About RSVP Manatee
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Manatee County (RSVP Manatee) engages individuals 55 years of age and older in volunteer service to meet critical community needs.
RSVP Manatee currently focuses on four core service categories: Tutoring and Child Literacy, Community-Based Volunteer programs, Neighborhood Safety, and Disaster Preparedness. RSVP Manatee may also address critical needs in the areas of environment, economy, senior services, healthcare, hunger and homelessness, among many others, if resources become available.
RSVP Manatee acts as a community based liaison working in partnership with community members, nonprofits, health and human services providers, county government, disaster-related and faithbased organizations that address critical needs of the community. The information collected by RSVP Manatee is reported semi-annually to the Corporation for National & Community Service and to local representatives in our district.
RSVP volunteers commit to devote their skills and experience to solve community issues on weekly, short term, or long term assignments.
RSVP volunteers receive benefits including free supplemental accident & liability insurance, free skills assessment, the opportunity to utilize experience and skills, the chance to learn something new every day, and the satisfaction of knowing you are making a difference.
Mission Statement
"To engage individuals 55 and older to utilize their skills and lifetime experience through volunteer service in Manatee County."
Agency Information
if you are a Manatee County non-profit, public or faith based organization providing services in Disaster Response, Tutoring and Childhood Literacy, Neighborhood Safety, or Community - Based Volunteer programs, and would like to register with RSVP Manatee please complete the New Agency Registration form and return to RSVP Manatee office.
RSVP volunteers receive free supplemental accident & liability insurance while on duty with your organization. Please click here for more information.
Registered RSVP Manatee partner organizations are to provide training and support, and report the hours completed for RSVP Manatee volunteers on a monthly basis mandated by the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Why track and report volunteer hours?
Reporting hours, along with other data collection is federally mandated. As a federally-funded program, RSVP must abide by the accountability and compliance guidelines and standards set by governmental agencies.
This data also represents a statistical snapshot of what we are accomplishing with regard to the mission of RSVP — which is to engage volunteers in activities that will make a difference in our communities by meeting the needs of nonprofits and the people they serve. The data we collect is sent to legislators and other funders and helps them to determine allocation amounts for our program.
Reporting hours also verifies that our RSVP-registered volunteers have been active over the course of the fiscal year. Only those volunteers who are serving in the current year are eligible to enjoy the benefits of RSVP, e.g., supplemental insurance coverage, recognition events, the newsletters, etc.
Reporting hours keeps RSVP volunteers insured. The hours reported and signed by the volunteer supervisor and/or the volunteer is the only documentation we have that an individual is serving at a site or participating in a volunteer activity. If we have no written documentation, our supplemental insurance policy does not cover that volunteer in the event of injury.
Reporting hours helps local nonprofits tell their story of service to the community and to funders. Accurate records about the volunteers that serve at local sites allow local nonprofits to highlight the fact that they are utilizing volunteers to help provide their services. This represents a cost savings to already tightly-budgeted organizations, as well as in-kind match for their budgets. This leveraging of funds is critical — and potential funders look positively upon this wise and creative fiscal management.
RSVP, through its national efforts and marketing tools, promotes an image of today's seniors as active and contributing members of their communities. This helps to dispel the myths held by some that older adults are a drain on society — financially and otherwise. As a national network of over 500,000 volunteers and 750 projects, the RSVP program promotes expertise and advocacy for volunteerism by older adults. The more we can track, on a local level (and, by extension, a national level) the reality of the contributions of today’s volunteers, the more we help dispel the stereotypes surrounding aging.
Tracking volunteer data is a valuable tool in detailing and highlighting how volunteers impact a community, what they actually accomplish, and just how valuable they are to the operation of hundreds of nonprofit organizations, schools, and health care facilities in communities and cities nationwide. Without the tracking done by RSVP, the efforts of volunteers remain unidentified in any comprehensive way.
Contact Us
RSVP Manatee County
10311 Malachite Drive
Lakewood Ranch, FL 34211
Phone: 941.751.6430
Fax: 941.751.6720
Email: RSVPManatee@FriendshipCenters.org
(RSVP Manatee is officed in the American Red Cross Mid-County Chapter)
Office Hours
Monday - Friday
9:00AM to 5:00PM
Appointments Recommended
Partners
Senior Corps RSVP connects volunteers age 55 and over with service opportunities in their communities that match their skills and availability. From building houses to immunizing children, from enhancing the capacity of non-profit organizations to improving and protecting the environment, RSVP volunteers put their unique talents to work to make a difference
The Corporation for National and Community Service plays a vital role in supporting the American culture of citizenship, service and responsibility. We are a catalyst for change and champion for the ideal that every American has skills and talents to give. The Corporation is the nation’s largest grant maker supporting service and volunteering. Through our all of our programs, we provide opportunities for Americans of all ages and backgrounds to express their patriotism while addressing critical community needs.
Freedom Village Bradenton located in Bradenton, Florida is a Continuing Care Retirement Community. We offer Exceptional Independent Living, Personalized Assisted Living, Alzheimer's and Dementia Care, and Skilled Nursing Care options for seniors. At Freedom Village residents can freely enhance their independence without the responsibilities and burdens of home ownership as they discover a refreshing escape to a gentler pace of life. Freedom Village offers something for everyone and with our dedicated staff available 24 hours a day; you'll rest easy knowing we can meet your every need.
Volunteer
The Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Manatee County (RSVP Manatee) has several volunteer opportunities in Disasater Response, Tutoring and Childhood Literacy, Neighborhood Safety, and Community - based Volunteer programs with organizations throughout Manatee County.
To sample current volunteer opportunities please subscribe to our weekly newsletter highlighting opportunities and events with RSVP Manatee.
The President's Volunteer Service Award
America has a long and proud tradition of volunteer service. Now more than ever, volunteers are renewing their commitment to helping others and making new connections that bring us closer together as families, as neighbors, as communities, and as a Nation.
Recognizing and honoring volunteers sets a standard for service, encourages a sustained commitment to civic participation, and inspires others to make service a central part of their lives. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard – measured by the number of hours of service over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime.
RSVP Manatee is a registered Certifying Organization for the President's Volunteer Service Award. Click here to register and track your hours for RSVP Manatee. Use our Record of Service Key ZWG-40986 to recognize us as your certifying organization.
Forms
Volunteer Forms
RSVP Manatee Advisory Council
CIMA Insurance Coverage for RSVP Volunteers (55+)