Staff Report

RIO GRANDE - The University of Rio Grande/Rio Grande Community College has changed its relationship with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), but all of the senior programs will continue and Rio Grande will continue to hold its senior lunch program and other activities for senior citizens.

Rio Grande has had a long, successful relationship with the Gallia-Jackson-Vinton RSVP program that dates back 35 years, but a change in federal funding forced the university to give up its sponsorship of the program this summer.

Rio Grande previously received grant funding from the Corporation for National Service for RSVP, but the grant funding for the federal program changed earlier this year. The new funding situation called on Rio Grande to apply for additional grants to pay for the program, and the university is not able to do that at this time.

“We do not have the personnel to do grant writing for the program,” explained Phyllis Mason, director of human resources for Rio Grande.

It can take a great deal of time to put together grant proposals, and the Rio Grande officials who work on grant writing are already very busy working on grants for academic programs.

Rio Grande's mission is to provide educational programs that serve its students and the community, and the university needs to keep its focus on this mission. Because of the change in funding, and everything that would be required for Rio Grande to keep the sponsorship, it was decided to give up the program and allow an organization that is better suited to work with senior citizen programs to take over.

RSVP is now receiving temporary sponsorship from the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD), Mason explained. The permanent sponsorship for Gallia-Jackson-Vinton RSVP is being put out to bid, so that a program that is dedicated to working with senior citizens can hopefully become the new sponsor.

The new permanent sponsor should be able to improve upon the work RSVP is doing in Gallia, Jackson and Vinton counties, because part of its mission will be to programs to help senior citizens and the community.

While the local RSVP offices had to close temporarily, they will open again in Gallia, Jackson and Vinton counties.

“The senior lunch program at Rio Grande will not be affected,” Mason said.

That program is sponsored by the Area Agency on Aging District 7 Inc., which will continue to have its office on the Rio Grande campus. The senior lunch program provides lunch for senior citizens in the cafeteria in the Davis University Center on the Rio Grande campus. Rio Grande will also continue to sponsor activities for senior citizens on campus throughout the year.

“The university has been very proud to be a sponsor of RSVP for so long,” Mason said. “It was a very difficult decision to let the program go to find another sponsor. It provides a valuable service to the community.”

Dr, Greg Sojka, president of the University of Rio Grande, and other Rio Grande officials are all disappointed that the university had to give up the sponsorship, but the decision had to be made. The decision, Mason said, will hopefully end up being one that helps RSVP continue to grow in its work serving the public.