One in Four Older Americans Make $65 Billion Yearly Impact as Community Volunteers
Senior Corps Week – Sept. 19-23 – honors 450,000 corps volunteers; see video on Foster
Grandparents Program
Senior Corps video on Foster Grandparent Program
Sept. 19, 2011 – Data released today by the Corporation for National and Community
Service, as part of the kickoff for Senior Corps Week, indicates that 18.7 million older adults – more than a quarter of those 55 and older –
contributed on average more than 3 billion hours of service in their communities per year between 2008 and 2010.
The Corporation for National and Community Service administers three Senior Corps programs – Foster Grandparents, RSVP,
and Senior Companions – and is honoring the “tremendous contribution” of Senior Corps volunteers during the second annual Senior Corps Week,
September 19–23.
The yearly economic benefit of this service to the nation equals more than $64 billion,
based on the dollar value per volunteer hour.
"Communities across America are seeing the benefits from the talent and skill older Americans offer through
volunteering," said Robert Velasco II, acting CEO of the Corporation for National and Community Service.
"During Senior Corps Week we celebrate the powerful impact of the more than 450,000 Senior Corps volunteers who are
helping to solve problems ranging from poverty and illiteracy to helping seniors continue to live independently."
First study to demonstrate that social service
programs can have the added benefits of improving the cognitive
abilities of older adults volunteers - Dec. 15, 2009
Throughout the year, Senior Corps volunteers contribute to the health and vitality of their communities by meeting
critical local needs, whether tutoring at–risk students, providing job training to veterans, supporting independent living, or responding to
natural disasters.
"As the 78 million–strong Baby Boomer generation looks for ways to give back to their communities, Senior Corps offers a
powerful way to link them to meaningful opportunities to make a difference," said Dr. Erwin Tan, director of
Senior Corps at the Corporation for National and Community Service.
"Older Americans bring a lifetime of skills and experience that can be tapped to meet community challenges. Our Senior
Corps programs engage older Americans in solving problems and serving those most in need, making senior service a vital investment for our
nation now and into the future."
Last year 29,100 Foster Grandparent volunteers provided one–on–one tutoring or mentoring to more than 200,000 at–risk
children. These volunteers play a key role in addressing the academic and social challenges these children face and are demonstrating success
– 81 percent of children served by a Foster Grandparent demonstrated improved academic performance while 90 percent demonstrated improved
self–image.
RSVP, Senior Corps' largest program, celebrates its 40th anniversary this year and engages more than 400,000 volunteers
in tutoring and mentoring children, assisting victims of natural disasters, improving the environment, providing business and technical
expertise to nonprofit organizations, and more. Last year, RSVP volunteers served 62 million hours through more than 65,000 organizations.
Senior Companions support independent living of older adults in need by providing transportation, assisting with
groceries, helping with bills and paperwork and offering respite care. Last year, 14,684 Senior Companion volunteers provided 12 million hours
of service to more than 60,000 elderly adults, allowing them to maintain independent living in their own homes.
"Along with delivering enormous social and economic benefit to communities nationwide, volunteer service also allows
older Americans to remain active and healthy, an outcome that is critical as our nation strives to lower health care costs in times of budget
constraints," said Dr. Tan.
"More than two decades of research establishes a strong relationship between volunteering and health, and we are seeing
that those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression and disease later in life than
those who do not volunteer."
Throughout Senior Corps Week, volunteers, project directors, community leaders, and residents from across the nation will
take part in celebratory events and service activities to honor the remarkable volunteer work of Americans age 55+ who help solve problems,
fill critical community needs, and provide a model for lifelong leadership.
Senior Corps is a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that engages more than
5 million Americans of all ages and backgrounds in service each year through its Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, and Learn and Serve America
programs, and leads President Obama's national call to service initiative, United We Serve.
Senior Corps Week, September 19-23, celebrates the commitment and contribution made by
Senior Corps volunteers and recognizes their critical impact on addressing tough challenges across our nation. For more information about
Senior Corps visit
www.GetInvolved.gov.
Last year 29,100 Foster Grandparent volunteers provided one–on–one tutoring or mentoring to more than 200,000 at–risk
children. These volunteers play a key role in addressing the academic and social challenges these children face and are demonstrating success
– 81 percent of children served by a Foster Grandparent demonstrated improved academic performance while 90 percent demonstrated improved
self–image.
To learn more about these programs, visit