RSVP MARKS FIRST 25 YEARS

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program is celebrating 25 years of faithful service to the region. The program has far-reaching benefits, from helping children to senior citizens and providing volunteers for 110 not-for-profit agencies.

It began in 1973 in Chaffee with 20 senior citizen volunteers. The idea was to match seniors with time to agencies with needs. The concept worked beautifully, and the volunteers were soon in high demand. By the end of the first year, it had expanded to serve all of Scott County, and then stretched into Cape Girardeau County by 1992.

The program helps on so many fronts. First, it gives direction for many seniors who find themselves at loose ends after retirement. It also benefits agencies that are grappling with tight budgets and can't afford to hire much-needed staff.

But perhaps the biggest beneficiaries are the recipients of the volunteers' kindness and attention. RSVP participants can be found reading to schoolchildren or serving as role models to troubled youths. They answer phones or stuff envelopes for agencies. In fact, these talented and energetic senior volunteers can be found just about anywhere they're needed in Scott or Cape Girardeau counties.

If the first 25 years are any indication, RSVP will make a difference in Southeast Missouri for many years to come.