RSVP: Time to resuscitate

It is inconceivable to me that an organization providing so much to so many will come to a halt March 31. A program that has served North Idaho since 1971, with currently 559 caring volunteers, valued at 1.8 million community volunteer hours, has been literally blindsided by its hierarchy. I am referring to the Retired & Senior Volunteer Program under the umbrella of The Area Agency on Aging, Dan English, director, at North Idaho College.

Bob Small has been nothing short of a rigorous and fiscally responsible director of RSVP, always going the extra mile in every endeavor. To insinuate that this program is over budget, when in reality, is under budget, is ludicrous. Yet, we are to blindly believe the Area Agency on Aging’s assertion.

At a previous RSVP Appreciation Banquet, I attended, the VP of North Idaho College, Chris Martin (Finance and Business Affairs), spoke about the wonderful and long existing relationship between RSVP and NIC mentioning the important impact RSVP has throughout our communities. He went on to extol every virtue of this program, so it is obviously valuable to NIC. How can we make it work without CNCS funding?

In a perfect world, we would like to believe these 559 volunteers will keep volunteering. Maybe they will, and good for them, but with the coming lack of any organization, I fear recipients of the RSVP program will suffer. As a community, let’s really RSVP!

LYNN C. AFFELDT

Post Falls