FRIENDS OF THE RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM OF SUFFOLK, Inc
RSVP - Getting Things Done
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our aim since 1972 has been to offer ALL adults 55+ a meaningful opportunity to use their past professional skills and talents to serve our county. Its a win/win: seniors feel involved, and know they are making a difference. Suffolk County organizations are assisted so that they may deliver their services and mission. RSVP will continue to be the clearinghouse for volunteer opportunities to make it easy and satisfying to be placed at a site that offers either a challenge or fulfills a senior's interest.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
RSVP of Suffolk
RSVP a grantee of AmeriCorpsSeniors places adults 55+ who would like to be involved in community service on Long Island but don't know how to go about the process. RSVP has over 100 volunteer stations that allow us to offer a wide range of opportunities. A few are listed here.
Telephone Reassurance - daily phone calls made by RSVP volunteers to seniors in the community to monitor their well being.
Health Insurance Information Counseling Assistance Program (HIICAP) - trained volunteers guide those with questions about Medicare and Medicaid via phone or in person at libraries or senior centers.
Community Computer Connections Program (CCCP) - donated computers are refurbished by tech-savvy seniors and installed in the homes of individuals in need of this essential technology.
Chronic Disease Self Management Program (CDSMP) - an interactive workshop that provides seniors with information on controlling chronic conditions through exercise, nutrition and peer support.
Telephone Reassurance
Daily phone calls to homebound seniors to socialize and check on their well-being. An emergency backup system is in place when a senior doesn't answer their phone.
Community Computer Connections Program
Business and Corporations donate their pc's to this program, where tech savvy senior volunteers refurbish the pc under a Microsoft Refurbishing License. The recycled computer is reprogrammed with Microsoft programs and given at no charge back to financially challenged families and individuals and veterans who cannot afford this technology. Everyone wins with this program: The environment, the seniors utilizing their IT skills, businesses giving to their less fortunate neighbors and the families that are given this essential tool for employment, communication and enhanced academics.
Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
RSVP is under license with Stanford University to deliver by trained instructors the Chronic Disease Self-Management Course (CDSMP). The Instructors are also trained in Diabetes Self-Management Program (DSMP). These workshops are facilitated for a 6 week period and each session is 2.5 hours. Topics covered are nutrition, communication, exercise among many others and each participant receives a 385 page text that follows the curriculum Stanford has set forth.
Speakers Bureau
RSVP has trained volunteers to address many topics that are senior-related. Subjects such as Senior Scams, De-cluttering your life, Medicare Basics, Scrabble skills, Stroke awareness, Early Heart Attack Warnings and The Power of Positive Thinking are some of the topics delivered to audiences in libraries, senior centers, hospitals, etc.
HIICAP(Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program)
Trained and certified RSVP volunteers give Medicare benefit guidance on our helpline and one-to-one counseling in 18 libraries through Suffolk County, NY
Volunteer Opportunities for Seniors
Agency coordinators place adults who wish to serve their community through volunteerism. RSVP currently has about 700 seniors over 55 who serve at over 100 not-for-profits that RSVP partners with.
Where we work
Awards
Certificate of Recognition 2016
Town of Islip
Affiliations & memberships
Suffolk County Volunteer of the Year Lynn Elinson 2021
Suffolk County Office of County Executive Certificate of Recognition 2021
New York State Assembly Citation 2018
Suffolk County Volunteer of the Year 2016 Irene Grzegorczyk 2016
Suffolk Senior Citizen of the Year RSVP Volunteer Sally Economou 2014
Suffolk County Senior Citizen of the Year RSVP Volunteer Bob Casey 2012
Suffolk County Senior Citizen of the Year RSVP Volunteer Xina Nair 2011
Suffolk County Senior Citizen of the Year RSVP Volunteer John Sciacchitano 2010
External reviews

Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients who report a greater sense of purpose and improved overall wellness
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors, Chronically ill people
Related Program
Chronic Disease Self-Management Program
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients reporting increased knowledge after educational programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors, Low-income people, People with disabilities
Related Program
HIICAP(Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program)
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
We were unable to have face to face interviews in 2020 due to the pandemic therefore feedback was limited.
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Seniors, Older adults, People with disabilities, Low-income people
Related Program
HIICAP(Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program)
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
RSVP Suffolk's goals are to continue to provide the following services through 700 volunteers:
HIICAP Health Insurance Information Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance
Program - providing assistance to the senior population and people that are recipients of Medicaid
and/or Medicare in Suffolk County. We continue to educate and guide people through the maze of these
programs. MIPPA – Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers – assisting low-income
seniors and others with disabilities in applying for benefits from programs that would help them in
paying their Medicare costs. Telephone Reassurance Program – Daily calls to frail and/or vulnerable
homebound seniors with little or no family or community assistance from 2 offices with phone banks for
a health and wellness check. CDSMP - Chronic Disease Self- Management/Diabetes Self-Management -
the curriculum was developed by Stanford University and is completed in a 6- week course (2.5 hours
weekly). RSVP outreach includes veterans, LGBTQ persons, LEP and low-income groups. CCCP -
Community Computer Connections Program – donated computers are refurbished by tech-savvy
seniors and installed in the homes of individuals who are in need of this essential technology. RSVP
Partnering Organizations – where we provide volunteers that work with site supervisors to fill any
positions needed. Some examples of over 100 organizations that we support include the Fire Island
Lighthouse, Fire Island Veteran Home (Stonybrook), Long Island Maritime Museum, Long Island Seaport
and Ecology Center.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
HIICAP Health Insurance Information Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance
Program and MIPPA Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers –Volunteers counsel in
libraries where librarians post our event on their public calendars. During the pandemic we used phone
calls to counsel clients. Potential volunteers and clients are obtained through libraries, senior centers,
Facebook and Constant Contact. Telephone Reassurance Program – volunteers are trained and
annotate the physical and/or emotional disposition of the client on a daily file. Emergency contacts are
alerted if the client doesn’t respond to calls. Police departments are more than helpful in responding to
checking on an elderly client. CDSMP Chronic Disease Self- Management/Diabetes Self-Management -
Attendance at neighborhood health fairs and presentations in person and on video conference
(especially during the pandemic), at community centers and libraries allow us to continue to promote
this program. Flyers for workshops are distributed at food stops made by Island Harvest where we have
a coordinator meeting the commodity trucks to talk about the program and accept registrations. CCCP -
Community Computer Connections Program- Clients are referred by Social Service agencies in both
Nassau and Suffolk counties. Potential clients are then screened for financial need.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
RSVP Suffolk has 700 volunteers and has been serving Suffolk County since 1972. We are a grantee of AmeriCorps Seniors and funded by the Suffolk County Department of the Aging. We have trained staff in the positions of a HIICAP Coordinator, Telephone Reassurance Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator, CCCP Coordinator along with several program assistants all trained to assist in the functioning and training for our programs. Our Board of Directors and Executive Director are experienced in all aspects of our organization.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
We have 700 robust volunteers aged 55+ at RSVP Suffolk and we continue to provide meaningful and interesting opportunities to our seniors in our community. We have managed to continue to operate our programs through the pandemic and still provide volunteers the opportunity to serve the community remotely and more recently in person in many cases. Next we continue to recruit more volunteers to place in service in critically needed assignments as we have for the past 49 years.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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Who are the people you serve with your mission?
We serve seniors 55 and older, and those in need.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Focus groups or interviews (by phone or in person),
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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What significant change resulted from feedback?
We were able to continue our programs throughout Covid remotely to continue to offer our much needed services to our community.
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our funders,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
FRIENDS OF THE RETIRED AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER PROGRAM OF SUFFOLK, Inc
Board of directorsas of 07/18/2022
President Robert Heppenheimer
Guardianship Corp.
Term: 2020 - 2023
VP Robert Rosen
DR Administrative Services, Inc.
Term: 2020 - 2023
Eileen Driscoll
Retired
Reverend Dr. Beresford Adams Adams
First Baptist of Gordon Heights
Janna Visconti
Grabie and Grabie, Elder Law Attorneys
Denise Snow
Grabie and Grabie
John Sciacchitano
Elizabeth Gullo
Tully Law
Victoria Hughes
Catholic Home Care
Kathleen Corcoran
Amy Schiller
Virginia Cash
Patricia Whitlock Ryley
Quontic
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
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Gender identity
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Sexual orientation
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Disability
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