Q: Who can volunteer?

A: SRIV engages volunteers of all ages (children under 13 years are welcome to accompany parents on appropriate volunteer activities). Volunteers 13-17 years of age are welcome for age appropriate service opportunities and to complete school and civic community service hours. Locations/agencies for teens are very limited. Volunteers 18 plus years of age are welcome for any/all opportunities. A criminal history background check is required for all 18 plus years of age volunteers prior to placement. SRIV also conducts checks of national sexual predator registries prior to placement. Volunteers are welcome regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability.

Q: How do I get started?

A: Complete your volunteer sign up form and complete the Attorney General's Disclaimer for a Criminal History Background Check which must include a copy of your driver’s license or state issued ID and be accompanied by $5 in cash or a $5 check made payable to the RI Attorney General.

Or you can print-out, complete and mail these forms to SRIV, P.O. Box 1047 Charlestown, RI 02813 or call our main office at (401) 552-7661 and we will mail you the forms.

B: Make an appointment for your volunteer orientation with a staff member and placement in a volunteer opportunity to meet your interests and goals.

Q: Where can I volunteer?

A: You can volunteer at one or more of our 25 plus Community Partners in a myriad of meaningful opportunities or internally at SRIV making a difference in some of the following ways:

Independent Aging Services Program:

  • Transport assistance for homebound seniors or disabled adults to healthcare appointments, pharmacies, grocery stores, personal care-hair salons & barbers, housing appointments and independence necessary appointments.

  • Delivery of food: Meals on Wheels, grocery store pick up and delivery, food pantry and/or farmers’ markets food delivery.

  • Personal grocery shopping and delivery for a specific senior client.

  • Companionship/visitation for a homebound older senior and/or respite care for their full-time caregiver (telephone visitation also)

  • Minor home safety assistance (seasonal)—walkways only—-fall clean up of walkways into the home to remove twig and leaf debris, snow shoveling during winter after storms with snowfall of 3 inches or more of walkways into the home, paths to outdoor trash cans or other safety areas—no shoveling of driveways.

  • Rolling library delivery of books and reading materials for homebound seniors.

Disaster Preparedness & Response Team: Team members support our local Emergency Managers when called upon during a time of community crisis. SRIV volunteers are provided trainings in a variety of subjects to support them and their efforts when responding to a community need. The tasks a team member take on include staffing shelters in shelter positions such as registration, food service, dormitory supervision, activities, logistics, management, communication including ham radio operators and more; supporting first responders/local EMA in the community through people traffic direction and/or water or food distribution at PODs (Points of Distribution) and other activities that our local EMA may call upon our team to help with. This service opportunity is need basis and very flexible in terms of time. Our volunteers also support local community events by providing traffic direction and parking at local events during the summer season.

Community Events: SRIV supports local community events such as the Charlestown Seafood Festival, the Washington County Fair, Duffle Bag Bash for Adoption RI, and two agency events annually Edna Bernier Memorial Bowled Over for SRIVolunteers (March/April) and Applumpkin (a fall festival October). Other events as posted on our Facebook page or news/events pages on our website.

SRIV's office/programs/services: There are many opportunities in the office and flexible schedules 2 to 4 hours depending on what you’d like to do. Support the hundreds of volunteers who are supporting our southern third of Rhode Island behind the scenes at our Charlestown office: Clerical tasks, answering phones assisting seniors in need and/or volunteers, client contact to access services and more, data entry, and other behind the scenes support tasks. Shifts at our Charlestown office are: 9:30 am to 12:30 pm or 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm Monday through Thursday. You could help promote SRIV as well through delivery of brochures to medical offices, grocery and other high-traffic areas where seniors and/or volunteers might frequent. We have something for everyone interested in volunteerism.

Q:  Where does SRIV's funding come from?

A: SRIV receives a federal grant of $50,000 supporting the Washington County RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program). All other sources of revenue are derived from foundation grants, individual donors, limited municipal appropriations and fundraising efforts. The largest portion of SRIV’s revenues are received from generous individual donors and foundation grants. SRIV does not charge any fees for assistance to those in need. Your generosity for neighbors in need is the fuel that propels SRIV’s services to older seniors, disabled individuals, Veterans, children in educational settings, our communities, and more each and every year. Thank you!