Community Impact

RSVP of the Capital Region began providing services for residents of Cumberland, Dauphin, Perry, Franklin, and Adams Counties in 1972. It is supported through the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal funder of all RSVPs. Today, we reach eight counties – Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York.

RSVP of the Capital Region supports 1,250 volunteers in service. Those RSVP volunteers provided 79,074 hours of documented service for 148 agencies, schools, senior residences, hospitals, and government agencies in 2010. Many of these programs are essential services in your community — Meals on Wheels, congregate feeding sites, food banks, and senior transportation.

RSVP also develops and operates free community programs benefiting children and youth and the environment utilizing community volunteers including:

• After School and Summer Programming in the Lower Dauphin and Newport School Districts
• Gardens of Youth in Steelton, Highspire and Harrisburg School Districts
• Elementary reading and math tutoring throughout the five county service area
• Capital Area Pennsylvania Senior Environment Corps (PaSEC)

The Pennsylvania Senior Environment Corps (PaSEC)

PaSEC is composed of RSVP volunteers who do stream monitoring, environmental projects (often cross generational), and demonstrations that teach average individuals how they can impact the environment. PaSEC has been continuously monitoring streams in the Yellow Breeches, Conodoguinet, Powells and Armstrong Creek watersheds of the Capital Region since 1997. PaSEC also provides water quality education programs for the Capital Region youth. The group's results are made available free of charge to all of these watersheds, conservation districts, businesses, Department of Environmental Protection officials, school classrooms, and other monitoring groups.

Newport School District Summer School Program

The RSVP/Newport Summer Program is funded through a Pennsylvania Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. It is designed to provide a safe place for students of the Newport School District to engage in educational fun. The program is mainly for students who do not have a parent/guardian at home during daytime hours. Eighty students have the opportunity to participate with cross-generational volunteers in a variety of activities such as art, science, computer time, sports, fishing, hiking, guest speakers, Girl Scouts, 4-H, educational field trips and more. Students also work on math and reading skills throughout the summer.

Newport School District After School Program

Newport After School Program serves students in the Newport School District. Emphasis is on improving basic reading and math skills through hands-on learning experiences and enrichment programming. This program is principally funded through Pennsylvania Department of Education 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.

RSVP's Summer Science Program

The Summer Science Program is an academic enrichment program offered to middle school students of the Lower Dauphin School District for four days per week over the summer. The Program follows a day-camp type of experience with a scientific theme and integrates the leadership of RSVP volunteers and paid staff to help students develop via:

• Computer and science lab time;
• On-site presentations by volunteer and contracted professionals; and
• Field trips to sites that feature ingenuity, opportunity, and every day use.

RSVP's Garden of Youth Mentoring Program

The Garden of Youth mentoring program uses the influence and experience of RSVP volunteers to assist children in the development of knowledge, skills, and activities that enhance their environment and personal growth. The program employs a gardening theme and helps students develop via "gardening" projects for school beautification, agricultural education, and environmental awareness. The Program is supported in part by Capital Resource Conservation and Development Area Council and the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service of Pennsylvania.