Event Coverage
Realtors Give Back to Seniors in Their Communities through RSVP
One elderly gentleman from Sunnyvale was just recovering from a fall and a bout with pneumonia; another elderly married couple explained the husband, 82, had undergone a triple bypass a few years ago and his wife, 70, has emphysema.
"We try to get things done together, but it takes us a while. We both can't stand for very long and run out of breath," the wife explained to the volunteers.
The volunteers were Realtors and affiliates from the Peninsula and South Bay – approximately 350 were members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors, who took the time from their busy work schedules the week of May 7-12 to participate in RSVP – SILVAR's Realtor Service Volunteer Program. RSVP is an outreach program in which Realtors and affiliates help seniors and the homebound with household tasks which they cannot do on their own.
A Los Gatos woman, who has availed of the service for the past three years, beamed when Chris Mazzucco and Gwyneth Hansen began washing nearly 20 windows in her home.
"I am so pleased, I can't believe these ladies will take the time out to do this," she said. "Every single person who has come here to help me each year has been wonderful."
Ailing with arthritis and osteoporosis, the senior exclaimed, "This program is fantastic for seniors."
It's Hansen's second year as an RSVP volunteer and Mazzucco has been with the program since it started in 2001.
"I love helping people. It's a wonderful way to reach out to the community and give back," said Mazzucco. "It's a way of connecting with people and remembering that we're all part of each other."
A Los Altos senior said, "This program is fabulous. There's no way I can do all these by myself."
The elderly woman is 82 years old and her daughter is 60 and works full-time. She thanked Realtors Julie Rippentrop, Stephanie Schley, Cheryl Okuno and Betty Rooker, as they trimmed her bushes, replaced the batteries on her smoke detectors and rotated her mattresses.
An 84-year-old lady in Sunnyvale who is hard of hearing and has glaucoma and osteoporosis asked the volunteers if it would be too much trouble if they could dust the ledge above the lights in her bathroom. And as Realtor Sue Bose and affiliate Gabe Bodner proceeded to wash her windows and replace her smoke detector batteries, she said, "I don't like to ask too much, but there are things which I can't do by myself. You people are just wonderful for taking the time to do this."
Throughout this week, SILVAR Realtors and affiliates in all of SILVAR's five districts are reaching out to senior residents and helping them with various household chores the seniors can no longer do alone.
One Realtor remarked, "These are things we take for granted in our lives that people need help with. It's good to know that we can help."
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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 email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.