NARSVPD's Presidential Volunteer Service Awards (PVSA) Project 

The National Association of RSVP Directors (NARSVPD) is pleased to announce that it will again pay for normal shipping and the cost of one complete PVSA award package (pin, certificate, letter from the President, and letter from the President's Volunteer Council) at either the Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Lifetime level for each active RSVP volunteer. Visit the PVSA website at www.presidentialserviceawards.gov and register as a certifying organization. It's simple and easy to do. 

Refer to the NARSVPD Website or click here for complete details and instructions for ordering awards. If you need any help with getting certified or ordering awards, feel free to contact Mary Louise Schweikert, National Coordinator, NARSVPD PVSA Project, at gschweik@sunlink.net or at 570.713.8800 (voice).  

Remember - the deadline for placing your order is January 31, 2006! 

White House Conference on Aging

The WHCoA will be held in December 2005, in Washington, DC. The delegates to this conference will debate the most pressing issues facing elders today and in the future, and then make 50 policy recommendations to the President regarding the direction this country should take in meeting the coming elder explosion that will begin as baby boomers born between 1946 and 1962 reach retirement age.
 

The three National Directors Associations for FGP, RSVP, and SCP have written and agreed to jointly support a policy recommendation for the WHCoA that supports using and expanding RSVP, FGP, and SCP as the experienced and cost-effective vehicles to tap the entrepreneurial spirit of the boomers. Studies show that Americans are just as interested in giving back to their communities in meaningful ways as they've been since the 60's. Click here for complete background on the proposed resolution.

As they did for the WHCoA in 1995, the WHCoA Policy Committee is currently engaged in holding Listening Sessions across the country so they can listen to statements from elder advocates and citizens and learn their feelings regarding the direction aging policy should take in the future, especially as it relates to positive aging and the baby boomers. Each of the Listening Sessions is convened by at least one member of the Policy Committee. If we are to see our Policy Recommendation become a reality it is important that directors in the field attend these Listening Sessions and testify in support of the Senior Corps Associations' Policy Recommendation. For more information visit www.whcoa.gov.   

RSVP Directors Attend Amachi Training in Philadelphia

Approximately twenty Senior Corps Directors attended Amachi Training in Philadelphia in June of this year. Reverend Wilson Gooda, formerly the mayor of Philadelphia, conducted the training. The training session was designed to teach directors how to recruit mentors for children of incarcerated parents. RSVP Directors who attended the training through a scholarship from CNCS are: Kathryn Cutlip (OH), Jo-Claire Dotson (WV), Julie Eikamp (ND), Audrey Finlayson (MT), Shanda Cook-Grimes (LA), Nancy Hess (NJ), Kathleen Nagle (SD), Barbara Stiles (NC), Fredda Savett (PA), Annette Schafer (IL), Liane Sims (AZ), Christine Van Landingham (MI) and Mary Edens (NV).

If you are interested in some of the information that they learned regarding service to children of incarcerated parents, contact one of your fellow directors. They may be able to share valuable information with you. 

NARSVPD Legislative Update by Alan Lopatin, Washington Representative

The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to mark up its version of a Fiscal Year 2006 funding measure on July 12, with the full Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to consider the Subcommittee product two days later, on July 14. Hanging in the balance is funding for Senior Corps programs, including RSVP, for the fiscal year beginning on October 1.

Over the past several months, Board members and leadership have been active in getting the message out to Committee members about the importance of sustaining (and EXPANDING) funding for RSVP and opportunities for all senior volunteers.

The House of Representatives has already given its approval to a companion measure, which provides an additional $1.76 million for RSVP over the Fiscal Year 2005 funding level (a total of $60.288 million). The House level embraces the President's proposed increase for RSVP something of an anomaly in a budget which froze, cut, and eliminated scores of Federal domestic programs, including sever cuts in the Community Services Block Grant (the funding source for support of Community Action Agencies, many of which operate Senior Corps programs). Nearly 50 education programs were eliminated in the President's budget and the House Appropriations Bill. Now it's the Senate's turn.

The House measure also accepted the President's proposals for increases in the Senior Companion Program ($1.534 million to $47.438 million) and Foster Grandparent Program (+0.634 million to $112.058 million).

Association members are encouraged to keep up the education effort (and pressure) on Senators as they prepare to consider the Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill. We have been very successful in securing letters of support from other Senators to Subcommittee Chair Arlen Specter (PA) and Ranking Democrat Tom Harkin (IA). That is an important way to secure our legislative goals.

Once the Senate completes action on its version of the Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill (which, for the first time will also include funding for AmeriCorps and the balance of the Corporation for National and Community Service), House and Senate conferees will sit down to resolve their differences, with final action anticipated before the start of the fiscal year.

Other Washington, D.C. Issues

Also on the agenda for the remaining months of the 1st Session of the 109th Congress is other important budget legislation that can impact the Senior Corps and the people we serve. In September, the House and Senate will consider "reconciliation" legislation, which threatens to cut entitlement and direct spending, programs, including Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Student Loan programs. Also on the docket: major tax legislation (repeal or modification of the Estate Tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)), which threatens to deepen the current and future deficit picture and budget outlook -- potentially draining hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue from the Federal budget. Congress has a real potential in the months ahead to tie its hands on finding its way out of the deficit picture absent deep cuts in domestic programming (or defense funding).

The House Committee on Education and the Workforce (Chairman John Boehner (OH) and Ranking Democrat George Miller (CA)) and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (Chairman Mike Enzi (WY) and Ranking Democrat Ted Kennedy (MA)) may also consider legislation to reauthorize the Older Americans Act (including congregate and home-delivered meals and supportive services) in the fall. The rescheduled December convening of the White House Conference on Aging may cause lawmakers to postpone consideration of the Older Americans Act in order to be better informed by the Conference.

And, finally, there is always the fated Social Security Act reform. House and Senate tax-writers (House Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Committee on Finance) have promised Social Security reform prior to the Election Year of 2006. Only time will tell whether program solvency and fulfillment of the President's pledge for "private accounts" will be enacted. 

NARSVPD Membership

The NARSVPD Fiscal Year starts July 1st. Membership dues for 2005-'06 are now being accepted. Project Directors are encouraged to pay their dues to receive the benefits of NARSVPD, including this E-newsletter and regular legislative updates. Twenty-four RSVP directors serve as delegates, alternate delegates and officers on the National Board to represent your project. They are your voice to the Corporation for National Service, Congress, potential funders and other audiences.

Your NARSVPD dues help pay for a contracted Washington D.C. consultant who advocates on behalf of RSVP interests throughout the year. Timely legislative updates keep members aware of congressional and Washington-based developments that impact your programs. The NARSVPD Board provides ongoing advocacy for increased and equitable federal funding and addresses all national issues that affect RSVP. The board also provides opportunities for professional development and technical assistance through workshops and training programs.

Your paid membership gives you voting privileges to select your delegates and officers and to vote at annual meetings. RSVP directors who are paid members of NARSVPD are eligible to serve on the board. You must pay your membership dues by November 1, 2005 to be eligible and vote or run for the Board in the next election.

If you have not received an invoice for your membership renewal, contact your Cluster Delegate listed on the NARSVPD website at www.narsvpd.com  or download the form from the website and send your payment as instructed http://www.narsvpd.com/invoice.doc. 

Two Ways to Support NARSVPD

RSVP Project Directors are encouraged to order their RSVP recognition pins from C. Sanders Emblems. NARSVPD receives a 10% benefit from the sale of RSVP pins. Some projects purchase the pins on an on-going basis and ask that their members wear them while performing their volunteer opportunity. It is a great way to identify volunteers as a member of RSVP. Other projects purchase pins for their recognition event. You can contact C. Sanders Emblems by calling 1-800-336-7467 or e-mailing them at info@csanders.net.

Another resource for NARSVPD fundraising is through the purchase of candy bars. You can buy these sweet, custom designed treats for your project members, honorees, federal, state and local legislators, etc. The 2.25 oz Sayklly's chocolate bar is wrapped with a customized RSVP wrapper that says: "Volunteering Sweetens Life". RSVP is imprinted on the chocolate bar, itself. The bars cost $1.00 each (plus shipping). Sayklly's charges NARSVPD only $.57 per bar and NARSVPD realizes .43 cents per bar for its fundraising program. For ordering details, please contact NARSVPD Board Member, Theresa Nelson at 1-800-562-9136. Note: Candy bars cannot be shipped during summer months due to the potential of being damaged in the heat. But if you are planning your recognition event in the fall, the candy bars can be shipped when the weather gets cooler.  

Twelve RSVP Programs Receive PNS Grants

CNCS announced the recipients of this year's PNS competition.

NARSVPD extends congratulations to the following RSVP Projects who will receive a total of $116,856: