Retired professionals called to help Puerto Rico’s southeastern communities
Seeking to take advantage of the knowledge offered by retirees, the Voluntarios del Sureste program announced a call to recruit 150 retired professionals in several specialized areas to help communities in southeastern municipalities.
The municipalities to benefit from community volunteer work are Las Piedras, Yabucoa and Humacao, organizers said.
“Our society is committed to volunteering and community service. Through this program we take advantage of the knowledge and experience of our retired professionals at the service of the communities and the elderly population,” said the director of the Voluntarios del Sureste program, María Eugenia Buscaglia.
The goal of the program is to support municipal community relief and disaster or emergency recovery initiatives including food distribution, assistance to residents, as well as guidance to facilitate the deployment of government assistance. It also collaborates with projects related to community health and safety, Buscaglia said.
The Voluntarios del Sureste project call seeks to recruit an initial group of 150 volunteers to join the America Senior Corps program. The municipalities will have an aggregate population that exceeds 109,000 people according to census data, of which 23,500 are 65 years or older.
Volunteers choose how, where and how often they want to serve, with commitments ranging from a few hours to 40 hours per week.
They also receive pre-service orientation, training from the organization where they will provide services, and supplemental insurance while on duty.
Volunteers don’t get paid, but sponsoring organizations can reimburse them for some costs incurred during service, organizers said.
