Senior Corps Recovery- Next Steps

Pandemic Recovery: The Path Forward for Senior Corps Programs and Service

July 2020

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To: Senior Corps Grantees/Sponsors

From: Deborah Cox-Roush, Director Senior Corps

Date: July 23, 2020; Revised August 6, 2020

Re: Pandemic Recovery Return to Service Recommendations

In late March of 2020 through today, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our country has been plunged into a series of events 

that we have not experienced in modern history. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, our country has experienced an 

unprecedented decline of the stock market, business closures and unparalleled unemployment, food pantries overrun 

with families who in the past donated to such organizations now need the services of them, and in the most simplest 

terms a complete overflow of citizens needing services from our nation’s health care system. 

Now as the calendar moves through the summer of 2020, we must look towards the recovery and reopening of our nation 

and plan for the role Senior Corps Volunteers will serve in as we restructure our business operations and our volunteer 

service programs during this new unprecedented period.

Summary of Flexibilities Currently Provided to Grantees

COVID-19 has had a direct impact on many grantees’ ability to continue normal program operations in communities 

across the country. Following local, state, and federal guidelines, many sponsors have suspended volunteer activities to 

ensure the safety of their staff and our Senior Corps Volunteers. During these exceptional circumstances, Senior Corps 

has focused on finding new ways to ensure that while programs are suspended, we are proactively looking towards 

recovery, we are prepared to meet the needs of communities when the programs are able to reopen. 

To help support those efforts, Senior Corps approved a number of relief measures that can help ensure compliance with 

the legal requirements of grant awards and maintain the integrity of the Senior Corps programs, while at the same time 

giving grantees the comfort of knowing they will have the funding needed to meet the needs of the communities they 

serve on the other side of this pandemic. To date, relief efforts include:

• Temporary volunteer allowance for FGP/SCP Volunteers

• Grantee Matching funds waiver for FY2019 and FY2020

• Extension of FFR and PPR reporting due dates for Quarter 3 grantees

• Support of OMB directive for grantee staff pay

• Additional guidance regarding carry-forward and no-cost extension for FY2020 funds 

Next Steps

Based on information provided by the Senior Corps Associations and their boards, discussions with grantees and 

sponsors, and following the recommendation of CNCS and with the approval from the Office of General Counsel, 

described below is a framework for reopening Senior Corps volunteer service opportunities. This document is not an 

exclusive list nor a required plan of action, rather a compilation of recommended safe service practices and service 

flexibilities that Senior Corps grantees may consider during these unprecedented times.

Title: Pandemic Recovery: The Path Forward for Senior Corps Programs and Service

Date Issued: July23, 2020; Revised August 6, 2020

Date Posted: August 6, 2020

Unique Identifier: SC 006

Topic: Pandemic recovery return to service recommendations

Summary: Guidance for Senior Corps grantees on returning to service during the COVID-19
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Senior Corps recognizes in many places volunteer service is going to look very different. Senior Corps promotes safe 

volunteering practices as the well-being of our volunteers is our first priority. The impact of Senior Corps Volunteers is 

undeniable and is crucial for the reopening of America, but all programs must evaluate what that means and how that 

will be defined in their own communities.

Safe Volunteering – A Pathway to Service

As our country continues to struggle with the COVID-19 Pandemic, Senior Corps service programs are having to strike a 

balance between maintaining the basic functions of program delivery while ensuring safe volunteering practices. Senior 

Corps grantees have always responded to local community needs through a wide variety of service delivery models and 

during this time of a nationwide pandemic that will be no different. Furthermore, as communities move to next steps to 

reopening, it will no longer be a question of if Senior Corps programs will use technology in service activities, but rather 

how technology will be utilized in service activities to support safe volunteering. These are uncharted waters and Senior 

Corps is committed to continuing to explore discrete options to support safe volunteering and a return to service. 

There has never been a one-size-fits-all approach for all programs or all communities, and that will not change. The need 

for continued flexibilities in volunteer activities is critical at this time, while also providing a balance within the realm of 

allowable activities outlined under each Senior Corps program’s federal regulations. 

Safety Recommendations – Return to Service 

In light of state and local government officials across the country’s easing up on the stringent business and government 

closures and stay-at-home orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, grantees should now prepare and implement return-tovolunteer service plans that promote both volunteers’ safety and appropriate social-distancing service activities while also 

reducing any risk to the COVID -19 virus for volunteers and the individuals and communities they serve. Below are 

recommendations for grantees and volunteer stations to consider.

• Senior Corps strongly recommends grantees follow the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reopening guidance, 

and their own state and county re-opening measures. Senior Corps is mindful that each location may be on a 

different timeline based on each state’s local conditions and specific geographic region.

• Senior Corps recommends that grantees ensure physical service locations (volunteer stations) are safe and, social 

distancing measures are implemented.

• Senior Corps recommends that grantees provide an ample amount of cleaning products and hand sanitizer for 

volunteers to use on their own and in commonly used shared spaces.

• Senior Corps recommends that grantees ensure that volunteers wear face coverings at service locations where 

appropriate. For those volunteers who are unable to wear face coverings due to a medical condition or disability, 

the grantees should consider assigning those volunteers to teleservice work or other service activities that will not 

require a face covering.

• Senior Corps recommends that grantees close off access to physical service location common areas, break rooms, 

and other areas where volunteers congregate.

• Senior Corps recommends that grantees strongly discourage visitors from entering grantee and volunteer station 

facilities.

• Senior Corps recommends that grantees schedule volunteers’ return to service at physical service locations on 

staggered shifts and/or rotating schedules.
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• Senior Corps recommends that grantees establish a protocol for health screening and apply it consistently to all 

volunteers who are volunteering at a service location. Grantees should consider legal and logistical issues before 

implementing any health screening measures for volunteers.

• Senior Corps recommends that grantees develop and implement a health screening survey or questionnaire for 

volunteers that is simple and easy to access. The survey or questionnaire could ask volunteers whether they have 

tested positive for COVID-19, have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by a medical professional; have been directed 

to self-isolate by a public health authority or by a healthcare provider due to potential exposure to COVID-19. 

Completed surveys and questionnaires should be maintained as confidential information in a separate and secure 

location. 

• Senior Corps recommends that grantees issue a policy requiring volunteers to inform the grantee promptly if they 

test positive for or are diagnosed with COVID-19 and to stay home and includes meeting any state-specific 

notification requirements. The policy should give the grantee the opportunity to take steps quickly to prevent the 

infection from spreading in their facilities or service locations. 

Service Activities- Common Traditional and New Permissible Flexibilities to Serve

The flexibilities identified below have been deemed permissible service activities for Senior Corps Volunteers during this 

time of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The Service Activities listed below are presented as options and should not be 

considered as an all-inclusive list. 

*FGP – these service activities were pulled from the FGP Handbook - 7.1.2 Foster Grandparent Assignments

**RSVP – these service activities were pulled from the RSVP Handbook - 7.2.1 Selection of Assignments Range of Options

***SCP – these service activities were pulled from the SCP Handbook - 7.1.2 Senior Companion Assignments

Foster Grandparent Program RSVP Senior Companion Program

Encourage the social and emotional 

development of disadvantaged young 

children. *

All service activities listed for the 

Foster Grandparent and Senior 

Companion Program.

Accompany the client to social 

activities and medical appointments. 

***

Read to a child in a Head Start 

program. *

Organize neighborhood watch 

programs. **

Assist with activities of daily living 

such as meal preparation, grocery 

shopping, offering medication 

reminders. ***

Teach English to a child for whom it 

is a second language. *

Tutor and mentor disadvantaged or 

disabled youth. **

Provide transportation to social 

activities or for basic errands. ***

Tutor disadvantaged youth towards 

GED completion. *

Renovate homes. ** Participate in reading together or 

writing correspondence programs. ***

Tutor/mentor student in-person or 

virtually.

Teach English to immigrants. ** Write letters via a pen pal program to 

home-bound or isolated seniors.

Tutor/mentor student over the 

telephone or through a tutoring callin line.

Assist victims of natural disasters. ** Telephone or video chats with homebound or isolated seniors.

Support students in their efforts to 

complete special projects or the 

development of student packets for 

distance learning.

Write letters via a pen pal programs 

for example with but not limited to 

students, veterans, home-bound or 

isolated seniors.

Delivery of groceries, medications, 

meals or other essential items to but 

limited to home-bound or isolated 

seniors.
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Read books with children virtually 

and engage with the students in 

discussion questions regarding the 

book. Could be done virtually, 

through stories being recorded by the 

volunteer or over the telephone.

Telephone or video chats with but not 

limited to students, veterans, homebound or isolated seniors.

Provide respite relief through virtual 

support utilizing FaceTime or similar 

technology. 

Serve as a pen pal for both writing 

skills development and social 

support.

Delivery groceries, medications, 

meals or other essential items to but 

limited to veterans, home-bound or 

isolated seniors.

Telephone or wellness checks on 

other seniors through an established 

state or Department of Aging call 

plan.

Support connecting to educational 

resources for both students and 

parents, i.e. library/book mobile 

resources.

Transportation programs for 

veterans, home-bound or isolated 

seniors.

Support admission and release 

activities each day to ensure safe 

practices for students.

Support student learning efforts 

through providing administrative 

support for teachers.

Serve as school greeters to welcome 

and reassure parents/children 

throughout the school day and ensure 

safe learning environments as 

parents/children enter school 

buildings.

Support the work of community 

gardens projects.

Support the preparation and/or 

delivery of meals to students.

Serve at Meals on Wheels programs, 

Food Pantries, and/or other 

community food drive initiatives. 

Telephone wellness check-ins with 

students focused on overall wellbeing of student not necessarily a 

learning objective. 

Serve at drive-through Volunteer 

Income Tax Assistance Programs.

Telephone check-ins with 

parents/caregiver to determine what 

learning resources are needed to 

support students virtual learning 

needs.

Support COVID-19 community-based 

contact tracing initiatives. 

Create science mystery boxes or takehome activities for students to 

explore.

Create video demonstrations of new 

skills students can explore at home. 

Videos could include but not limited 

to cooking, sewing, or woodworking.

Provide to children with special or 

exceptional needs or circumstances 

life skills lesson on topics such as but 

not limited to job readiness, virtual 

job interview practice, school 

readiness, budgeting, hygiene, or 

meal planning.
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Deliver meals to isolated children 

with special or exceptional needs or 

circumstances. 

Note: Grantees must ensure that a volunteer’s activities are not otherwise prohibited (e.g. lobbying) and are not activities 

that paid staff or non-CNCS volunteers would otherwise perform. Grantees cannot assign volunteer activities that 

supplant hiring or paid staff or non-CNCS volunteers’ assignments or displace currently existing staff or volunteers. Also, 

to the extent the grantee organization has contracts in effect to perform services, none of the service activities assigned to 

volunteers may impair those contracts.

In Conclusion

We know that not all programs, nor all communities will be able to open at the same rate due to the impact of COVID-19 

on individual geographic locations. It is also important to acknowledge that while some communities may be reopening, 

volunteer stations such as schools may limit the number of outside persons allowed in any building or classroom at any 

one time. Similarly, senior home health care programs may limit or reduce the number of outside visitors into homes or 

day program facilities. As communities are struggling with planning on what to next to reconstitute, the questions are 

becoming increasingly more challenging. It is critical that all grantees stay in close contact with their Program 

Officer/Portfolio Manager.

It is also important to acknowledge that we are providing this document as a suggested, permissible path forward for as 

an approach to promote safety for our volunteers and provide service during this pandemic and the recovery effort. The 

recommendations provided in this is an evolving and meant only as a guide and to help you navigate a path forward that 

you might consider as you help your volunteers return to their service activities. As situations and circumstances are 

constantly shifting in communities and throughout the nation, and as we receive more instructions from the federal 

offices to whom we report, we may be compelled to shift some of our thinking and revise some of the information that we 

have included in this memo. 

In the interim, with this document, you have a guide that is based on the best knowledge and instructions that we have at 

this moment in time. Please use as much or as little as you need to help you develop a path forward for our programs 

and our volunteers. We must safely reengage our volunteers in their communities because our nation’s communities 

desperately need the services that they provide. 

We are also providing a Resource Tool Kit with general information regarding, safe volunteering, preparing your 

volunteers to serve during COVID19 and other resources which may help guide you through these unprecedented times. 

Please continue to leverage your Program Officer/Portfolio Manager for ongoing support.

Thank you for your dedication. We are all in this together, we are Senior Corps and, we are resilient!

Deborah Cox-Roush

Director, Senior Corps

Footnotes:
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Note: All organizations that receive funding from the Corporation of for National and Community Service (CNCS) to 

operate Senior Corps Program are to follow their organizations written policies and procedures in consultation with their 

local and state official governments and health guidelines when it comes to safe volunteering. 

Note: CNCS Office of General Counsel has determined that grantees have flexibilities to create safe, social distancing 

service assignments for Senior Corps Volunteers that do not supplant or cause displacement of the grantees or service 

location staff persons. All grantees must also comply with program regulations as stated in:

• FGP regulation 45 CFR 2552.71

• RSVP regulation 45 CFR 2553.51

• SCP regulation 45 CFR 2551.71

Note: Section 404(a) of the DVSA and Senior Corps regulations at 45 CFR Part 1216, which apply to all three Senior Corps 

programs, prohibit against supplanting hiring, displacing state and impairing service contracts.

Note: FGP and RSVP grantees must comply with the Children Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, as amended 

(COPPA). Link to resources on COPPA.