Lack Of Funding Dooms Ojai RSVP
By Misty Volaski
Senior volunteers across the valley got a letter from Help of Ojai dated Nov. 15, announcing the end of the long-running Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) as of Dec. 31. Help’s executive director Terri Wolfe explained that this was due to lack of — and the potential elimination of — funding from the Corporation for National and Community Service. CNCS has supplied grant money to operate Ojai’s “clearing house” for senior volunteer opportunities for close to 20 years, and has a national budget of about $1 billion, making it a target for possible elimination by Congress. It also runs the SeniorCorps and AmeriCorps organizations.
Wolfe said the ending of the RSVP program is certainly not something Help of Ojai would have chosen to do if these were ideal financial times, but that to keep it running would have required thousands of dollars that Help just doesn’t have.
“In this time of change for all agencies receiving federal funding, we have to adapt to those changes,” she said. “And our objective in adapting is to have a minimum impact on our direct services to our clients — seniors, low income, the homeless.”
“We’re not ‘cutting’ RSVP,” Wolfe emphasized, “we’re just not able to increases our expenses” to cover the costs of the program which are no longer covered by CNCS. In the letter to local volunteers, Wolfe says, “This change should not adversely impact your work within your particular program.”
Wolfe said that when Help of Ojai’s board first caught wind of the federal budget reductions CNCS had to undergo earlier this year, they began to ask the various organizations that work with RSVP volunteers — like the Ojai Valley Community Hospital and about 14 others around the valley — whether they felt that the closing of RSVP would affect them negatively. “We asked for their input on reduction or elimination of the program,” Wolfe said, “and they said it wouldn’t impact them because they knew their volunteers were committed to their organizations, and they felt confident that they would continue to volunteer” whether or not RSVP existed.
“I think RSVP sort of legitimized what they (the volunteers) did, but it’s not why they volunteered,” said Chris Rock, executive director of the Ojai Valley Community Hospital Foundation, which has about 25 to 30 volunteers, most of whom are seniors. “Many of our volunteers are longtime volunteers, and I don’t think the program (RSVP) going away is going to change that.”
RSVP helps coordinate the organizations needing volunteers and tracks the hours of volunteers, which it then submits to the federal government to keep the grant going. “When it first started, the program was to encourage seniors to go out and volunteer in the community,” Wolfe explained. “RSVP was, decades ago, a catalyst for the (volunteer) movement. The good news is, it’s really taken on a life of its own. Volunteering is alive and well and thriving in the Ojai Valley. We’re confident that they’ll still volunteer.”
“That’s what Ojai runs on, that volunteer spirit,” said RSVP volunteer and OVN columnist Mel Bloom. “Many things would close down if it weren’t for volunteers.”
Despite the confidence voiced about the continuation of volunteerism in Ojai, Help of Ojai still looked at several other options to keep RSVP, said Wolfe. CNCS changed the way it looked at the grant period, which increased from 12 months to 15 months. That meant that sponsoring organizations, like Help of Ojai, would have been required to fill in the three-month funding gap with their own funds, something Wolfe said wasn’t possible. “That would be $15,000 for us, on the tails of our busiest time of year, and the end of the year — it would be a huge burden.” Help investigated the option of simply putting the program “on hold” for those three months, but CNCS doesn’t allow this option.
Further, even if Help of Ojai had the $15,000 to fund that three-month gap, “There’s no guarantee that there would be grant money come March or April,” Wolfe said. “Is there even going to be a program? We don’t know. We could end up continuing a program that might end up being eliminated anyway.”
The biggest regret to the ending of the RSVP program, Wolfe said, was that there was no longer funding to keep the RSVP director, Kathleen Tarrats. “That’s a great loss to us,” Wolfe said. “She’s a great champion of seniors. She’s done a really remarkable job of connecting with seniors. We’ve offered her a part-time job with Help and we hope she accepts the position.”
Bloom echoed her enthusiasm. “Kathleen has been very effective there for years,” he said. “And she’s a very neat human being.”
Volunteer opportunities still abound in Ojai. Contact Help of Ojai at 646-5122 for more information.
well I HAVE THE PAPER WORK THAT SHOWS WHAT THE TRUTH IS TO IT ALL . JUST LET EVERYONE BE CREATED EQUALL AND FAIR,BECAUSE IF NOT . CERTAIN SOMEBODYS WILL BE NEEDING ALL THE HELP THEY CAN GET. P.S IM GOING IN ‘ SO COVER ME PEACE
I am appalled at the way Kathleen Tarrats is being treated by HELP’s Director, Terry Wolfe! Kathleen has been a tireless advocate with RSVP for 17 yrs. and she is offered a part time job?? Terri Wolfe knows that Kathleen cannot survive on part time wages and no benefits and she knows that if Kathleen accepts the position she would be run into the ground because she would be expected to do the same things she was doing with RSVP. So my opinion is Terri Wolfe is engineering Kathleens exit from HELP by offering this substandard job, that no one that has any self worth would take, then when it is declined and Kathleen has to go on unemployment it will be contested by Wolfe and company. That way Wolfe will look like the fiscal queen she aint and instead of the Ogre she is! Shame on you Wolfe! Shame on Ojai Valley News and Misty Volaski for not consulting Kathleen Tarrats before the article was printed!
In response to the ” Thumbs Down” about no peace on earth sign at the Y tree. Just another example of the slackers at Help, who don’t think it’s important or are too lazy to put any extra effort in. It’s been a long tradition for Help to have a holiday tree fund raiser. School kids singing, cookies and cider, community coming together for celebration. The new regime thinks it’s a waste of time, and not worth the trouble. For years it was the volunteers who put in countless hours getting the tree ready. Oh yeah I forgot, those volunteers all quit because of the lack of thanks from the administrators of Help. That’s the spirit Help of Ojai, keep on eliminating every bit of goodness and traditions that were so charming and admirable about Help. That’s over!
Well I agree with Mad citizen. Ojai has changed. People visit, fall in love with the small town feel, move here then change everything. I will do my part to save HELP as it will be me someday that needs the assistance.
In response to Sally, Help of Ojai USED to be an organization that totally focused on the importance and value of it’s senior’s. As active, caring, giving seniors, volunteering their time to Help in various areas off the organization. Whether it was sorting at the thrift store, helping with the utility and front desk, preparing meals for homebound, volunteering at the Day support center or the library, hospital, museum, and so on, they were valued and appreciated and given much deserved recognition and thanks. This new regime that has polluted HELP, with people involved running it, that have no history or roots here. The seniors in this valley aren’t their mothers, fathers, grandparents, teachers or neighbors. No they vacation here think what a nice quaint community orientated town. Then move here and start changing everything, that they though was appealing in the first place! It’s time the Ojai citizens take a good look at who’s running HELP, and try to save it and get it back to the great organization it once was. Why have so many volunteers quit, and why have people stopped giving and donating. Why are so many people complaining about the lack of thanks, the unappreciation, and rudeness they feel from the administrators of HELP. Makes you wonder!
After traveling to other towns I am always wondering why Ojai can’t get it together and take care of the seniors. I have seen so many wonderful programs and servies inmay other cities. We need local people in charge not outsiders. All these people work hard and provide a valuable service. What is the matter here?
What a slap in the face to the RSVP director to be offered a measly part time position with no benefits! How is that appreciation of 17 years!? The people who run HELP aren’t even from here, definitely not locals who know the history and true meaning of Help of Ojai. Shame on you board of directors and Help’s director for not doing all you can to find an equal paying position at Help for this dedicated employee! Cut the slackers of your organization and keep the one that makes the biggest impact on delivering the true meaning of Help to the people of this community!
The rich get richer (HELP and OUSD administrators)
and the poor (working parents and students) get
poorer. Almost all of them were appointed by elite
Democrats.
Kathleen has been an exemplary employee for 17 years. Why is she being offered a part-time position? Is this to keep her from being eligible for unemployment benefits? Or is it because knowing how hard she works, HELPof Ojai will be getting a dedicated employee that is actually working for part time wages full time? I urge the board of directors to take a hard look at the administrative salaries and cut those before letting Kathleen go.
How about cutting or reducing the salaries of the employees at HELP who don’t do a damn thing anyway, and keep and pay the one who has given 17 years of devotion and commitment. She is one of few that actually works to take care of the needs of the people in this community!
Orange County has a big party in Ojai every day.
Where do they (Nature’s Image) get the “money?”
My opinion; All the government agencies from city to federal, could eliminate All social programs – food stamps (ebt/snap), medical, dental, senior care, housing programs and so forth. Then when everyone is reduced to begging status, homeless, broke, hungry, in dire need of medical attention – The government will still be trying to balance their collective budgets, while people slowly die off. Where will they get the money to run the bloated system and keep their inflated salaries/benefits? And keep funding the WARS? Yet immigrants/refugees continue to flood this broken country by the tens of thousands every year. This makes no sense to me – lack of jobs, reduced funding for all social programs, etc. How many can we support?
If this is an example of how to cut $1 billion out of the federal budget deficit we need to make more decisions like this one. Write your elected official and tell them to eliminate these and other programs like it. Citizens will volunteer regardless…I know I do.
Difficult to be a “volunteer” these days and still
make ends meet. Why don’t the politicians living
in their big mansions on the Ventura Hillsides
come to Ojai and “volunter?” Oh,I forgot, their too
busy killing the poor with TCDD and other chemicals
from Orange County. Glad to see Nature’s Image is
in Ojai making “thousands of dollars.” I guess
somebody has to get rich during these tough
economic times. But most the people from Nature’s
Image are not workers from Ventura and Ojai.