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“We
make a living by what
we get; we make a life
by what we give.”
Winston
Churchill |
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SOAR
Volunteer, David Jeffries,
helps a student
prepare
for her GED exam
photo
by Mary
Coyne |
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SOAR is
an RSVP program and part of Senior
Corps, a network of national service
programs that provides older Americans
with the opportunity to apply their
life experience to meeting community
needs. Senior Corps is administered
by the Corporation for National
and Community Service.
Locally sponsored by the Newton Community Service Centers, SOAR volunteers
are recruited from and serve in 7 communities west of Boston: Newton, Wellesley,
Framingham, Natick, Wayland, Ashland and Weston.
SOAR volunteers work in a diverse range of nonprofit
organizations and
public agencies. Among other activities, they mentor
at-risk youth, tutor adults for the high school equivalency exam, visit isolated
elderly neighbors, teach English to immigrants, and serve as court-appointed
child advocates.
Currently, over 300 volunteers contribute nearly 60,000 hours of
valuable service each year at more than 65 local organizations. |
What
We Do
SOAR promotes
productive aging through volunteerism by
matching the
talents and interests of volunteers
age 55 and over with meaningful opportunities
that enhance the quality of life of our
communities. We are committed
to promoting volunteer service as a way
of life, identifying and utilizing the
experience of people age 55 and over, empowering
and respecting individuals, developing
partnerships that benefit communities,
maximizing talent - the combination of
ability, skills, knowledge and experience
- to create a more meaningful experience.
SOAR assists older adults in finding interesting
and rewarding opportunities
in a service area that matches their personal interests
and makes use of their skills and experience.
SOAR offers a variety of volunteer opportunities
that keep people involved
and active while addressing significant community needs
in human services, education, the environment and public safety. |
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Mission
SOAR's mission
is to help meet community needs in Ashland,
Framingham, Natick, Newton, Wayland, Wellesley
and Weston, through unpaid volunteerism,
by recruiting, training, supporting, rewarding
and retaining people over age 55 who share
their skills, experience and expertise
in such a way that both the community and
the individuals are enriched. |
History
Since its
inception in 1966 as SERVE (Serve & Enrich
Retirement through Volunteer Experience),
when twenty three volunteers were first
recruited on Staten Island, RSVP(the
Retired and SeniorVolunteer Program)
has grown into the largest senior volunteer
program in the United States. That
model program
on Staten Island became
part of ACTION (the federal domestic
volunteer
agency) in 1971, which resulted
in the establishment of some 750 RSVP
programs across the country with over
half a million volunteers in service
to
their communities.
As of October 1, 2002, RSVP Metro West headquarted at Newton Community
Service Centers, Inc. in West Newton, Massachusetts, changed its name to SOAR:
Service Opportunities After 55.
RSVP‘s fiscal year 2001 federal budget of $48.8 million was
matched with $46.7 million contributed by states, local governments, and the
private sector.
Its fiscal year 2002 enacted budget was $54.9 million. This
is the latest year for which data are available. |
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