RSVP Center of Essex and Hudson Counties

The RSVP Center of Essex and Hudson Counties is a comprehensive community service organization sponsored by Jewish Family Service of MetroWest NJ designed to mobilize members of the community who are 55 and over in giving back to their own neighborhoods through volunteer service within Essex and Hudson Counties.

Socialization Programs

Friendly Visitors are matched with a homebound older adult to meet with in their home weekly. Volunteers provide conversation, companionship, and socialization opportunities.

 Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or another chronic illness is one of the most selfless things we can do, but it can also be exhausting.

Through Jewish Family Service of MetroWest’s Respite program, volunteers support caregivers by visiting their loved ones for 2-3 hours once a week or every other week. Each volunteer is matched with a caregiver and their loved one to provide companionship, socialization, and activities such as reading books, watching movies, or playing games depending on the person’s abilities. This allows the caregiver a break while the care recipient still has safety and supervision.

Volunteers must complete a background check. Training on working with clients with Alzheimer’s, dementia, or another chronic illness is provided.

For more information, contact Mei Lepowsky Moyer at mmoyer@jfsmetrowest.org (973) 637-1762.

Shop & Drop

Volunteers are needed to go grocery shopping for homebound seniors. Each volunteer is matched one-on-one with a senior to shop for. Volunteers call the client directly to get the grocery list and then go shopping. Volunteers pay at the store and the client reimburses them via check upon drop off. Volunteers and clients will work together to determine timing and which store to shop at. Shopping can be done on evenings and weekends or during the work week.

We accept clients from Essex County, Morris County, and the surrounding areas. Volunteers must complete a background check. Time commitment is once a week or every other week but the schedule is flexible. If for some reason a client does not reimburse a volunteer for their groceries, JFSMW will reimburse the volunteer. All volunteers must use our app to upload photos of grocery receipts after each shopping trip.

Contact Mei Lepowsky Moyer at 973-637-1762 or mmoyer@jfsmetrowest.org for more details or to sign up.

Reading Buddies

Reading Buddies engages older adult volunteers in promoting childhood literacy in public schools. Volunteers age 55+ read to the same small group of students each week throughout the school year using a read-aloud format that supplements the school’s regular reading curriculum. Reading Buddies is a one-of-a-kind program that uses volunteers to support children grades pre-k-2 and educators in the classroom.

Volunteers must complete a background check and are asked to commit to a full school year.  The program is 1-1.5 hours once a week.  Training and books are provided.  Substitute reader positions are available for those who cannot commit to weekly sessions.

To participate contact Julie Cramer-Le at jcramer-le@jfsmetrowest.org or 973-765-9050.  Reading Buddies is run through RSVP, an AmeriCorps Seniors program, and only open to volunteers ages 55+.

Listen to Children

The Listen to Children program pairs a warm accepting older adult volunteer with a school aged child on a one-to-one basis. The Child-Listener relationship allows a child to share conversations, joys, experiences and even concerns. Meeting with their Listener allows children to gain important cross-generational perspectives.  Listener volunteers meet with a child on the same day and time weekly, usually during the student’s lunch hour or recess, during the school calendar.

The volunteer is not a tutor or therapist.  The Listener volunteer lends a non-judgmental ear to individual students who benefit from the special time and attention afforded by this relationship.  By encouraging students to express their feelings and identify solutions to problems, Listener volunteers help students meet the challenges of growing up in today’s world.

Listener volunteers receive a training and ongoing supervision and support. Meetings with listeners are held bi-monthly with different speakers in the community.

Volunteers must complete a background check and are asked to commit to a full school year.  The program runs 45 minutes once a week.  Volunteers are expected to report their hours monthly through the JFSMW Volunteer Tracking system.

To participate contact Julie Cramer-Le at jcramer-le@jfsmetrowest.org or 973-765-9050.  Listen to Children is run through RSVP, an AmeriCorps Seniors program, and only open to volunteers ages 55+.

Essex County SHIP (Medicare)

The State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) provides free help to Essex County Medicare beneficiaries who have problems with, or questions about their health insurance. SHIP is a statewide program administered in Essex County by JFS MetroWest and RSVP.  It is funded by the New Jersey Department of Human Services with financial assistance through a grant from the U.S. Administration for Community Living.

Medicare beneficiaries frequently have questions about benefits, claims, and supplement policies such as Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans.  Volunteer counselors, trained in areas of health insurance coverage and benefits that affect Medicare beneficiaries, provide information and assistance for dealing with claims and in evaluating health insurance options.  Counselors also help low-income Medicare beneficiaries apply for Extra Help, prescription assistance, and Low-Income Subsidy programs.

Volunteer counselors do not provide legal advice, sell, recommend, or endorse any specific insurance product, agent, insurance company, or plan.  They provide information and assistance so that Medicare beneficiaries can make their own decisions.  Counseling is free of charge.  Counselors are assigned to easy to access community sites, such as libraries and community centers throughout the county.

SHIP Counselors must commit to a background check, a 40-hour training, and a minimum of 1 year of service.  Volunteers typically serve 2-4 hours a week, but are busiest during Medicare Open Enrollment (Oct 7 – Dec 15).

To volunteer contact Brittany Bynum at bbynum@jfsmetrowest.org or 973-637-1717.  The Essex County SHIP is run through RSVP, an AmeriCorps Seniors program, and only open to volunteers ages 55+.

To receive SHIP services please contact our Helpline at (973) 637-1717 or email medicarehelp@jfsmetrowest.org.  For more information on the SHIP program visit https://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/doas/services/ship/.

Other

For more information on any of these programs, please contact Taylor Ruszczyk, Director of Volunteer Services, at 973-637-1742 or truszczyk@jfsmetrowest.org