Free Retired & Senior Volunteer Orientation Feb. 6

RSVP Northern Virginia will hold a volunteer orientation at Capital Caring’s Halquist Center, at 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Feb. 6, in Arlington, Va. The hour-long event is free and open to anyone 55-years-young or greater.

RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) is the region’s largest volunteer network for people 55 and older and provides individualized support to seniors seeking service opportunities in and around Fairfax County, Arlington County and the City of Alexandria.

RSVP offers its volunteers more than 200 different opportunities many that are located in the Arlington and Falls Church areas. RSVP’s Gordon Hay of Falls Church volunteers at Capital Caring as well as with The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia.

“At Capitol Caring there are a number of really great volunteer opportunities,” Hay says. “I chose something where there is a really great need that is to be an administrative help.” Hay typically sits at the front desk and is the first person relatives of patients see when they enter the hospice.

RSVP volunteers enjoy flexible schedules, free accident and liability insurance while serving, optional mileage and meal reimbursement and are invited to volunteer group projects and social gatherings.

The Halquist Center is open 24-hours a day, every day of the week. As a volunteer receptionist, Gordon is the first person people will see when entering the hospice. Hay says he makes sure everyone walking in the door gets to the right place.

Hay’s kind and empathetic face is comforting to the family of patients who are dealing with perhaps the most trying periods of their lives. “I know what they are dealing with when they come here,” he says, thanks to his 24 years of experience working with cancer patients in a hospital oncology department.

“I came to learn the importance of hospice for patients who are at the end of their lives,” he says of his oncology background. “It (Capital Caring) is a wonderful program. “

“For people who have retired I think it is important for people to feel productive and to give life meaning, to give life purpose and there are so many, many volunteer opportunities out there,” he says.

The Capital Caring Halquist Center is located at 4715 15th Street, North, near North Glebe Road, a short drive from downtown Falls Church. Ample free outdoor parking is available.

To sign up for the Feb. 6 orientation, please email RSVP Volunteer Specialist Carly Hubicki at chubicki@volunteerfairfax.org or call the RSVP Hotline at 703-403-5360. To learn more about RSVP, please visit www.rsvpnova.org. RSVP Northern Virginia is a volunteer program of Volunteer Fairfax, Volunteer Arlington, and Volunteer Alexandria.

PHOTO CAPTION :RSVP Northern Virginia volunteer Gordon Hay of Falls Church, right, speaks with Capital Caring’s Arlington/ Halquist volunteer services coordinator Amylynn Verrone outside Capital Caring’s Halquist Center in Arlington. RSVP Northern Virginia will be holding a free volunteer orientation at Halquist, Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 10:30 a.m. (Photo by Rob Paine/RSVP Northern Virginia)