For homeowners or renters who are advanced in years or disabled, tasks such as replacing smoke detector batteries, flipping a mattress or washing the windows can pose a major challenge.
Help is on the way in the form of cost-free assistance from local realtors in cooperation with various community organizations and senior centers. The community outreach effort, called Realtor Service Volunteer Program (RSVP), provides senior citizens with free assistance with household tasks during a designated week each year.
The annual effort is organized by members and affiliates of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (SILVAR) and the San Mateo County Association of Realtors (SAMCAR), the local trade associations of the real estate industry on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. During RSVP Week, teams of realtor volunteers and affiliates will be at residences performing various cleaning and maintenance tasks.
The realtors’ outreach program was launched in 2001. Last year, 450 realtors and professionals offering real-estate related services provided free help around the house for 274 homeowners.
“As realtors, we sell the benefits and aspirations of our communities,” said David Barca, SILVAR community outreach chairman and general manager of Keller Williams Realty. “We are also neighbors and know about local needs. And as neighbors, we share the desire for our communities to be great places to live and are committed to give back to those who have built our communities.”
Seniors can request to have light bulbs replaced, house numbers installed, furnace filters changed, windows cleaned, mattresses turned or new smoke detector batteries installed. The volunteers also handle minor plumbing tasks, plant spring flowers or help with recycling.
This year, RSVP workers will visit households during the week of May 8-13. The deadline to request assistance is April 7. Seniors and disabled residents, whether homeowners or renters, who live in SILVAR-covered cities and towns can apply for services at SILVAR’s main office, 19400 Stevens Creek Blvd., Suite 100, Cupertino, or call SILVAR at (408) 200-0100.
