Our Mission

Southern Rhode Island Volunteers’ mission is to support and provide aging-in place assistance, meaningful service opportunities and activities that promote and enhance independent living for mature individuals including seniors, disabled adults, and anyone interested in volunteer service opportunities.

Our Purpose

Southern Rhode Island Volunteers shall provide meaningful, dedicated support for volunteers, volunteerism and service by providing (1) volunteers throughout the southern geographic 1/3 of the State of Rhode Island; (2) quality, meaningful and appropriate service opportunities to the citizens of this area; and (3) helpful health care access, nutrition support and alleviation of isolation services to frail elderly individuals and other adults in need of independent aging help to meet the goal of aging-in-place. SRIV believes in supporting a healthy, active life for all, especially older adults. 

Our Vision

An active community of Independence realized for all.

History

SRIV was incorporated in October 1981 after about a year in service, in response to Washington County's lack of an organization that could engage residents over 60 who were willing to volunteer.  While there were six federally funded Rhode Island Retired Senior Volunteer Programs in RI, all were located in the northern communities of the state.

Annually, approximately 450 Southern Rhode Island Volunteers are active in community service opportunities. Many of our team of volunteers are offering their experience, expertise, skills, talents, time and assistance through multiple placement opportunities.

Annually the SRIV volunteer team provides over 80,000 service hours. The value of their time, talent and energy according to federal resources is at least $1.2 million annually to our communities. Across the nation there are thousands of volunteers engaged in similar service according to the Federal Government. This is a huge gift to your and my neighbors in need, our communities and to all the taxpayers in our area! 

From SRIV’s start-up and ever since, SRIV's modest budget has been supplemented by in-kind support from other sources. The ACTION group funded a volunteer from the VISTA program in the first few years.  The University of Rhode Island Clearinghouse for Volunteers provided technical assistance and postage from 1981 to 1986.  The Kingston Congregational Church continued to provide office space, electricity and heating until 1993.  In December 1991, the Town of Westerly offered SRIV in-kind meeting space in the Westerly Senior Center. Since the fall of 1999, in-kind meeting space has been provided at many area nonprofits when needed. In October 2000, SRIV's main office moved into a space in The Center in South Kingstown.  In December 2011, SRIV opened a larger, more central to the County office at the Charlestown Community Center thanks to assistance from Senator Reed, support and collaboration with Charlestown's leadership and others.  As of 2015, SRIV's services are offered through the Charlestown office and our South Kingstown space is limited to senior specific support including delivery of Meals on Wheels for the South Kingstown, Narragansett area which is managed by SRIV for Meals on Wheels of RI. Many nonprofit and other partners continue to support and collaborate with SRIV as opportunities arise.

SRIV was able to hire its first Director in 1983 with the help of an operating grant from The Rhode Island Foundation.  SRIV received RI state support from 1984 until 2015 through a grant from the Division of Elderly Affairs. SRIV’s major revenue support now comes from the federal grant, generous foundation grants, individual donors and fundraising for our signature program supporting older persons and frail seniors in need, the RSVP and volunteer programs and community services. SRIV has no income; only revenue and therefore continue to apply for grants on a regular basis from local and national donors and relies on the generosity of individual donors who believe in service and helping those in need. Since 1999, SRIV has received support from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), local municipalities, foundations/grant funders, business donors and generous individual donors.  Thank you.

Focus Areas

Southern Rhode Island Volunteers (SRIV) is the leading provider of volunteer resources for non-profit organizations throughout Southern Rhode Island. SRIV is the "clearinghouse" for volunteer activity in this region, connecting good people with good causes and addressing needs and changing lives. Supporting Independence in Aging and Volunteer Opportunities is what we do.

What Southern Rhode Island Volunteers does:

  • Identifies individuals with a desire to serve and a willingness to make that commitment

  • Recruits, places and supports our volunteers who are providing help to our communities and neighbors

  • Credentials/vets all adult volunteers by conducting background checks on criminal history and sexual predator registration

  • Matches the individual volunteer's desire to serve with local community service opportunities that meet that person’s goals

  • Provides supplemental insurance, mileage reimbursement and flexible service opportunities including hours and types

  • Identifies ways that this service agency can make a meaningful impact for individuals and communities in need and then does something about that

SRIV manages three program areas: Independent Aging Services Support, Volunteer Resources, and SRIV Disaster Preparedness Team.

SRIV serves at-risk populations including frail older persons, Veterans, disabled persons (55 plus years of age) through our Independent Aging Support program and through our volunteer resources, elders, nonprofits, children and families, and the community at large

Services for mature individuals:

  • Manages food delivery programs including the Meals on Wheels of RI delivery for South Kingstown and Narragansett; delivery of groceries, food from food pantries and farmer's’ markets, also provides limited assistance with online grocery ordering & delivery weekly

  • Manages the only comprehensive and free southern RI, Washington County-based transportation ride service to medical appointments, grocery stores, pharmacy, food pantries, housing appointments and the like for older persons who are challenged with access to these services as well as are dealing with chronic disease, temporary illness and injury all while attempting to live and age independently

  • Provides free visitation/companionship for homebound elders and/or respite support to primary caregivers to alleviate their isolation and the burden of the same

  • Provides delivery of library materials in collaboration with area libraries (in limited communities)

  • Provides meaningful volunteer service opportunities for those interested in serving their communities

Services for nonprofits and the greater community:

  • SRIV provides volunteers to Meals on Wheels of RI for delivery of meals in Charlestown, Richmond, Hopkinton, and Westerly

  • Provides volunteers who have been registered and vetted to 25 nonprofit agencies across our region who host a myraid of missions including food security, housing, therapy, education, health care, the arts and more.

  • Supports local emergency management relative to crisis/disaster preparedness by providing trained, ready volunteers who are called upon to assist in staffing area shelters and respond when called upon by emergency managers in South Kingstown and Narragansett (volunteers are recruited for the Chariho area as well). Volunteers are referred to other communities with established teams.