social, and economic problems. It identifies and develops the widest possible range of volunteer service opportunities for Americans of all ages. and ethnic backgrounds. The agency actively encourages private-sector involvement in support of its goals and programs.

ACTION includes Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA), the Foster

Grandparent Program (FGP), the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), the Senior Companion Program (SCP), the Demonstration Grant Program, the MiniGrant Program, the Technical Assistance Program, and the State offices of voluntarism.

ACTION consists of a Washington, DC, headquarters and 9 regional offices, supporting 45 individual State offices and Puerto Rico.

Region/Address

1. Boston, MA 02222-1039 (Rm. 473, 10 Causeway St.).

2.

3.

Domestic Programs and Activities Foster Grandparents The Foster Grandparent Program was created in 1965 and offers older men and women opportunities for close relationships with children having special or exceptional needs. It is an opportunity for older Americans to continue serving their communities and themselves in an active and meaningful capacity.

Foster Grandparents are low-income persons at least 60 years of age and come from various backgrounds. They receive both preservice orientation and inservice instruction. Volunteers serve 20 hours per week, receive a nontaxable stipend of $2.20 per hour, as well as provisions for reimbursement of travel costs, a meal each day they serve, accident and liability insurance coverage, and a yearly physical examination. Under certain conditions, nonstipended volunteers may be enrolled in the program.

Foster Grandparents serve in schools and hospitals for mentally retarded, disturbed, and handicapped children; in care centers, hospital wards, and corrections institutions; in homes for disadvantaged, dependent, or neglected

children; and other settings within the community. An increased percentage of Foster Grandparents are being encouraged to serve in settings dealing with literacy, drug abuse, and runaway youth, including some inhome placements.

The Foster Grandparents' main purpose is to help provide for the emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing of children by affording them close, personal, and continuing relations with an adult. They furnish a renewed sense of love and intimacy often missing in institutional environments. They also may assist in feeding and dressing the children, reading, playing games, telling them stories, and aiding in speech and physical therapy and other care-giving activities that tend to maximize the functional capabilities of these children. For further information, call 202-634-9349.

Retired Senior Volunteers The purpose of the Retired Senior Volunteer Program is to create a variety of significant opportunities for persons of retirement age to participate more fully in the life of their communities through volunteer service.

The program's projects are planned, organized, and operated at the local level and developed under the auspices of an established organization able to generate local program and financial support.

Volunteers must be at least 60 years of age and willing and able to serve on a regular basis. There are no income or educational restrictions. Volunteers perform various services, according to community need and their own preferences, in a variety of settings, including schools, courts, and health care, rehabilitation, day care, youth, and other community centers. They also serve in outreach roles within their community.

For further information, call 202-634-9353.

Senior Companions The Senior Companion Program provides meaningful part-time volunteer opportunities for lowincome, older persons to render, in a mutually beneficial relationship, supportive person-to-person services to adults, especially older people, with special needs in health-, education-, and welfare-related settings.

Under the sponsorship and supervision of an approved agency, the Senior Companion serves in and through a variety of settings such as hospitals, social service agencies, or home and health care agencies. Over 80 percent of the Senior Companions are serving older persons in their own homes in order to prevent or delay inappropriate institutionalization. Senior Companions receive the same benefits as Foster Grandparents for 20 hours of service per week. Under certain conditions, nonstipended volunteers may be enrolled in the program.

For further information, call 202-634-9349. Volunteers in Service to America The creation of Volunteers in Service to America was authorized by Congress in 1964 to provide constructive opportunities for Americans to work on a full-time basis with locally sponsored projects designed to increase the capability of low-income people to improve the condition of their own lives. Volunteers are assigned to local

sponsors, which may be Federal or State

agencies or private, nonprofit organizations located in the United States, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. Volunteers serve for 1 year. More than half of the program's resources focus upon illiteracy, unemployment, hunger, and homelessness.

Volunteers live and work among the poor in urban or rural areas or on Indian reservations. They share their skills and experience in fields such as drug abuse prevention, education, literacy, runaway youth, refugee resettlement, community design, weatherization, economic development, and emergency food and shelter. Most volunteers are recruited locally for community projects. Thirty percent are low-income persons; about 20 percent are age 55 and over. A volunteer must be a resident of the United States or one of its territories. A physical disability does not disqualify a volunteer, providing placement can be made on a project.

Volunteers participate in orientation and training sessions conducted by ACTION and sponsor personnel at the beginning of and during service. Volunteers receive a basic subsistence allowance, which covers housing, food, and incidentals. Health insurance also is provided. An additional $75 a month is paid as a stipend upon completion of service.

For further information, call the Director, VISTA and Service Learning. Phone, 202-634-9445. Student Community Service Projects Student Community Service Projects are designed to encourage students to undertake volunteer service in their communities in such a way as to enhance the educational value of the service experience through participation in activities which address povertyrelated problems. Student volunteers must be enrolled in secondary, secondary vocational, or postsecondary schools on an in-school or out-of-school basis. They serve part-time and do not receive stipends.

The service opportunities must result in student volunteers gaining learning experiences through service in low

income communities, whether or not they receive academic credit.

The intent of Student Community Service Projects is to join community, school, and youth in developing the scope and nature of volunteer experiences that serve the needs of impoverished communities while securing resources by which the effort can be continued and expanded, if needed, after Federal support ends.

Local communities determine what their problems are and how best to solve them. ACTION resources may be made available to assist in helping communities solve some of their problems through fostering student volunteer service. The community must generate increasing resources to enable the project to continue once ACTION grant funds are no longer provided. Technical assistance and training in project management, fundraising, and recruiting will be provided by ACTION as required.

For further information, contact the Student Community Service Projects. Phone, 202-6349424.

Program Demonstration and
Development Division

The programs in the Program Demonstration and Development Division were developed to provide links at national, State, and local levels among public and private organizations to encourage volunteer activity in solving social problems.

Demonstration Projects The Division is responsible for the development of special emphasis and demonstration programs that focus on certain areas of concern where volunteers can make a special contribution in ameliorating human and social problems. These volunteer demonstration programs test models that, if successful, may form the basis of the agency's programming or may be adopted by the private sector and State or local governments. Drug Alliance Office The Office coordinates the Agency's drug abuse prevention and education activities, awards grants that strengthen and expand local volunteer activities combating drug use among youth and the misuse of

The

prescription and over-the-counter drugs by the elderly, provides training and technical assistance, and conducts public awareness and education efforts. State Office of Voluntarism Office provides grants through State offices to promote and coordinate voluntary participation in State and local government and public and private nonprofit organizations by fostering, developing, creating, and/or supporting offices of voluntarism at the State level. In 1987 two States were funded by ACTION with matching funds from the State.

Mini-Grants The Mini-Grant Program offers one-time, 1-year seed money grants to support volunteer projects and enhance volunteer activities that show potential for providing long-term solutions to community problems. All projects must show substantial local support and respond to funding priorities established and publicized yearly. The program offers access to nonprofit groups of small grants, up to $15,000, through streamlined procedures.

National

Involvement in Volunteer Efforts (GIVE) programs promote increased Federal employee voluntarism in nearly all Federal departments and agencies. National Volunteer Week Volunteer Week, designated in April of each year by the President, promotes special recognition of volunteers and their achievements among Federal agencies, State and local governments, and private organizations that use volunteers nationwide. Public/Private Partnership The Public/Private Partnership Program has responsibility for the establishment of working relationships between ACTION and the private sector. The purpose of these relationships is to educate the public and to interest the private sector in meeting social needs through the