This is a wonderful celebration for our 30 years of service to the south Bay. The growth of our agency has been outstanding. Just 30 years ago, at our beginnings to today we have grown to over 700+ volunteers and serve over 75 different non-profit agencies. we service the South Bay community from El Segundo on the North to the Palos Verdes Peninsula on the South.

30 years ago RSVP was run by an all volunteer Staff; Computers were just a dream; volunteers had to be 60+ years of age (only 55+ today); cell phones weren't a thing that one carried; and there were only 38 volunteers with an annual volunteer hour total of 3,400.

Today we are a state-of-the arts operation with a computer at every desk; a web site (www.rsvpsb.org); quarterly newsletter; an acclaimed Homeland Security Program (CVAN) with over 200 volunteers to serve our community in the event of a local or national disaster; 3 staff and 4 volunteer Staff; a bi-weekly new column in The Daily Breeze Newspaper; and a wonderful location in the heart of Downtown Torrance.

Seven days a week our senior volunteers are available for every type of job from getting down and dirty in environmental projects to soaring with the antique planes at the Western Museum of Flight; from helping the young become better readers to singing songs to the seniors at the convalescent centers. The jobs our volunteers do are as varied as they are.

We are proud of where we were and where we are heading. The future looks so bright as we continue to change our services to mold them to meet the critical requirements of the needy.

The inspiration of seeing intergenerational activity is energizing. The role models of people well into their eighties and some in their nineties, breaks the stereotype that "old equates to rocking chairs".

Congratulations to each and every one of you. You are all my heroes.

Fondly,
Hope Witkowsky
Executive Director