Seniors and the homebound residing on the Peninsula and in the South Bay may request free assistance with household tasks through the REALTOR® Service Volunteer Program (RSVP) during the week of May 2-6. RSVP Week is offered every year in May by REALTORS® and affiliate members from the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) and neighboring REALTOR® associations to qualified seniors who cannot perform certain household tasks due to physical or financial constraints. The deadline for seniors to apply for this free assistance is April 8.
"RSVP is our way of thanking our seniors for all they have done for our communities," said Eileen Giorgi, the local REALTOR® association's RSVP Committee chair. "Through the RSVP program REALTORS® and affiliates can make the difference between a senior remaining independent as a homeowner or renter, or having to give up that independence to some form of caregiving and dependence on strangers."
During RSVP Week, teams of REALTORS® and affiliates (professionals who provide industry-related services) will visit senior households and perform various cleaning and maintenance tasks free of charge. Seniors can request to have light bulbs replaced, furnace filters changed, windows cleaned, mattresses turned, new smoke detector batteries installed, and other light housekeeping tasks.
This year, each of the five districts of SILVAR will be setting aside a special day(s) to help seniors in their communities. RSVP volunteers will help seniors residing in the Los Gatos, Saratoga, Campbell and Monte Sereno communities on Thursday, May 5; Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Los Altos and Mountain View communities on Wednesday, May 4; and Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Atherton, Woodside, Palo Alto and East Palo Alto on Wednesday and Thursday, May 4-5.
The annual community service program was started by members of SILVAR in 2001 and adopted as an official association community outreach project. The program has since expanded to neighboring REALTOR® associations. Last year 130 volunteers from SILVAR assisted 97 senior households in the Menlo Park/Atherton, Palo Alto, Los Altos/Mountain View, Cupertino/Sunnyvale and Los Gatos/Saratoga communities.
Seniors residing in the communities of Atherton, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos may apply for this free service by contacting SILVAR at (408) 200-0100 and requesting an application. Seniors may also visit www.silvar.org to download an application and mail to the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®, 19400 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 100, Cupertino, CA 95014 before the April 8 deadline.
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.
Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.
For further information, please email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.