[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 230 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 230

   Recognizing the significant milestone of Senior Corps volunteers 
                   serving 50,000,000 hours in 2018.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 4, 2019

  Mr. Whitehouse (for himself, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Reed, Mr. 
Coons, Mr. Markey, Ms. Rosen, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Brown, Ms. 
 Baldwin, Mr. Jones, Ms. Smith, Mrs. Capito, Mr. King, Mrs. Feinstein, 
    Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Manchin, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Duckworth, Ms. 
Collins, and Ms. McSally) submitted the following resolution; which was 
                        considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               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 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;
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
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) acknowledges the contributions that Senior Corps 
        volunteers make to--
                    (A) the communities in which those volunteers live 
                and serve; and
                    (B) the United States; and
            (2) encourages the people of the United States to recognize 
        the contributions of senior volunteers.
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