Largest Senior Corps Conference in Texas Chooses San Angelo

SAN ANGELO, TX — State Senior Corps conferences have always been held in more metropolitan areas of the state. The San Angelo Senior Corps staff is excited to bring one of the largest Texas Senior Corps conferences ever held to San Angelo and rural West Texas.

The 2018 Texas Senior Corps Association Conference will take place May 21-23 in San Angelo hosted by the staff of West Texas RSVP sponsored locally by the West Texas Rehab, and the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent Programs sponsored by the Concho Valley Council of Governments.

RSVP, Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion Programs collectively are referred to as Senior Corps Programs. They are programs of the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that helps millions of Americans improve the lives of their fellow citizens through service.

The three-day Texas Senior Corps Conference will feature workshops on a variety of subjects including:

• The 5 R's of Volunteer Management
• Breakout Sessions for FGP, RSVP, SCP on Program Resources
• Confronting the Opioid Epidemic and How Senior Corps Programs Can Help
• Breakout Sessions for FGP, RSVP, SCP on Budget Management and Policies
• In the Eye of the Storm: A Senior Corps View of Hurricane Harvey
• Breakout Sessions for FGP, RSVP, SCP on Working with Local Entities
• Report from CNCS State Program Director Katy Dooley-Baxter
• Preparing for the Future in Senior Services
• Spotting and Telling a Good Story
• Educating Legislators on the Impact of Senior Corps

Senior Corps taps the skills, talents, and experience of Americans age 55 and over to meet a wide range of community challenges. In 2017 more than 15,000 Texas seniors met critical community needs while contributing to longer, healthier lives through one of the three Senior Corps programs: Foster Grandparents serve one-on-one as tutors and mentors to young people with exceptional needs; Senior Companions help homebound seniors and other adults maintain independence primarily in their own homes; and RSVP volunteers deliver meals on wheels, assist in soup kitchens and food pantries and provide many other services within local nonprofits and public agencies. Last year in Texas the Foster Grandparents tutored and mentored 21,240 young people, Senior Companions helped 1,060 seniors live independently, and RSVP volunteers strengthened the impact of 860 organizations across Texas.

Texas Senior Corps is the leading senior volunteer service partnership for solving community problems, strengthening communities, and building the capacity of nonprofit organizations in Texas. The goal of the conference is to provide information and to share experiences, best practices and innovations to help make a greater impact through service in local communities throughout Texas.