![[Table of Contents]](/icons/up.gif){kind=icon}
[DELAWARE] Samples of America Reads Challenge National Service Initiatives
THE GREATER BRISTOL, CT RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM
America Reads Contact: Patricia Malone
98 Summer Street
Bristol, Connecticut
E-mail: rsvp.bristol.ct@snet.net
Telephone: 860-584-9533 Fax: 860-582-5224
Participation: The Greater Bristol, CT RSVP provides individuals 55 and older the opportunity to impact their community by volunteering their time, experience and knowledge. This enhances the lives of the volunteers and the community they serve. We are a federal non profit program sponsored by the Bristol Community Organization, Inc. We were created by the Corporation for National Service in the early 1970's. There are numerous programs all over the United States. We are also a United Way member.
Tutoring: We currently have 41 senior volunteers serving as tutors and mentors in our four town area. In Bristol our volunteers are involved in 13 public schools and two private schools. In our three other rural towns, our volunteers serve in 4 schools. During 1997 RSVP volunteers served 2711 hours as tutors and mentors. We also have a significant involvement with Head Start and other local preschools. Currently we do not provide training to our volunteers, but rather, leave that up to the school/teachers. We are instituting a more involved America Reads program for which we just received funding, and that will involve more training for our volunteers by Literacy Specialists.
Resources: We rely on the Literacy specialists to direct us to the proper training materials. We hope to purchase handbooks for our volunteers when we begin this new program. We also provide recognition events for our volunteers.
Research: The Board of Education and the Literacy Specialists have decided to do the evaluations.
Relations: We have a partnership with the Board of Education. We utilize many resources in our recruitment efforts which are ongoing for our entire program not just our school program.
-###-