History:

1965 : Launched by the Community Service Society of New York as a pilot project, SERVE (Serve and Enrich Retirement by Volunteer Experience) on Staten Island.

1969: Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) was created as a volunteer program of the Administration on Aging by Title VI, Part A of the Older Americans Act, as amended.

1971: Eleven programs were launched in June under the auspices of Administration on Aging. Became a program of the national volunteer service agency, ACTION, in July of the same year.

1973: Designated along with the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent Programs as ACTION's Older American Volunteer Programs (OAVP) by Title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act.

1993: OAVP reauthorized as the National Senior Volunteer Corps by National and Community Service Trust Act. Name changed to the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program.

Current:
Now known as the National Senior Service Corps and administered by the Corporation for National Service.

Mission :
RSVP provides volunteer opportunities for people aged 55 and older with a myriad of experience and interests from all economic, educational, and social backgrounds to serve on a regular basis in a variety of settings throughout the communities. RSVP volunteers provide services that utilize their own talents and interests; and present their communities with a rich array of options for addressing the full spectrum of community needs.

Program Description:
RSVP volunteers serve part-time, for an average of three to four hours per week, through a variety of local non-profit organizations, agencies, institutions designated as volunteer stations. Volunteers may receive reimbursement for transportation or other expenses. On-duty accident and liability insurance is provided.

Clients Served:
A full spectrum of people from birth to old age, including homeless or isolated people, people with AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, or other acute, chronic, or terminal illnesses, frail homebound older people, "latchkey" children, low-income families, teen mothers, disaster victims, at-risk youth, veterans, people with physical, mental, or learning disabilities, substance abusers, adult illiteracy projects, family caregivers, seniors in nutrition programs.

Volunteer Sites:
Private homes, courts, police departments, hospices, schools, libraries, day care and Head State Centers, hospitals, nursing homes, economic development agencies, senior centers, homeless or domestic violence shelters.

Impact:
RSVP volunteers provided 81 million hours of service, valuing $982 million dollars, in 1995.
455,000 RSVP volunteers serve through 63,000 public and non-public community agencies.
Volunteers serve through 757 programs sponsored and managed by local non-profit agencies in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.