IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 402 

Recognizing the significant milestone of Senior Corps volunteers serving 

50,000,000 hours in 2018. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 23, 2019 

Mr. DEFAZIO (for himself, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. 

BROWNLEY of California, Mr. CASE, Mr. DEUTCH, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS

of Illinois, Ms. GABBARD, Mr. GAETZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. KENDRA S. 

HORN of Oklahoma, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. MOORE, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. NADLER, Ms. NORTON, Mr. 

RASKIN, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. PRICE of North Carolina, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. POCAN, Ms. SHERRILL, Ms. STEVENS, Mr. 

VELA, and Mr. YARMUTH) submitted the following resolution; which was 

referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the significant milestone of Senior Corps 

volunteers serving 50,000,000 hours in 2018. 

Whereas volunteers in the United States who are 55 years of 

age and older (referred to in this preamble as ‘‘senior volunteers’’) provide much needed services to their communities, neighbors, and friends; 

Whereas Senior Corps, through the RSVP, Foster Grandparent, and Senior Companion programs administered by 

the Corporation for National and Community Service, 

provides meaningful volunteer opportunities to 220,000 


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•HRES 402 IH 

senior volunteers and recruits thousands of additional 

community volunteers; 

Whereas, for more than 5 decades, RSVP volunteers, Foster 

Grandparents, and Senior Companions have played an 

important role in strengthening communities by contributing their experience, knowledge, and accomplishments 

in order to— 

(1) help their neighbors recover from natural and 

manmade disasters; 

(2) provide nutrition services; 

(3) mentor and tutor schoolchildren; 

(4) support veterans and military families; and 

(5) provide respite care to caregivers; 

Whereas in 2018, Senior Corps volunteers provided more 

than 50,000,000 hours of direct service through more 

than 23,000 nonprofit, educational, and faith-based community groups nationwide; 

Whereas structured volunteering by senior volunteers— 

(1) keeps those senior volunteers active, healthy, and 

engaged; 

(2) helps communities across the United States by 

solving local problems; 

(3) helps the United States by saving taxpayer dollars, reducing health care costs, and strengthening democracy; and 

(4) helps seniors live independent and productive 

lives; 

Whereas the RSVP, Foster Grandparent, and Senior Companion programs have proven to be cost-effective ways to 

engage senior volunteers in volunteer service that meets 

pressing community needs; 


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Whereas recent research suggests that— 

(1) volunteering not only slows the cognitive decline 

of aging for older individuals in the United States, but 

also provides an important pathway for alleviating loneliness; and 

(2) throughout the United States, and especially in 

rural areas, older individuals are ‘‘aging in place’’ and 

are thereby particularly susceptible to loneliness, which 

undermines health and is linked to early mortality; 

Whereas the United States should expand senior volunteer 

service opportunities to take advantage of the talents and 

experiences of the 10,000 baby boomers who will retire 

each day for the next 20 years; 

Whereas, at a time of mounting social need and growing interest in service by older individuals in the United States, 

the United States has an unprecedented opportunity to 

harness the talents of senior volunteers to address community challenges; and 

Whereas the people of the United States should join in the 

celebration of Senior Corps volunteers during ‘‘Older 

Americans Month’’ in May 2019: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) acknowledges the contributions that Senior 

3 Corps volunteers make to— 

4 (A) the communities in which those volun5 teers live and serve; and 

6 (B) the United States; and 


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1 (2) encourages the people of the United States 

2 to recognize the contributions of senior volunteers. 

Æ 


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