RSVP San Francisco & Alameda Counties

RSVP Member Video

2009-05-15T12:33:00.000-07:00

RSVP continues a longstanding partnership with the the San Francisco Food Bank, as members of the Apple Corps. Below, RSVP members, talk about why they choose to support the Food Bank.

To find out more about volunteering at the Food Bank, contact RSVP at 415-474-7787.

California Offers First Medals for Service

2009-05-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

CaliforniaVolunteers, the first cabinet-led volunteer commission in the United States, announces the inaugural Governor and First Lady's Medals for Service. Nominations are now open for individuals, businesses, and nonprofit leaders whose innovation in the field of volunteerism has a tangible impact on the community, region, and state.

Nominations are due on May 22, 2009, and winners will be announced at the National Conference on Volunteering & Service.

Click here to learn more and make a nomination.

Volunteer Opportunity: Plant Sale!

2009-04-23T14:27:00.000-07:00

Volunteers are needed to staff the San Francisco Botanical Garden's 42nd Annual Spring Plant Sale. Opportunities include traffic control, cashiering, bottled water distribution, and serving refreshments. Pre-sale volunteers are needed to help drive (in your truck or wagon) plants to the sale site.

The Annual Spring Plant Sale is the largest plant sale in the Bay Area, and it offers access to 4,000 different plant varieties, many from the Garden's own collection. The Sale is also the Botanical Garden's largest fundraising event of the year.

For information on volunteering at the Sale, please contact the RSVP office at 415-474-7787.

When: April 28 and 29 (pre-sale) and May 1 and 2 (sale)
Where: SF County Fair Building, SF Botanical Garden
Lincoln Avenue and 9th Avenue

Docent Tour of Tilden Region Park

2009-04-23T13:31:00.000-07:00

Celebrate 75 years of the East Bay Regional Park District with a tour. RSVP is hosting a docent led tour of Tilden Regional Park Botanical Gardens in Berkeley.

Join us on FRIDAY, May 15, 2009 at 2 PM.

The Gardens contain a beautiful array of California flora. For more information and to make a reservation, call Scott Weinzirl at (510) 452-0868.

Let the docent led tour kick-off your Trails Challenge 2009. Hike five of 20 trails in the East Bay Regional Parks, or 26.2 miles, and receive a commemorative pin.

Click here to read more and register for the challenge.

Garden on "the Rock"

2009-04-15T10:08:00.000-07:00

RSVP San Francisco & Alameda Counties, in collaboration with the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, invites men and women 55+ to a free visit and tend to the gardens of Alcatraz on Wednesday, April 22, 2009. These beautifully restored gardens are maintained by staff gardeners and volunteers, and here's where you come in. In addition to enjoying the beautiful view, spend the morning participating in muscle-building activities like pruning, weeding, and reseeding. All tools will be provided. The boat (free) to Alcatraz will leave at approximately 8:30 AM. The return boat will leave at noon, or you may choose to tour the public areas and wait for a latter boat.

Call RSVP 415.474.7787 for details and to reserve a space.

Workshop: Intro to Genealogy

2009-03-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Join RSVP for an Introduction to Genealogy. Jane Knowles Lindsey of the California Genealogical Society will help you get started with researching your family tree. She will also provide materials that will guide you through the resources of the Society's library. Please call RSVP at 415-474-7787 to reserve a place.

Thursday, April 16, 2009
First Unitarian Universalist Church
Fireside Room
1187 Franklin Street

Well-being Survey

2009-03-20T09:32:00.000-07:00

We're happier and healthier in the West, according to a recent survey by Gallup. Utah, Hawaii, and Wyoming took the top three slots in American well-being survey. Organized by congressional districts, the highest well-being scores were found in the West, the lowest in the South. There was a correlation between wealth and well-being, but also engagement and well-being. Eric Nielsen, a spokesman for Gallup said, "It's not just about physical health. It's about their ability to contribute at work and be more productive, and it's about feeling engaged in a community and wanting to improve that community."

Click here to learn about the well-being of your community. Then look for the zip code field. (See picture at right for an example.)

Click here to read more about the survey.

Award Season

2009-03-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

The Oscars may be over, but the service award season has just begun.

Spirit of Service Awards

The federal Corporation for National and Community Service is committed to recognizing and celebrating outstanding service by their volunteers. The Spirit of Service Awards pay tribute to the most outstanding participants in each of the Corporation’s programs - including Senior Corps (RSVP, Senior Companion, Foster Grandparent), AmeriCorps and Learn and Serve America. Awards are presented to the winners during special ceremonies at the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, June 22-24, in San Francisco, CA. Nominations are currently being sought, and nominees must exemplify the spirit of national service, demonstrate exceptional service or leadership, and serve as role models for others in their community.

RSVP's partners are encouraged to participate in recognizing the work of RSVP volunteers at their organization by contacting their local RSVP office to nominate a volunteer.

To read more about the 2008 winners, click here.

Minerva Awards

California women have inspiring stories of service to share. Each year, we hear a few at the October Women's Conference (hosted by California's First Lady, Maria Shriver) where Minerva Award winners are recognized. If you are inspired by the service of a colleague, friend, or grandmother, consider recognizing their work with a nomination.

Read about last year's Minerva Award winners here.
Make a recommendation for the next Minerva Awards here.

Purpose Prize

A prize of a different kind, the Purpose Prize comes with a $100,000 award for social innovators, who are 60 and older. Winners are leaders in a larger Encore Career movement that allows experience adults to earn, learn, connect and contribute.

Hurry! The deadline is March 5, 2009!

Winners include people like:

Gary Maxworthy, a former food distributor who developed a new process for bringing over 38 million pounds of fresh produce to California's food banks.

Sally Bingham, 67, a homemaker-turned-Episcopal priest, who organized a national religious response to global warming.

Gordon Johnson, 75, who won $100,000 for his successes in keeping siblings united in foster care instead of further traumatizing them through separation.

To read about winners and fellows, click here.
To nominate or apply now, click here.

Volunteer Opportunity: World Affairs Challenge!

2009-02-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

Volunteer with RSVP and the World Affairs Challenge!

World Savvy, a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate and engage youth in community and world affairs, needs volunteers at the World Affairs Challenge, a one-day event featuring presentations and projects by middle- and high-school youth. RSVP of San Francisco & Alameda Counties is looking for adults age 55+ to serve as judges for the various student events. The Challenge can be a life changing event for the students who participate and your help as either a judge, proctor or registration desk volunteer will contribute to the success of this day.

Training at a Financial District location will be provided. The Challenge will be held at the San Francisco State campus on March 14, 2009. Be a part of an exciting occasion for SF’s young people by calling RSVP at 415.474.7787.

Dishing it Out: Photo Exhibit & Film Series

2009-02-17T15:52:00.000-08:00

Dishing It Out at the San Francisco Public Library

Exhibition of Candacy Taylor's Photographs and Oral Histories at San Francisco Public Library Highlights Career Waitresses Across the U.S.A.

For many, waitressing is a stepping stone to a brighter future. But in the exhibition, Dishing It Out: Career Waitresses Across the U.S.A., coming soon to the San Francisco Public Library, photographer Candacy Taylor turned her camera and her tape recorder on the women who race to our tables, quarrel with the cooks and bring humor to the American roadside dining experience. The exhibition is on view Feb. 14—April 26, in the Main Library's Jewett Gallery, 100 Larkin St., Lower Level.

Through interviews and photographs, Taylor has documented waitresses across the United States, examining their careers and their significance as workers within their communities. The exhibition focuses on a subculture of waitresses who have been thriving in restaurants for decades—the most veteran of them for 60 years. Despite the traditional view of the overworked, weary waitress, most career waitresses love what they do. Many say that "slinging hash" has provided them with a good life. They own their own homes, drive new cars and send their children to college. Any way you slice it, this is hard work. But waitressing has kept their minds sharp and their spirits young and has given them the opportunity to make meaningful connections with their regular customers.

The exhibition includes 14 oral histories (including five Bay Area career waitresses) and 53 photographs of the women who serve our food. Taylor's fascinating journey presents the subtle nuances and rewards of everyday honest work. The exhibition is organized by SUBJECT MATTERS traveling exhibitions in cooperation with Candacy Taylor.

Related Program:

Meet the Photographer and Career Waitresses

Feb. 22, 1 p.m. Latino/Hispanic Community Meeting Room, Main Library, Lower Level

Photographer Candacy Taylor offers a multimedia presentation and panel discussion with waitresses featured in the exhibition.

Volunteer Opportunity: Promote World Water Day

2009-01-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

The UNICEF Tap Project is a grassroots initiative to provide clean water to children around the world. The lack of clean drinking water is the second largest killer of children under five. UNICEF’S goal is to reduce the number of people who don’t have access to safe water by 50%.

World Water Week, which begins in San Francisco on March 22, will require the help of community volunteers who will work with restaurants to encourage them to participate in the Tap Project. The Tap Project is a campaign to raise money for UNICEF’S safe water projects through donations collected at restaurants. Patrons are invited to donate $1 or more, for the glass of water they normally receive for free.

Good communicators are needed to volunteer, working with restaurants to participate in this project, as well as working with the media to raise awareness of World Water Day in the Bay Area. A regional training will take place in San Francisco on February 23.

Contact RSVP at 474.7787 to learn how you can participate.

Why Volunteer? For Coffee

2009-01-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

We volunteer for many reasons. We want to make a difference or give back. It make us feel good. We don't always need a tangible reason, but Starbucks has one for you: coffee. Pledge to provide five hours of volunteer service and receive a free coffee from Starbucks (between January 21st & January 25th)!

Click here to learn more.

Colbert Report: Be the Change!

2009-01-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

Last night Alan Khazei, CEO and Founder of Be the Change, Inc., joined Stephen Colbert for a unique exchange on the Colbert Report.

Be the Change, Inc. strives to revitalize American democracy by connecting the service and social entrepreneurship movements and public policy to build a movement of citizens for change.

Calling for Martin Luther King Day to be a day of service, Khazei talked about programming that offers people of all ages the opportunity to contribute to their community. (He included Experience Corps, the award-winning national program that taps the experience of older persons to solve the problem of literacy. RSVP partners with the local program.) In the last few minutes of the interview, he bullied (in a friendly way) Colbert into signing a Declaration of Service. The Declaration of Service asks you to commit to meeting the challenges of our time; to do your part in America's timeless quest for a more perfect union; to begin now by adding your name to the Declaration.

Click here to sign the Declaration of Service.

Click here to watch Alan Khazei on the Colbert Report. Move ahead to 14:50 to see the interview.

Inauguration Fever?

2009-01-12T11:35:00.000-08:00

If you have inauguration fever and want to share this historic moment with the community, check out these opportunities to join other locals for the inauguration of our 44th President on Tuesday, January 20, 2009.

SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco City Hall, 7AM – Noon

A free simulcast of the Presidential Inauguration on huge projection screens will take place in front of San Francisco’s City Hall. While the simulcast is free, viewers are asked to bring a donation of new socks and/or underwear (with tag attached) for the SF homeless in place of admission fee. Performances during commercial breaks.

Main Library, Koret Auditorium, 9AM - Noon

100 Larkin Street (at Grove), San Francisco

Watch the swearing in and acceptance speech, and then enjoy celebratory cake or refreshments in Latino Hispanic Room B. A Library sponsored public program cosponsored by the African American Center.

OAKLAND

Parkway Speakeasy Theater, 7AM, doors open

1834 Park Blvd., Oakland, CA 94606

View the inauguration on both big screens at both theaters, with a special brunch menu. Free admission.

Oracle Arena, Oakland, 7:30am - 10:30am

Watch the inauguration, live, on the big screen! $5 for admission.

Change begins with me!

2009-01-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

Logo of the "Change Begins with Me" Campaign of the Case Foundation

It is the new year, and here is a new kind of resolution. The Case Foundation launched "The Change Begins with Me" Campaign and gives you the opportunity to tell the world (in 250 words or less) what role you will take in that change. One lucky participant will win a trip to the Presidential inauguration!

Click here to participate.
Click here to read how others plan to participate.

The Old Man and the Storm

2009-01-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

"The Old Man and the Storm," premiering on PBS's Frontline on January 6th, is the story of 82-year-old Herbert Gettridge, as he rebuilds his home of 65 years in the Lower Ninth Ward after Hurricane Katrina.

At a time when not one of his neighbors has returned, Gettridge, a plasterer and builder, works to rebuild his home so that he can bring his wife home from Wisconsin, where ill health left her to weather the aftermath of the storm with her daughter. The filmmaker follows the larger Gettridge family over a two year period, where the Gettridge's battle post-Katrina politics to get the lights turned on, access healthcare, and make use of federal rebuilding funds.

On KQED:
Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 10 p.m.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 9 p.m.
Check local listings for additional hours.

Volunteer Opportunity: JumpStart...Connect Early

2008-12-16T15:40:00.000-08:00

Volunteer as a preschool mentor and make a difference in a young child's life.

Serve six hours a week. Receive training and a stipend.
Work with a team of caring adults in a preschool classroom.
Enjoy the longterm reward of inspiring a child to read.

Join JumpStart, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping low income pre-school children prepare for kindergarten. Research shows that children who a ready for kindergarten show greater overall success in school.

Pre-service training begins on January 8, 2009.

Contact RSVP for more information 415-474-7787. Ask for Barbara.

Purpose Prize Announces 2008 Winners

2008-12-16T14:29:00.000-08:00

The Purpose Prize® awards people in their encore careers up to $100,000 for solving the world’s toughest problems. 2008's winners were announced earlier this month. For the first time, the Prize includes encore careerist who serve an international audience.

Six Purpose Prize recipients took home $100,000 to apply to their important work. Winners include a local woman from Berkeley who is reducing the toxins in California's consumer products. Then there is the inventor from North Carolina who built a $28 peanut shelling machine and put it to use in African villages, increasing efficiency and the villages' income. Another supported refugees from war torn regions like Iraq and Somalia. Still others are growing the "green" economy to include Southern black farmers, cutting recidivism rates a Rikers Island, and raising scholarship funds.

And there are still another dozen, Purpose Prize Fellows who received $10,000 each, with incredible stories to tell.

Click here to read about the 2008 Winners and Fellows.

Purpose Prize 2009
Our world has a deep well of unmet social needs. More than just a set of hands, people in the second half of life are devising new, innovative solutions to our greatest challenges. The Purpose Prize® highlights and invests up to $100,000 in social innovators over the age of 60. Winners are leaders in a larger Encore Career movement that allows experienced adults to earn, learn, connect and contribute. Nominations, including self-nominations, accepted until March 5, 2009.

Click here to apply.

Training Available for Volunteer Tutors

2008-11-20T15:13:00.000-08:00

Jewish Coalition for Literacy (JCL) offers upcoming trainings for tutors, even if you are not a member of the JCL tutoring team. Excellent opportunity for volunteers who have considered tutoring. To learn more about tutoring and mentoring at a variety of organizations, including JCL, contact RSVP (San Francisco 415-474-7787; Oakland 510-452-0868).

English Language Learner Workshop

If you are currently tutoring students who are English Language Learners, or would like to learn more about the special literacy needs of ELL students, please join us for this interactive and engaging workshop led by JCL reading specialist Joan Green.

Thursday, December 4, 5:45 pm-8 pm
Jewish Federation Building
121 Steuart Street, San Francisco

Kindergarten Workshop

If you are currently tutoring kindergarten students, or would like to learn more about the special literacy needs of kindergarten students, please join JCL for this interesting and useful workshop led by JCL reading specialist Joan Green.

Wednesday, January 28, 5:45 pm-8 pm
Jewish Federation Building
121 Steuart Street, San Francisco

Click here to register for a training.

Click here to learn more about JCL.

Job Opportunity in Civic Engagment: Experience Corps Bay Area

2008-11-17T15:47:00.000-08:00

Experience Corps Bay Area Director

Program Background

Experience Corps is a national nonprofit network with programs in 23 cities working to expand the social contributions of older adults and transform the aging of American society into a source of individual and social renewal. In the Bay Area, Experience Corps is sponsored by Aspiranet, and connects 140+ adults 55 and older as mentors and tutors to children at 18 public schools in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Rafael. Research shows that Experience Corps boosts student academic performance, helps schools become more successful, and enhances the well-being of older adults in the process.

Position Description

Seeking an experienced, dynamic, and creative individual to lead our Bay Area project. The Experience Corps Bay Area Director is responsible for fundraising, grant and financial management, program expansion, recruitment, marketing, partnership building, and general oversight of Experience Corps programs and staff across the Bay Area. This position is based in San Francisco but travel between San Francisco, Oakland, and San Rafael is required, as well as occasional domestic travel to attend national network meetings and conferences.

Qualifications:

At least five years experience leading and managing a multi-site program
Proven track record for fundraising and development
Experience with recruitment and volunteer management
Ability to work closely with and develop strong relationships with diverse individuals and organizations, including older adults, school administrators, foundations, donors, and program partners
Ability to develop a shared vision and motivate staff to achieve goals
Superb verbal and written communication skills
Strong computer skills, including comfort with web-based data tracking and reporting, Excel for budgeting and data analysis, and Powerpoint for developing presentations
An entrepreneurial spirit, flexibility, and ability to work productively in a collaborative and rapidly changing environment
Commitment to producing high-quality work
Dedication to education and improved services to children
Knowledge of Bay Area communities and resources
Valid California Driver’s license, proof of auto insurance and a driving record acceptable to the Agency’s insurance carrier
Health Clearance
Fingerprint and Child Abuse Index clearance from the Department of Justice

Duties:

Lead efforts by the Aspiranet development team to raise growing program budget of $700K+
Manage multiple grants and prepare reports to funders
Oversee multi-city effort to recruit members and conduct program evaluations (including data analysis and reporting)
Utilize a customized online application (salesforce.com) to manage donations, grants, and volunteer in-take processes
Supervise, support, and provide professional development to key program staff running Experience Corps in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Rafael
Supervise and support Training Coordinator, who develops and delivers training curriculum to all Bay Area volunteers
Coordinate annual Bay Area volunteer recognition event
Promote visibility of ECBA through marketing and media outreach with the assistance of the Experience Corps national office.
Establish and maintain key collaborative partnerships in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Rafael with school district and/or program partners
Oversee strategic expansion of Experience Corps throughout the Bay Area
Participate in EC National sponsored meetings, conferences, and site visits
Oversee program budget and administrative tasks, including timesheet approvals, payment of invoices and stipends, development of contracts with partners, etc.
Represent self and Agency in a professional manner
Demonstrate sensitivity and responsiveness to cultural differences
Perform additional duties as needed

Salary and Benefits

Starting salary is $55,000 - $60,000 based on experience and education. Generous health benefits and vacation package included.

To Apply

Please submit resume, cover letter, and 3 references to enichols@aspiranet.org. Start date for position is early January 2009.

Website for 50+ Entrepreneur

2008-11-11T14:50:00.000-08:00

Last month, the U.S. Small Business Administration unveiled a new website geared to the 50-plus entrepreneur, providing useful information, links and resources vital to starting, growing and expanding a small business. The new website features interactive information and links to help 50-plus entrepreneurs consider the benefits and rewards of business ownership, and to help them make informed choices about business ownership. They believe "50-plus entrepreneurs will drive significant new business growth in the coming years.”

The new website offers:

a self-assessment feature to help the aspiring entrepreneur determine his or her business readiness,
information on borrowing and credit,
and inspirational success stories from baby boomer entrepreneurs.

The Small Business Administration notes, "As baby boomers consider career and lifestyle shifts that extend beyond their work careers, tapping into the world of business ownership can allow them to leverage their flexibility, know- how and business acumen to go into business for themselves. Many have already joined the ranks of the nation’s self-employed and small business owners."

Click here to make use of the new website.

Michelle Obama and National Service

2008-11-10T16:59:00.000-08:00

In a recent Newsweek Article, Michelle Obama talks about readying herself for the White House and addresses her interest in using her experience with Public Allies to support President-elect Obama's work on national service. The future First Lady says, "How do we use [AmeriCorps], expand upon it, and help use that as a more creative way to defray costs of college of young people and get all Americans engaged. What AmeriCorps showed me, during the time that I worked on it, is that all these resources of young people and not-so-young people, as I call them--because Americorps is not just for young adults but people of all ages -- you can fill a lot of gaps with the help of community-service hours."

To read more about her plans, click here.

Image of Older Women in Film: TTN

2008-11-06T09:22:00.000-08:00

"The Image of Older Women in Film"

Thursday, November 20, 6-8 p.m.

The Transition Network (TTN), Monthly Meeting

Join TTN for an evening of film clips and conversation with Janis Plotkin and an exploration of the images of women in film. Examine how films define (or don't define) the way women feel and think about beauty, body, and ourselves.

Janis Plotkin has programmed and produced film festivals for more than 25 years. Following her 21 years as co-founder of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, she joined the staff of the Mill Valley Film Festival where she has been responsible for documentary and world cinema for the past five years. She has taught film at Stanford University and currently teaches as San Francisco State University.

Location: San Francisco Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, San Francisco State Downtown Campus, 835 Market St., 6th floor (in the Westfield San Francisco Centre on Market at Powell.

Cost: $10 for Transition Network and SF OLLI members, $15 for guests.

RSVP: Please respond to jmand99@earthlink.net if you plan to attend.

Who is The Transition Network (TTN)?

TTN provides a national community for women over 50 as they move from their career to whatever is next. TTN helps women discover new opportunities, new perspectives, and new ways to make an impact.

What should Universal National Service Look Like?

2008-10-14T14:09:00.000-07:00

October 14th - 16th, 2008
What should universal national service look like? An online discussion
Click here to participate.

RSVP: Lead with Experience Video

2008-10-08T11:42:00.001-07:00