BROOKINGS – Brookings County’s Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) will come to an end at the end of the month, according to Brookings County Sheriff Marty Stanwick.
The move follows word from Volunteers of America, which sponsors the RSVP and the Foster Grandparent program, that it will not seek to reapply for a competitive grant that provides funding for the programs.
RSVP is a national program that brings volunteers into a variety of fields, including schools and the medical industry, in addition to law enforcement.
When the program was introduced at the Brookings County Sheriff’s Office in 2005, it had seven volunteers. Now it has 14 volunteers who put in anywhere from eight to 20 hours a week, depending on weather and how busy things are.
But Volunteers of America’s leadership of the two programs will come to an end at the end of their fiscal year on June 30, said Stephanie Monroe, a representative for Volunteers of America Dakotas.
The money from the grant was used to help cover the expenses of staff and support for volunteers.
“The largest portion of both of those programs’ funding covered volunteer expenses, including travel, recognition events and other support,” Monroe said.
Volunteers of America Dakota sent participant stations a letter mid-April informing them of the news. That news and the increased risk of having unarmed volunteers in uniform aiding the sheriff’s office led Stanwick to confirm that RSVP program will no longer continue in Brookings County.
Even without the lack of funding, he had his worries about the safety of his 14 RSVP volunteers.
“I worry about them getting into some type of situation where somebody thinks they’re law enforcement. I don’t want these individuals hurt because they do range in age from late-60s into their 80s,” he said.
Even though the volunteers do wear different uniforms than deputies, an aggressive individual the volunteers come across might not care about their different role at the department.
Likewise, they don’t sport the same gear and equipment that regular officers have. If they come across an individual who has overdosed, they have to call in for help, just as a regular citizen would.
“Things have changed so much with drugs,” Stanwick said.
As he told county commissioners at the May 1 Brookings County Commission meeting, “When the RSVP program started in 2005, we had less going on out there, but the exposure is getting higher. … It’s not just run-aways out there when we’re talking about crime there, but we’re dealing with more things during the day.”
Stanwick assured commissioners that his staff could take over the volunteer’s work without issue.
Some of the typical tasks performed by RSVP volunteers included following up on calls regarding loose livestock, checking on homes while the owners are on vacation and putting up posters and flyers.
And the county is grateful for the help these volunteers have provided these last 13 years.
Commissioner Stephne Miller voiced her thanks to those volunteers.
“They did do a good service. Many times in my eight years, I’ve heard (Stanwick) say, ‘I can have my RSVPs do that.’ They did serve a good purpose for us, and I really would like to thank them for their service. I’m sad this program is done because I know those people enjoyed it.”
Contact Eric Sandbulte at esandbulte@brookingsregister.com.
