The South Central Texas branch of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) has a lot to be thankful for, so the organization started by celebrating its volunteers on June 26 with a Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon at the Silver Center in Seguin. RSVP - America Reads is a program that pairs local seniors aged 55 and up with Kindergarten through third graders to help foster a lifelong love for reading.
Under the direction of Patricia Buckley, a retired teacher, reading specialist and elementary school principal, RSVP program volunteers work within several San Marcos elementary schools by helping teachers and young students become stronger readers.
“We currently have volunteers in San Marcos at Mendez Elementary, De-Zavala Elementary, Travis Elementary, Twice Blessed Consignment Shop downtown and the San Marcos Public Library,” Buckley said. “We focus on the school programs, where we still provide reading help and practice with students one on one, but we also support other types of volunteer opportunities.”
The RSVP program not only helps young readers, but also provides an opportunity for seniors to give back to the community and interact with others.
“We definitely have fun,” Buckley said. “At the luncheon, we had a sing-along, a great meal and we played Bingo.”
To qualify as a tutor, volunteers must be age 55 or older, complete the volunteer application, be able to commit at least 30 minutes of time per week during the entire school year, pass a school-administered background check and provide regular reporting to the volunteer coordinator. For those in-terested in volunteering, please contact the RSVP - America Reads office by calling 830-379-0300 or via email at [email protected].
