[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 93 (Tuesday, June 4, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3220-S3221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 230--RECOGNIZING THE SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE OF SENIOR 
           CORPS VOLUNTEERS SERVING 50,000,000 HOURS IN 2018

  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:

                              S. Res. 230

       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

[[Page S3221]]

       (2) encourages the people of the United States to recognize 
     the contributions of senior volunteers.

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