Event Coverage

Realtor volunteers assist over 350 seniors on the Peninsula and in the South Bay

Guadalupe and Bob Lafranchi have lived in Los Altos for 24 years. They are both in their 70s and have no children. They didn't have problems tending their large double-lot backyard filled with fruit trees, luscious plants and hedges, and flowers, until Guadalupe's health declined.

Guadalupe is a diabetic, and then she had an emergency appendectomy about three years ago. Complications from the appendectomy developed and she had to undergo another surgery two months ago in order to repair the damage. That put a halt to her activities.

Bob, who works part-time at Macy's, has lost his strength and couldn't help his wife with the inside and outside chores. So, as Guadalupe’s health declined, so did the housework and the yard work. The hedges grew, untended; the mini roses died from lack of watering.

"I loved to garden, but I couldn’t bend anymore and lots of plants have died because I haven’t been able to water them; even my mini roses died,” Guadalupe said.

Finally, she decided to call for help. On Tuesday, May 9, local Realtors Nick French, Toby Vanderbeek and Mike Jenks knocked on the Lafranchis' door and got to work. The volunteers from the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors® (SILVAR) trimmed the 10-foot tall hedges in the Lafranchis' front yard, so the couple can now see outside their front picture window; they climbed the ladder and washed the many 12-foot high windows around the house; they cleaned the gutters; and they repaired all the leaky faucets in the house.

During the week of May 8-13, 500 Realtor and Affiliate members of SILVAR and SAMCAR visited a total of 352 homes of seniors and the homebound on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. They washed windows, replaced light bulbs, cleaned gutters, changed smoke detector batteries and furnace filters, repaired faucets, strapped water heaters, turned over mattresses and even planted flowers for seniors who are otherwise unable to do these tasks.

RSVP is an annual community service program which started in each of the five districts of SILVAR in 2001, and then adopted as an official association community outreach project in 2002. The program was expanded to members and Affiliates (lenders, title companies, insurance companies, home inspectors, etc.) of SAMCAR in 2003. The Fresno Association of REALTORS® followed suit last year. There are plans to expand the program to other Realtor Associations in California and around the nation.

“It started out as a challenge I gave to our members to come up with an outreach program that didn’t involve money, a project in which they could physically participate and be involved in the community,” David Barca, RSVP Committee Chair, explained. “We began with a test project at SILVAR’s Palo Alto-Menlo Park district and the project germinated.”

Barca is very pleased as RSVP continues to grow each year, and for many seniors, said Barca, “it’s an unexpected surprise. Some have doubted the existence of a project which is free, and they think these Realtors just want to sell them a home, but then, the smiles come on.”

Barca explained that many seniors live alone, do not have relatives nearby, hesitate to seek help from others, or cannot afford to pay to have maintenance work done in their homes. In addition to the help they receive from volunteers, Barca noted, there is the company.

“These folks don’t get a lot of visitors, and it means a lot to them that people care enough to come into their homes, share a conversation and help them with some of these tasks. Some of our members have quietly adopted these seniors and regularly keep in touch with them even after the program. It’s developed lasting friendships.”

The visits are “delightful,” said Barca and many seniors have become repeat customers. He chuckled as he remembered a 103-year-old woman, who has availed of the RSVP program for the past four years, bidding volunteers good-bye and saying, “I’ll see you folks next year!”

"I had heard of the program last year, but was too embarrassed to call,” explained Guadalupe. “I felt I could still do the work. I wanted to try to do the work myself, but with this last surgery, I decided to call for help because I can't afford to pay to have all the work done. I'm so grateful they came today.”

“We are so grateful. You have no idea how happy we are that these men are taking the time off their regular jobs to help us,” Bob and Guadalupe said.

RSVP takes place during the month of May, which is designated as “Adopt-A-Senior” Month. Help extended by SILVAR and SAMCAR volunteers is free to seniors who contact the trade associations.

The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, e-mail , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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