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 8-12. RSVP is offered each year in the month of May by Realtor and affiliate members from the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors 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 March 22.
"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, ," said Eileen Giorgi, the local Realtor association's RSVP Committee chair. "RSVP is our way of thanking our seniors for all they have done for our communities."
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. Last year 170 Realtors assist 79 senior households in Silicon Valley senior households in the Menlo Park/Atherton, Palo Alto, Los Altos/Mountain View, Cupertino/Sunnyvale and Los Gatos/Saratoga communities.
This year, each of the five districts of the local Realtor group 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 11; Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Los Altos and Mountain View communities on Wednesday, May 10; and Menlo Park, Portola Valley, Atherton, Woodside, on Monday, May 8; and Palo Alto and East Palo Alto on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 9-10.
The annual community service program was adopted as an official association community outreach project by SILVAR in 2001. The RSVP program has since expanded to other Realtor associations. This year members of the Santa Cruz County Association of Realtors will be helping seniors in their 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 request an application for this free service by contacting the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors at (408) 200-0100. Seniors may also visit www.silvar.org to download an application and mail to Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, 19400 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 100, Cupertino, CA 95014 before the March 22 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.