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REALTOR®: San Mateo County Realtors Offer Free Help to Seniors and Homebound May 5-10

Deadline for requests for assistance is March 15

Monday, February 4, 2008

Seniors and the homebound who live in San Mateo County may request free assistance with household tasks through the Realtor Service Volunteer Program (RSVP), which will take place the week of May 5-10. The deadline for seniors to request assistance is Saturday, March 15.

RSVP is offered each year to seniors who cannot perform certain household tasks due to physical or financial constraints. The annual hands-on effort is organized by local Realtors in cooperation with various community organizations and senior centers. During RSVP Week, teams of Realtor and affiliate volunteers will visit senior citizens and perform various cleaning and household maintenance work free of charge.

“RSVP is one way we can give back to those who have built our communities,” said Sue Walsh, president of the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® (SAMCAR). “The program enables us to assist those most in need – seniors and the homebound, with basic and necessary household tasks that insure their safety and help them stay in their homes for a longer period of time.”

The annual community service program was first launched in each of the five districts of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® in 2001, and then adopted as an official association community outreach project in 2002. The program was expanded to members and affiliates of the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® in 2003. The Fresno Association of REALTORS® followed suit three years ago. Last year, the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS® came on board and offered the free service.

On the Peninsula and in the South Bay, the program now extends from as far north as Daly City to as far south as Gilroy. There are plans to expand the program to more Realtor Associations in California and around the nation.

In 2007, 570 Realtors and affiliates provided free help to nearly 400 home¬owners. In the San Mateo County, 183 SAMCAR Realtors and affiliates helped 149 senior residents.

Seniors may request to have light bulbs replaced, house numbers installed, furnace filters changed, windows cleaned, mattresses turned or new smoke detector batteries installed. The volunteers also do some light vacuuming, move items from hard-to-reach shelves, rake leaves and trim overgrown hedges for safety.

“Realtors and affiliates are just happy to give back to the community,” SAMCAR Board Director Anne Oliva said last year, as she and several other volunteers did light vacuuming and dusting for a senior homeowner in San Bruno.

Haydee Navarro-Marshall, another RSVP volunteer from SAMCAR, noted, “These are things we take for granted in our lives that people need help with. It’s good to know that we can help.”

SAMCAR Board Director Sue Vaterlaus has been an RSVP volunteer since the program began at SAMCAR in 2003. “At the end of each day, you feel good that you’ve done something special for somebody else,” Vaterlaus said. “This program also enables us to help seniors and the homebound enjoy their homes in the community for a longer time.”

The program is open to qualified seniors who cannot otherwise perform certain household tasks due to physical or financial constraints. Senior homeowners or renters who live in San Mateo County may contact SAMCAR Event Coordinator Beckie Patane at (650) 696-8220 for information and an application before the March deadline.

The San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® (SAMCAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 3,800 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula. SAMCAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in San Mateo County.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Julie Ziemelis, Director of Public Affairs, e-mail , or phone (650) 696-8214.

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