Intergenerational Cross-Stream Teams in Massachusetts
By Guy (Terry) Kelley, RSVP Project Director, and Stephanie Peteranecz, YVC Director, Merrimack Valley Community Service Corps
WINTER 1997 (archived information - please note the date of publication)
The Merrimack Valley Community Service Corps (MVCSC) in Lawrence, Massachusetts, is a test site for the Corporation for National Service's (CNS) Programming for Impact initiative, and serves as an umbrella agency for the AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, NCCC, Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), and VISTA.
Summer of Safety Projects
In 1994, the Corporation sponsored the Summer of Safety (SOS) program, in which communities worked together to make their cities, neighborhoods, and streets safer. This SOS program provided an early opportunity for the MVCSC to use the streams of service collaboratively. Intergenerational teams participated in several SOS projects, including the Merchant Safety Survey Program, where RSVP members teamed with NCCC youth, and in conjunction with the Minority Business Council, surveyed businesses regarding safety concerns. These concerns, tabulated from 107 business owners, were presented to the city's Public Safety Committee, the Chamber of Commerce, and the police department.
Another project which began with the SOS in 1994 and is ongoing, is the Police Athletic League (PAL), where three public schools and one community center have been established as safe after-school sites for youth in the community to gather and participate in recreational activities. VISTA and RSVP members serve together on this project, and as Project Director Kelley states, "The VISTA members relieved the seniors' anxieties. They provided a sense of comfort and a feeling of security. Our seniors were dealing with new issues. The success of this summer [SOS 1994] didn't just fall from the sky--this program took planning and education. It's still developing. A lot of the work is very substantive and it will continue."
The Alzheimer's Identification and Intervention Program uses intergenerational teams to identify and record the names and addresses of Alzheimer sufferers, photograph them, and compile a book of this information for the Lawrence Police Department. Working together as teams on this ongoing project are VISTA and RSVP members.
Additional Intergenerational Projects
A project called Hugs and Dolls involves participation from RSVP, Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC), VISTA, and Learn and Serve. Collectively, these groups make dolls to donate worldwide to children with the HIV/AIDS virus. In addition, dolls are made for infants in long term care at a local hospital where teams of two (one senior, one youth) visit. Reflection is also a facet of this program, when not only teams but all program participants discuss and share their experiences with the visitation program, and progress is determined by evaluations.
Another project which involves RSVP, YVC, VISTA, and Learn and Serve is the ROSES program. An acronym for Read-aloud On Safety, Education and Skills, teams of four (two seniors, two youth) work once a week for six weeks in preschool classrooms to educate the children about issues concerning family, friendship, safety, and healthy living habits. In addition to teaching the children, the relationships formed between the intergenerational partners is extremely valuable. RSVP members become close to their youth partners, and serve as mentors to them. The teams evaluate their performance, individually and as teams, and the evaluations include a reflection component, where the impact of the program in their lives is shared and discussed.
The Value of Partnerships
For MVCSC, partnerships are a valuable asset to any program. The key to creating successful community-impact projects such as those which began in Lawrence with the SOS, is the creation of linkages and partnerships that are most likely to benefit the program's evolution and execution. Finding out who can help achieve the goals set for the program, who has an interest in the outcome, and who can assist and contribute to the program are all important considerations. Partnerships provide opportunities for all ages to participate on service teams which recognize and capture the unique talents of each member.
