Old Colony Elder Services Announces Merger with Mayflower RSVP

Old Colony Elder Services (OCES), the Brockton based regional agency serving older adults and individuals with disabilities throughout greater Brockton and Plymouth County, has acquired the Mayflower Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). As of April 1, 2015, the Mayflower RSVP is integrated with OCES’ Community Programs.

Mayflower RSVP was founded 41 years ago with the mission of helping adults age 55 and older remain active and healthy by providing them with volunteer opportunities in their communities. The organization has operated with grants from the U.S. federal agency Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) and has several hundred volunteers working with service partner organizations. Recently OCES was awarded a three-year grant from CNCS to operate the RSVP of Plymouth County concentrating on focus areas including Economic Opportunity, Education, Veteran and Military Families, and Healthy Futures.

OCES has run its own volunteer programs for many years and has also been a service partner of Mayflower RSVP for the last few years with volunteers in OCES’ Nutrition Program and Money Management Program. The two organizations that share similar missions and philosophies, have been working to transition staff and systems for the last six months.

“Our goals are to further develop the RSVP within the OCES framework, expand opportunities for volunteers of all ages, and deepen relationships with service partners throughout the area,” explained Darcy H. Lee, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of Mayflower RSVP (whose title will become OCES’ Volunteer Program Manager and Mayflower RSVP Project Director).

“Volunteers are essential to our organization. We embrace this exciting development and look forward to working with businesses and citizens throughout the greater Plymouth County area to expand opportunities and promote volunteerism,” said Diana DiGiorgi, Executive Director of OCES.

For more information about Mayflower RSVP, call 508-746-7787 or visit www.mayflowerrsvp.org. For more information about OCES, call 508 584-1561 or visit www.ocesma.org.