Eileen Kelly has been a dedicated volunteer with Southern Rhode Island Volunteers since 2016. She volunteers in the SRIV office helping out with clerical work twice a week. Chances are if you call the office on a Monday or Wednesday, Eileen is the person you are talking to!

Eileen helps with scheduling client medical appointments, finding volunteer drivers for clients, answering the phones, data entry and other office tasks. Eileen helps keep the SRIV office running smoothly!

Eileen volunteers because she likes the interaction with the clients and volunteers and at the end of the day she feels as though she has helped someone else have a better day.

Previously, Eileen was an administrative assistant for forty years and after retiring, she felt like she needed something to do outside of her home and family.

If you are thinking about retiring, Eileen says she would advise everyone to volunteer.

She says "You are sure to find something that would be a good fit for your schedule because there are several agencies in our community with urgent needs to be fulfilled. You can volunteer as many or as few hours as you feel comfortable doing."

Volunteering has helped Eileen realize that there is always someone out there that needs a helping hand. Working in the SRIV office, you interact and communicate with several different types of clients and individuals in need. Eileen says:

"Until I started volunteering for SRIV, I did not realize the urgent need for services for the elderly in our area. There are many people in our area that need help in order to continue to function as independent people."

SRIV's Retired Senior Volunteer Program is the perfect opportunity if you are looking to add meaning to your life and a way to give back to the community. Just like Eileen, it can quickly open your eyes to the needs of our community and your skills and knowledge will be of great use. If you are interested in signing up as a volunteer, you can get started HERE.

Contact the SRIV office with any questions (401) 552-7661 or email ndelaney@southernrivol.org.