Sign-up / applications are now open for spring home task assistance.
For senior homeowners or renters who are physically or financially challenged, tasks like replacing smoke detector batteries, flipping a mattress or washing windows can be a major chore. Seniors and the homebound residing on the Peninsula and in the South Bay may request free assistance with these household tasks through the REALTOR® Service Volunteer Program (RSVP) during the week of May 6-10.
The deadline for seniors to apply for assistance is Friday, March 15.
RSVP is offered by REALTORS® and affiliates each year to qualified seniors who cannot otherwise perform certain household tasks due to physical or financial constraints.
During RSVP Week, teams of realtors and affiliates (professionals who provide industry-related services) will visit senior households and perform various cleaning and
maintenance tasks free of charge The annual community service program was started by members of the Silicon
Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) in 2001, and adopted as an official association community outreach project in 2002.
The program has since expanded to include members of the San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and Santa Cruz County Associations of realtors. Realtors now assist seniors residing as far north as Daly City and south to Gilroy and in Santa Cruz County.
“Our members realize the help they extend to the elderly can make a difference in a senior remaining an independent homeowner or renter, or having to give up that independence to some form of care giving and dependence on strangers,” says Eileen Giorgi, SILVAR’s RSVP Committee chair.
“RSVP is our way of thanking our seniors for all they have done for our communities.”
Last year, 386 RSVP volunteers from the Bay Area provided free assistance to 284 senior households; 213 realtors and affiliates from SILVAR assisted 148 senior households in SILVAR’s five districts.
How to sign up:
Seniors who live in the communities of Atherton, Menlo Park, East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, Woodside, Portola Valley, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Saratoga, Monte Sereno and Los Gatos may apply for this free service by contacting the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® at (408) 200-0100 for information and an application.
Seniors may also visit www.silvar.org to download an application and submit to SILVAR before the March 15 deadline.
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About SILVAR:
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the
real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and
homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley. The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a
real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.
