RSVP - Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
Services Available
RSVP invites adults 55 and over to serve as volunteers to strengthen and stay connected to their communities.
Collaborating with over 100 local nonprofit and government agencies, RSVP provides volunteers with opportunities utilizing their life experiences and skills to fulfill community needs.
RSVP’s Placement Program offers long-term assignments, in which volunteers fill critical community needs on a regular basis at schools, nutrition sites, nature centers, thrift stores, hospitals, libraries, museums, nursing homes, the Waukesha County courthouse and other nonprofit and government agencies. Click here for a list of community agencies that benefit from RSVP volunteers.
Short-term assignments or special projects, offer volunteers the opportunity to participate in occasional events, such as fairs, festivals, fundraisers or bulk mailings and other clerical or office support.
 Seniors & Students
Collaborating with the Menomonee Falls, Hamilton, and Waukesha School Districts, this program supports elementary and middle school students by assisting school staff to enrich student learning and achievement. This program has been used as a model to expand tutoring and mentoring into some schools in the Kettle Moraine and Arrowhead School Districts.
Volunteers may help in many ways including academic enrichment and clerical activities. Requests are made by school staff and are under their direction. Duties range from corresponding with students as pen pals, listening to students read, memory drills with flash cards, greeting guests upon entering the school, assisting in the library or health room and helping with other teacher-directed activities. Volunteers simply need the desire, time and commitment to work with young people and provide service to our schools. For further information, please contact Becky Hubred in the Hamilton School District at (262) 246-1973 Ext. 1524, or Lynn Walter-Gibbs in the School District of Waukesha at (262) 549-3348 Ext. 304.
 Intergenerational Folk Art Fairs
Since 1994, these all-day events at Waukesha County elementary schools bring young and old together in a fun learning atmosphere. The “fair” is staged in the school gym, where groups of students come in to examine displays, watch demonstrations, ask questions, try activities and make sample projects to take home. Volunteers anticipate eager hands-on involvement with students as they try their hand at sewing on a button, making paper, leather craft or thumbprint art. Twenty five to thirty activities involve
40-50 volunteers per fair.
The purpose of the fair is to preserve our country’s cultural and ethnic heritage and to promote positive, stimulating interaction between students and elders. If you have a hobby or would like to be part of the fun, you can be trained on existing exhibits. There are only six fairs per school year and they are located at different elementary schools throughout the county. Join in on one or several! Contact Baryb Kawatski at (262) 965-7194 to become involved.
Peer Support Program
Peer support volunteers are compassionate people reaching out to others. Supportive relationships are developed with older adults who are having difficulty due to grief, loneliness, depression, anxiety or self-neglect. Monthly volunteer training sessions expand knowledge of community resources, in turn, the volunteer shares, encourages and assists the peer in accessing these resources.
Volunteers spend at least one hour per week with their peers, listening, sharing, problem solving and reminiscing. If you are interested in brightening the life of an elder through companionship, please contact Susan Galkowski at (262) 549-3348 Ext. 222.
 Needlecraft Program
Each year volunteers knit, sew or crochet thousands of items that are donated to over 40 non profit agencies, schools, nursing homes and hospitals in Waukesha County. Lap robes, afghans, baby/toddler quilts, walker and wheelchair bags, hats, mittens, scarves and slipper socks are just a few of the items created. Whether you work individually at home or in a group with friends, what better way to keep busy than by making something to help keep a less fortunate adult or child warm during a Wisconsin winter?
Donations of 4-ply acrylic and baby yarn are always needed for this worthy cause. Consider a yarn drive for your organization’s next service project! To become a volunteer, or for more information on donations, please contact Joan Berg at (262) 549-3348 Ext 232.
 Senior Resource Project of Dousman and Eagle
Connecting adults age 55+ with local organizations who can utilize their skills and experience to meet community needs is the goal of this program. Both volunteers and community programs benefit from these collaborations. Through various volunteer projects, the community at large becomes more aware of the value of seniors and local organizations joining hands to serve one another.
The Program Coordinator also serves as a community resource and referral service to help rural seniors remain living independently in their own homes.
If you are a nonprofit agency in this area, please contact us to discuss the ways senior volunteers can contribute to your mission. For more information contact Baryb Kawatski at (262) 965-7194.
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