AmeriCorps Seniors Programs Offer Coloradans Volunteer Opportunities

Last year more than 7,000 Americans of all ages and backgrounds volunteered to meet local needs, strengthen communities, and expand opportunity through national service in Colorado. The national AmeriCorps program invested more than $38.8 million in federal funding to support these efforts. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers served at more than 800 locations across Colorado, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans’ facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations. Three of the programs were specifically senior-focused. They are:
AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparents, which engages low-income Americans aged 55 and older in providing one-on-one mentoring and academic support to children with special or exceptional needs.
AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companions, in which low-income Americans aged 55 and older provide supportive, individualized services to help homebound seniors and other adults maintain their dignity and independence. (These first two programs offer modest stipends to volunteers.)
AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program), in which Americans aged 55 and older tutor and mentor youth, respond to natural disasters, support veterans and their families, and meet other critical needs.
To learn if there is an AmeriCorps Seniors program active in your area, get in touch with your nearest Area Agency on Aging. Read about Colorado’s AAAs on our website at https://agewisecolorado.org/blog/colorado-area-agency-on-aging/ and see a location map with contact numbers at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v1Mq1Sw2bVa9hHo-aM0wHkpRkbwoZU_T/view.