
Manchester, NH
Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4-5:15 pm
(class started June 14, 2011)
Streeter Shores
76 Temple Street
Nashua, NH
Tuesdays and Fridays from 10-11:15 am
Catholic Medical Center – Wellness Center
100 McGregor Street
Manchester, NH
Thursdays from 5:30-6:30pm
(class starts Thursday, May 24, 2012)
Nashua Senior Activity Center
70 Temple Street
Nashua, NH
Tuesdays & Thursdays from 2:00-3:00pm
(class started February 5, 2013)
For more information on how to become a participant or a group leader contact: Dee Martin 668-8010, Lyn Collins 634-1169 or Denise Charest 598-9421.
Click here for a Bone Builders program brochure!
At-risk Manchester seniors receive help in clearing their yards during the Seniors Count Neighbors Care Fall Yard Clean Up event
RSVP Fixit Corps
The RSVP Fixit Corps provides minor home maintenance and repair for seniors 60 years or older and disabled citizens in Hillsborough County. The work is done by qualified volunteers. The client is responsible for materials only, if materials are needed. An affordable donation is encouraged as it allows the program to continue offering services to others. For more information, contact Dee Martin at (603) 668-8010 x6022 or Denise Charest at (603) 598-9421.
Interested in being an RSVP Fixit Corps volunteer? Click here for the brochure!
Click here for information on how you can receive services from RSVP FixCorps volunteers.
Seniors Count Neighbors Care
Seniors Count is a Manchester community initiative that partners with community organizations to raise awareness, leverage resources and coordinate services for the at-risk elderly members of our community. SNHS, as a Seniors Count collaborating partner, receives funding to support Seniors Count Neighbors Care, a project aimed at assisting frail and at-risk indigent women in Manchester to remain in their homes living independently for as long as possible. Individual volunteers are matched with seniors in need and develop a one-on-one relationship. Services provided include running errands, performing light household tasks, transportation, or just visiting and providing a social connection to the community. As the program has grown, Seniors Count Neighbors Care has partnered with the community service groups of the seven colleges in Manchester as well as local youth groups providing a corps of volunteers for both short and long term opportunities. The project is funded by the Mary Gale Foundation. For more information, contact Heather LaTourette at 634-1169 or hlatourette@snhs.org.
CATCH Healthy Habits
Southern New Hampshire Services in conjunction with the OASIS Institute has received support from the WellPoint Foundation to implement the CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) Healthy Habits Program in Manchester. As part of the phase two implementation, this unique intergenerational program engages adults 50 and older to educate children in kindergarten through grade 5 about nutrition and fitness. The program will address adult and childhood obesity by providing educational sessions on healthy eating and physical activity. As the participating organization SNHS will facilitate the CATCH program in after school, summer and other recreational programs in the city. Volunteer teams of 3-5 adults will present a series of lessons, each lasting 60 minutes that will involve a healthy snack, a health education lesson, and fun physical activities. All training and program materials including food have been provided in the grant from the Oasis Institute.
For more information or to volunteer in this ground breaking program, please contact Lyn Collins at 603-634-1169 or by email at lcollins@snhs.org. Help us make a difference in our community.
