Retire United (RSVP)

Retire United (RSVP) is a free, federal program to support volunteers 55 and better. It is made available by a grant from AmeriCorps Seniors. Locally, Retire United is organized by United Way Emerald Coast and is focused on uniting our community, leveraging resources to improve lives.

United Way Emerald Coast partners with nonprofit organizations in Okaloosa and Walton counties to provide volunteer opportunities that match your skills, experience, and lifestyle with the needs of our community. Whether you choose to give one hour a week or ten, short-term projects or ongoing, you WILL make a difference in our community.

With Retire United, the choice is yours! You choose the volunteer opportunity addressing one of the focus areas where you are willing to donate your time, you choose the amount of time you want to give, and you choose whether you want to draw on your skills or develop new ones. In short, with the guidance of United Way, you find the opportunity that's right for you.

BENEFITS OF JOINING

Studies show that volunteering helps you live longer and promotes a positive outlook on life. When you volunteer, you are not just helping others, you are helping yourself. Some benefits of Retire United (RSVP) membership include:

Choose how, where, and how often you want to volunteer
Give back to your community with a cause that is important to you
Meet new people and build lasting friendships through service
Participate in exclusive educational and social opportunities, including the annual volunteer recognition event
Receive personalized, ongoing support from United Way Emerald Coast RSVP staff
While volunteering you are covered by FREE excess accidental medical coverage, personal liability, and excess automobile liability insurance

WHO CAN APPLY

Retire United is open to all Okaloosa and Walton county residents age 55 and up. Volunteers must commit to one hour of service per year.

HOW IT WORKS

Submit the Retire United Volunteer Application (Applications may be submitted below, or download and print the form to return via email or mail)
The Retire United Director will contact you for an interview either in person, by telephone, or on Zoom
Attend the AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP orientation
Select your Volunteer Station and attend a hands-on orientation with your station (*some Volunteer Stations may require a background screening)
Set up your schedule and start volunteering!

Current Volunteer Opportunities

Mentor – Improve the well-being of students by supporting them academically, socially, and personally. You can choose an area of your interest such as fine arts, crafts, sports or technology!
Tutor – Help students develop their skills in math, reading, writing, and other subjects so they can improve or maintain their grades.
Food & Nutrition – Helping with a variety of different activities that range from food preparation to food distribution.
Kit Builds – Assemble food kits to be delivered to families in need.
Pen Pals – Adopt a pen pal with a local library summer reading program to help improve student writing skills.

Ready to join Retire United? CLICK HERE to fill out an application or download the PDF version.

Not yet ready to join Retire United, but interested in learning more?

Submit the interest form below, and a member of the United Way Emerald Coast Retire United team will be in touch to discuss the next steps and answer any questions you may have.