REALTOR®: REALTORS® to Help Seniors with Household Tasks May 3-7
Deadline for senior applications is February 26.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
For homeowners or renters who are advanced in years and physically challenged, tasks like replacing smoke detector batteries, flipping a mattress or washing the windows can be a major chore. Seniors and the homebound who reside on the Peninsula or in the South Bay may now request free assistance with such household tasks through the REALTOR® Service Volunteer Program (RSVP) for the week of May 3-7. Seniors have until Friday, Feb. 26 to apply for the free service.
RSVP is a community outreach program offered free each year to qualified seniors who cannot otherwise perform certain household tasks due to physical or financial constraints. The annual hands-on effort is organized by the members of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® and other trade associations of the real estate industry on the Peninsula and in the South Bay, cooperation with various community organizations and senior centers.
"RSVP is our way of giving back to the communities where we live and work, especially to our senior citizens who have contributed so much to our society," said Eileen Giorgi, Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® RSVP Committee chair. "By helping our seniors with simple household tasks which they can no longer perform alone, we can show our appreciation for what they have done for us."
During RSVP Week, teams of REALTORS® and affiliates (professionals who provide industry-related services) will visit senior citizens and perform various cleaning and maintenance tasks free of charge. Seniors can request to have light bulbs replaced, house numbers installed, furnace filters changed, windows cleaned, mattresses turned or new smoke detector batteries installed. The volunteers also handle minor plumbing tasks, plant spring flowers or help with recycling.
RSVP was adopted in 2002 as an official community outreach project of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®. The program has since expanded to include volunteers from the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS®, the Fresno Association of REALTORS®, the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® and Santa Cruz Association of REALTORS®.
Last year, 330 volunteers from the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® assisted 179 senior households residing in the local trade association's five districts – Los Gatos/Saratoga, Cupertino/Sunnyvale, Los Altos/Mountain View, Palo Alto and Menlo Park/Atherton.
Homeowners or renters who are advanced in years or physically challenged and live in the communities of Atherton, Campbell, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos may apply for the free service by contacting the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® at (408) 200-0100, or visit
www.silvar.org for more information and to download an application.
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.
» Back to Real Estate Articles
