For the past 40 years, Travis County has demonstrated the value of volunteer service among older adults through the RSVP program and now Coming of Age. Throughout the years, Travis County has grown the program to address the evolving needs of our changing community.
In 1972, Travis County established the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), a federally-legislated grant program, to engage older adults (the 60+ population) in our community by providing them with volunteer opportunities. RSVP’s original philosophy of “People Helping People” endured and ensured its success.
In 1993, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program changed its name to “The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program” to reflect the new reality that not all older volunteers were retired. At this time, the age requirement to join RSVP was lowered from 60 to 55 years.
In 1997, the program evolved to focus on meeting community needs by connecting the experience of volunteers with rewarding opportunities to serve.
In 2006, the name was changed to simply “RSVP” to eliminate language references to aging that may serve as a barrier to participation, especially among the Baby Boomer population.
In 2010, Travis County RSVP significantly broadened its scope of service and re-invented itself as Coming of Age. The change was implemented in response to Baby Boomers’ vision and approach toward living a fulfilling, rewarding, and engaged life beyond full-time employment.
In 2020, The Corporation for National and Community Service rebrands it’s program to AmeriCorps. The Senior Corps program is rebranded to AmeriCorps Seniors.
Today, Coming of Age has two major focuses:
- Help people 50+ explore their futures, become community leaders, pursue lifelong learning, and engage in meaningful volunteer service
- Help nonprofits more effectively market volunteer opportunities to recruit and retain skilled, passionate, resourceful volunteers age 50+
