National Senior Service Corps


The National Senior Service Corps (Senior Corps) is a network of federally-supported programs that helps people age 55 and older find service opportunities in their home communities. The Senior Corps involves seniors in three types of service:

• The Foster Grandparents Program offers support to children with special needs;
• Senior Companions provide assistance to help elderly individuals live independently;
• Retired and Senior Volunteers tend to a variety of services that range from leading local museum tours to teaching adult education computer classes.

Together, these programs involve over one half million seniors serving in tens of thousands of sites across the country.

Senior Corps: America's Smart Investment

• 80,000 children, teenagers and their families are supported by the services of Foster Grandparents (FGPs) every year.

• Nearly 24,000 FGPs contribute 21.6 million hours of service annually. The value of this service is $262 million and represents more than a 4-fold return on the federal dollars invested in FGP.

• FGP's FY 1994 federal budget of $66.1 million was matched with $30.7 million in cash and donations from states and the local communities in which Foster Grandparents serve. This represents a nonfederal match of 45% for every federal dollar invested -- well over the 10% match required by law.

• Over 12,000 Senior Companions (SCP) provide 12 million hours of service annually to help more than 32,000 frail elderly individuals live independently. The estimated value in terms of saved nursing home costs and services provided is $150 million -- representing more than a 5-fold return on the federal dollars invested in SCP.

• The average cost of nursing home care in the United States exceeds $35,000 annually. The annual federal cost for one Senior Companion serving 20 hours per week is $3,850.

• The Senior Companion Program's FY 1994 federal budget of $29.8 million was supplemented by $17.8 million in cash and in-kind donations from states and the local communities in which Senior Companions serve. This represents a nonfederal match of 60%, or $.60 for every federal dollar invested.

• Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) participants provide over 80 million hours of service annually to communities across the country. The value of this service is about $1 billion and represents a 29-fold return on the federal dollars invested in RSVP.

• Nearly 450,000 RSVP participants serve through more than 60,000 public and nonprofit community organizations.

• RSVP's FY 1994 federal budget of $34.4 million is matched with $36.7 million contributed by states, local governments and the private sector, demonstrating broad support for RSVP across the country. This represents a nonfederal match of 107%.

If you would like more information, call: 1-800-424-8867