Seniors "give back" by volunteering with RSVP Northern Virginia

Story by Rob Paine

RSVP Northern Virginia volunteer Michael McCormick decided it was time “to give back.”

Shortly after McCormick moved to the area from New York five years ago he lost his wife, the person that he says influenced him to go into volunteer work. He recalls “she was always telling me ‘successful people have an obligation to give back.’”

So McCormick signed up to become an RSVP (Retired and Senior Volunteer Program) volunteer and funneled his more than 30 years of experience with the Internal Revenue Service into helping others prepare their taxes through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) CASH program at the Fairfax SkillSource Center in Annandale, one of several (VITA) CASH locations based in Fairfax County that draws volunteers from RSVP.

McCormick volunteers with VITA three evenings a week and a full day on Saturdays during tax season. He says he likes volunteering with RSVP because it is a structured program. He also gets “internal satisfaction” through his volunteer work. Volunteering also makes him feel more part of the community, he says.

RSVP Northern Virginia will hold a volunteer orientation at the Burke Centre Library, Monday, Dec. 18, at 11 a.m. The one hour event is free and open to anyone 55-years-old or older.

The library is located at 5935 Freds Oak Road, in Burke, Va., next to the Fairfax County Parkway. The orientation will be held in the library’s meeting room 116. There is free outdoor parking in front of the building.

To sign up for the free Dec. 18th event, 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. You can also feel free to show up without registering.

RSVP 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.

With its program partners Volunteer Fairfax, Volunteer Arlington and Volunteer Alexandria, RSVP offers a wide array of opportunities including providing rides, support and meals to older neighbors, assisting local veterans in need and helping prepare communities for disasters.

RSVP offers more than 200 different volunteers opportunities to choose from. RSVP serves about 30 of the greatest nonprofits in the region. Volunteer experiences range from driving seniors to doctor's appointments to ushering at Wolf Trap. RSVP's variety make it possible to for volunteers to find opportunities they will love and find meaningful yet ones that are convenient and easy to schedule.

Ron Staley of Herndon joined RSVP after seeing an online request seeking help for the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics. The talented amateur photographer suggested that the NVSO might want a photographer to cover its events.

He attended an RSVP orientation at the Burke Centre Library in August, 2016 and began photographing the senior Olympics the following month. He reprised his role as official NVSO photographer in 2017. Staley also has photographed the annual volunteer picnic for RSVP and Volunteer Fairfax’s annual awards breakfast.\

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

RSVP volunteer Shelley Brosnan (shown in photo during a holiday gift wrapping project in Fair Lakes) of Fairfax has been a lifelong volunteer. “It’s something I have always done,” the Fairfax retiree says.

Brosnan joined RSVP a year ago after a career in business administration. She volunteers at least eight to 10 hours a week in the Volunteer Fairfax headquarters assisting with VF’s Alternative Community Service program. As an RSVP volunteer she also assists several other local nonprofits each year.

She says there are many reasons she enjoys being an RSVP volunteer. “I meet wonderful people and help wonderful organizations,” she says. “It makes you feel good.” Volunteering also connects her with the community, she says.

Ken Kozloff (shown in pool at Providence Recreation Center) donates more than 40 hours of his time each month as an RSVP volunteer. Kozloff helps autistic children learn how to swim, mentors economically disadvantaged citizens on how to manage their finances and directs other volunteers at large events for RSVP, including the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics. The former INOVA Alexandria Hospital CEO turned 70 years old in August.

When he is not volunteering for other organizations Kozloff is a volunteer engagement leader for RSVP, acting as a nonprofit evangelist of sorts, spreading the word on why RSVP is such a great program.

What does Kozloff get out of volunteering?

"The big thing that I get out of volunteering is the satisfaction of helping others," he says. "I love to help others, find out what their goals are and help them achieve them, whether it is teaching an autistic child to swim from one side of the pool to the other, or teaching a stroke patient who would like to learn to swim again.

He also enjoys working with other volunteers and letting them know how important it is to make other people feel good. He tells them that they will feel twice as good because they are helping people.

"What's unique about RSVP is the approach it takes to new volunteers, helping them to find what they're looking to do, not where we are looking to place them," he says.

RSVP asks each prospective volunteer, "How can we help you find that volunteer opportunity that is going to mean something to you?" Kozloff says.

To hear several RSVP volunteers talk about why they "RSVP," please visit RSVP Northern Virginia's Youtube page https://www.youtube.com/result... where you will find links to the RSVP Northern Virginia podcasts that include interviews with volunteers, RSVP staff and representatives from the outstanding nonprofits RSVP Northern Virginia supports with volunteers.