June 6, 2019 – Washington Co., WI – Representatives from Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County will be in Madison today to accept an award for Senior Corps Program of the Year.
The Interfaith RSVP program through Interfaith Caregivers of Washington County began in 2017. Based in West Bend, its mission is “to connect seniors with caring volunteers” with a vision that “all seniors in Washington County will have access to the resources necessary to maintain safe, healthy independence and age in place.”
RSVP Interfaith of Washington County provides volunteer transportation and other assistance services for anyone in the county who is over the age of 60 and is of limited means and mobility. In 2018, RSVP Interfaith of Washington County volunteers served over 1,000 elderly citizens in Washington County with 11,708 rides in a volunteer’s personal vehicle or in one of Interfaith’s fleet of eight wheelchair-accessible minivans.
In 2018, RSVP volunteers drove over 220,000 miles to 290 unique service destinations, with over 2,000 of these rides serving wheelchair-bound seniors and over 3,500 to out of county destinations where public transportation does not serve.
Interfaith RSVP volunteers also provided over 5,000 “other” assistance services, including spring and fall yard clean-up, friendly visits, therapy dog visits, reassurance calls, light housekeeping, home repair, snow shoveling, stock box and meals on wheels delivery, and other services as requested. Interfaith RSVP volunteers are also trained in Elder Abuse Prevention in order to identify and mitigate financial fraud, abuse, and neglect and to provide education on elder abuse to at-risk seniors and their caregivers.
Additionally, RSVP volunteers operate a durable health equipment lending program at two sites in Washington County and a community resource referral program, making it possible to loan out over 1,000 pieces of equipment. Through the transportation services that allow seniors to continue to live independently, the socialization and companionship provided to home bound seniors through friendly visits, and to seniors as a whole through other services, Washington County is a better place for its aging population because of the service of RSVP Interfaith of Washington County volunteers.
