She's the MVP of the RSVP

New San Diego County RSVP manager Linda Hopkins

People do different things when they hit “mid-life.” Some get adventurous and sky dive or travel to exotic locations. Others splurge on long-coveted items like jewelry or a Harley.

Linda Hopkins, the new manager of the County’s Retired & Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), decided to change careers and obtained a degree in gerontology.

“I decided on a mid-life career change,” she said. “Everyone else gets a sports car.

“I got a degree.”

 Now she’s in charge of a Health and Human Services Agency program run through Aging & Independence Services that oversees more than 2,000 volunteers that donated more than 500,000 volunteer hours in 2012.

“I absolutely love it,” Hopkins said. “I love working with seniors and the concept of volunteerism.”

The RSVP program places volunteers at more than 125 sites across the county with duties ranging from patrols that assist law enforcement agencies to helping out with paperwork and filing. The older adults help teach literacy to young and old alike, deliver meals to home-bound seniors and greet visitors to cultural attractions.

Hopkins’ goal is to bring greater awareness and visibility to the program.

“We can always use more volunteers,” she said. “Sites call all the time looking for additional volunteers.”

RSVP is really a win-win for everyone involved. Hopkins said the program gives older adults a feeling of making a difference in their community and actively contributing and provides expert, experienced volunteers for the non-profit and public entities that use them.

“The program helps older adults become what we call ‘successful agers,’” Hopkins said. “It keeps some seniors from a position where they become in need of services themselves.”

Hopkins became the manager in November, 2012. She has been busy familiarizing herself with all the paperwork involved in running a federally-funded program. RSVP has also been working on implementing technology that will make it easier for both the volunteers and the sites to work together and keep track of everything.

 The San Diego RSVP is the largest in Southern California and Hopkins has making the rounds visiting volunteer sites and making community presentations.

“I love going out in the field,” she said.

One of her favorite activities that requires going out in the field is the monthly presentations of the RSVP volunteer of the month.

“We go out to the site and present it during one of their meetings where all the volunteers and staff from that site are gathered,” she said. “It’s a pretty big deal and a great recognition for the volunteer.”

For more information on RSVP, or if you know of someone who would like to volunteer, visit http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/hhsa/programs/ais/volunteers/ or call 1-858-505-6399.