DEBORAH CORRAO / L’Observateur / April 20, 1999

“They give from the heart,” says Fay Caire, director of the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of the River Parishes. “They care about thecommunity and they want to give back.”This week, April 19-23, has been designated National Volunteer Week.

And no one could be prouder of a troop of volunteers than Caire.

Under her leadership more than 800 RSVP volunteers in the River Parishes put in time each week at 60 different stations, serving more than 115,000 hours in 1998.

Caire was recently elected president of the Louisiana Association of Directors for Older Americans Volunteer Program, a position she will hold through December 2000.

One of her goals, she says, is to make people throughout the state aware of volunteer programs and educate others about the value of volunteers to the community. For instance, she says, the hours the volunteers workunder her guidance would amount to about $620,000 a year if they were paid minimum wage.

The RSVP is in its 22nd year of operation in the River Parishes.

Volunteers in the program, all 55 or older, give of their time in their local communities wherever their skills can match a job that needs to be done.

Volunteers work at hospitals, schools, nursing homes, senior centers, museums and for other community service organizations.

The volunteers receive no pay for their work but do receive travel reimbursement, meals and accident and liability insurance while on assignment. They are also recognized every year at an awards banquet.Caire says she recruits some volunteers by speaking at meetings of organizations for retired people such as AARP and at big events such as the Senior Olympics. But many volunteers are recruited by their peers.”It’s word of mouth,” she says. “Most of our volunteers sign up aftertalking with other volunteers in our program.”She says the hallmark of her volunteer crew is their dedication.

Her oldest volunteer, Lena LaCroix, who will be 100 years old this year, is on leave of absence from her shift at the information desk at St. CharlesHospital because of a recent leg amputation. But, Caire says, LaCroix plansto return to her post in her wheelchair as soon as she is able.

Another volunteer is recovering from knee replacement surgery.

“She called to ask what she could do at home until she could get back on her feet,” Caire says.

Caire, 45, took over as director of RSVP in 1994 after having worked for several years as director of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in St.

Charles Parish.

The RSVP is a federally legislated grant program under Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal domestic agency for volunteerism in Washington, D.C. RSVP receives funding from the state ofLouisiana, the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs and the United Way of St. Charles. The program is sponsored by the St. Charles Parish Council andreceives support from St. John Parish.Recently, RSVP received a grant to work with the University of North Texas to implement a statewide program to increase the immunization rate of toddlers.

Because of the success of her volunteer program, Caire relies on help from part-time coordinators, Sandra Hawkins in St. Charles Parish and InezBlank in St. John. Hawkins and Blank make site checks at volunteerstations in their respective parishes.

Caire claims no credit for the success of the RSVP.

“I’m at the bottom of the totem pole,” she says. “It’s the volunteers whomake the program work.”If you’re 55 or older and interested in becoming an RSVP volunteer, contact Fay Caire at 504-785-1037.Back to Top

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