Volunteer programs for older adults

With funding through the Minnesota Board on Aging, Minnesota funds 13 volunteer programs for older adults, that utilize the skills of 55 and older volunteers to serve their communities through three programs. The services provided by the volunteers make a positive impact on critical human and social needs of older people throughout Minnesota. Volunteers commit their time to address community needs including academic tutoring and mentoring, elderly care, transportation, tax assistance, meal delivery, disaster relief and more.

AmeriCorps Seniors programs are funded nationally by the Corporation for National Community Services (CNCS). Minnesota is one of only seven states that provide supportive dollars from their state unit on aging to help older people age in the community.

Critical to success in Minnesota, each of the 13 programs has contracts or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with stations throughout the state that help manage and deploy the work of the volunteers. Each station trains volunteers, tracks the number of volunteers, the number of hours served and the number of Minnesotans receiving services.

The three programs that make up the volunteer programs are:

Foster Grandparents
Foster Grandparents are role models, mentors and friends to children with exceptional needs. The program provides a way for volunteers age 55 and over to stay active by serving youth in their communities. Foster Grandparents provides one-on-one mentoring, nurturing, and support to children with special or exceptional needs or who are in circumstances that limit their academic, social or emotional development. Program volunteers serve from 5 to 40 hours a week and receive hourly stipends. Volunteers must be age 55 or older and meet established income eligibility guidelines. In addition to the stipend, they receive accident, personal liability and excess automobile liability insurance, assistance with the cost of transportation, recognition and as feasible, meals during their assignments. As of 2023, 459 volunteers served 186,370 hours to 3,213 children from the following three programs:
- Tri-Valley Opportunity Council
- Catholic Charities - St. Cloud
- Lutheran Social Services
Retired Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP)
The RSVP program matches volunteers aged 55 and older with opportunities to help their communities by utilizing their individual skills, interests, and availability. RSVP volunteers choose how, where, and when they want to serve, with commitments ranging from a few hours to 40 hours per week. As of 2023, more than 9,325 volunteers served 829,281 hours through from the following 11 RSVP programs:
- ACE of Southwest Minnesota (8 counties)
- Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (3 counties)
- Anoka County (1 county)
- Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota (19 counties)
- Greater St. Cloud (4 counties)
- University of Minnesota Crookston – Red River Valley (7 counties)
- Volunteer Services of Carlton County (2 counties)
- Ecumen (6 counties)
- ElderCircle (2 counties)
Senior Companion

The Senior Companion volunteers provide companionship and support to other adults in need of extra assistance to remain at home or in the community. Most of the volunteer service takes place in the homes of program clients. Volunteers help ease loneliness and social isolation, assist with transportation and light chores, help to serve as eyes and ears for professionals on behalf of the clients, and give support to informal caregivers. Senior Companion volunteers must be age 55 or older and meet established income eligibility guidelines. Volunteers receive hourly stipends. As of 2023, 278 volunteers from Lutheran Social Services served 112,107 hours in all 87 counties.