RSVP
Above: RSVP
volunteer Ruby
Brown says she
enjoys being a
greeter for events
held through-
out the year at
the Mississippi
Industrial
Heritage Museum
Soule’ Steam Feed
Works as well as
to visitors at the
Welcome Center.
28•
O
Retired Senior
Volunteer Program
continues to thrive
Story by Lisa Sollie • Contributing writer
Photo by Paula Merritt
ne of Lauderdale County’s best
kept secrets is also one of the
largest volunteer efforts in the
nation.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer
Program (RSVP) is part of Senior Corp, a
network of national service programs for
American’s 55 years and older. RSVP has
served as a community impact program
of the United Way of East Mississippi and
has been sponsored by the United Way
since 1974.
According to director Tim Putnam,
RSVP links retired and or senior
adults with local identified agencies in
Lauderdale County providing the volun-
teers opportunities to serve their commu-
nity in an impactful and meaningful way.
“A lot of folks may not be aware RSVP
exists, but our local program is thriving. We
have anywhere from 155-165 members who,
in 2019, donated 14,000 hours at approxi-
mately 42 sites or stations,” he noted.
Putnam estimates that roughly 70 per-
cent of the volunteers are between the
ages of 65-80 and around 80 percent are
female.
continued on page 30
TIMELESS MERIDIAN