I want to Volunteer
Cima Insurance
Generic Volunteer Hour Tracking Form
Meal Reimbursement Policy
Mileage Reimbursement Policy
Team RSVP Guidelines
Volunteer Discontinuance Policy
Volunteer Enrollment Form
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Want Ads
Volunteer Station Roster

I WANT TO VOLUNTEER

If you are 55 and older have interest in volunteering in Lake County, Ohio you have come to the right place. RSVP of Lake County assists over 70 different non-profit agencies in finding volunteers to fill their agency needs.

Please download the VOLUNTEER ENROLLMENT FORM, complete and mail to the RSVP office. Once we receive the enrollment form, we will call you to arrange a Volunteer Interview at the RSVP office in Willoughby. During your volunteer interview we will take the time to learn your interests, desires, time availability and explain the RSVP program details to you. You will receive a RSVP nametag, RSVP pin and Volunteer Handbook.

During your interview we will discuss different volunteer opportunities with you and refer you to an RSVP agency.

Basic RSVP Guidelines:

• RSVP is required to collect volunteer hours on a monthly basis for federal reporting
  
• Many volunteers record their own hours and mail in their hour form to RSVP
  
• A signature by a paid staff person is needed on every volunteer form
  
• Volunteers are members of RSVP but volunteer for a non-profit agency
  
• Volunteers are eligible for RSVP insurance ONLY if they are volunteering for an RSVP member agency and are a registered RSVP member
  
• All volunteers must be interviewed before being enrolled as an RSVP member
  
• Mileage reimbursement is for volunteers in FINANCIAL NEED
  
• RSVP does NOT do background checks on volunteers, that is the responsibility of the non profit agency.

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RSVP VOLUNTEER INSURANCE, What does it cover?

RSVP provides volunteer insurance at NO COST to the volunteer or non-profit agency it is assisting. The insurance is provided by CIMA Companies, Inc. Summary of coverage includes Excess Accident Medical Coverage, Excess Volunteer Liability Insurance, and Excess Automobile Liability Coverage.

What does all of this mean in insurance language? Basically it covers out-of-pocket medical expenses incurred by a volunteer from an injury, or if a volunteer injures another person, it covers their out-of-pocket medical expenses. For example, if Mrs. Jones is volunteering and trips over a chair which causes her extensive damage to her teeth, and she has no dental insurance, then the RSVP CIMA insurance would reimburse Mrs. Jones for her dental expenses up to a certain amount. Each insurance reimbursement has a maximum level.

Commonly asked questions about the RSVP CIMA insurance coverage:

• My car was damaged in an accident while I was volunteering; will you cover my deductible for the repairs? NO. The coverage is for liability claims only. There is no coverage for damage to your car.
  
• Medicare says that your insurance should pay first. What should I do? CIMA coverage is specifically excess over Medicare. Call the RSVP office and they will put you in touch with CIMA for assistance.
  
• I see that the policy provides excess protection if I cause bodily injury or property damage. What if there is an allegation of sexual misconduct or sexual abuse? The policy does not provide protection in the event of a criminal proceeding, but it may provide protection in the event of a civil proceeding.
  
• How do I file a claim? For any type of claim, you first need to report the incident to the RSVP office. Even if you don’t think you will have medical expenses, it is important to report the accident anyway. RSVP has specific forms that need to be completed ASAP and filed with CIMA. DO NOT WAIT FOR MEDICAL BILLS. Keep a copy of all records and submit your bills to Medicare or any other existing insurance first. Once you have their “Explanation of Benefits: form, send those to RSVP.
  
  RSVP has copies of the CIMA insurance brochure and claim forms on file. You may also utilize the CIMA Insurance link below and search under Volunteer Coverage for information and forms. LINK TO CIMA - www.cimaworld.com

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MEAL REIMBURSEMENT POLICY

RSVP of Lake County
Meal Reimbursement Policy
Effective July 1, 2007

RSVP of Lake County offers meal reimbursement to volunteers in financial need. Meal cost will be reimbursed up to $3.00 maximum per day, but only if the volunteer station is not willing to provide or reimburse for the meal initially. The maximum monthly amount to be reimbursed to each volunteer is $12. In order to be reimbursed, the volunteer assignment must extend over a meal period or the assignment must be for a minimum of 4 hours.

A signed receipt must accompany each reimbursement submitted. The receipt to be reimbursed must be mailed to the RSVP office no later than the 5th of the following month.

A volunteer must first be approved for meal reimbursement by the RSVP director. Upon approval, the volunteer will be given meal reimbursement forms. Volunteers submitting meal forms on a timely basis will be mailed a check from the Willoughby-Eastlake School District (RSVP financial agent and program sponsor) on a quarterly basis with the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Meal reimbursement forms from a previous year will not be accepted. Meal reimbursement forms received one month late will be accepted, but will be added to the current month’s total that may not exceed the $10.00 monthly maximum. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.

If you have any questions regarding this policy please contact the RSVP office.

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MILEAGE REIMBURSEMENT POLICY

RSVP of Lake County
Mileage Reimbursement Policy
Effective July 1, 2007

RSVP of Lake County offers mileage reimbursement for volunteers in financial need. These expenses must be incurred while traveling to and from home to the volunteer station. All volunteers must be pre-approved by the RSVP Director prior to collecting mileage. Upon approval, mileage reimbursement forms will be given to the volunteer.

It is the volunteer’s responsibility to return the monthly mileage reimbursement form to the RSVP office no later than the 5th day of the following month. Volunteers submitting mileage forms on a timely basis will be mailed a check from the Willoughby-Eastlake School District (RSVP financial agent and program sponsor) on a quarterly basis, or four times a year. The RSVP fiscal reporting year starts July 1 and ends June 30.

Mileage reimbursement is 30¢ per mile. The maximum reimbursement is $30 per month or $90 per quarter.

The minimum reimbursement per quarter is $12. If a volunteer does NOT accumulate a minimum of $12 within a quarter, then the volunteer will not be reimbursed for mileage. Mileage will not be transferred from quarter to quarter.

Mileage from a previous year will not be accepted. Mileage one month late will be accepted, but will be added to the current month’s mileage, which can not exceed the $30 per month maximum. THERE ARE NO EXCEPTIONS.

Reimbursement can only be paid for travel within Lake County. If you live outside of Lake County, you may only calculate your mileage to and from the Lake County line.

Please contact the RSVP office with any questions regarding the mileage reimbursement policy.

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RSVP VOLUNTEER INACTIVE/DISCONTINUED POLICY & PROCEDURE

Volunteer Stations that send in volunteer hours:
Once a year a list of volunteers who have not had hours recently, will be sent to the station volunteer coordinator asking for a status update.

This update list is typically issued between January-February.

If the volunteer station is unaware of a volunteer’s reason for not volunteering, a discontinue postcard will be sent to volunteer. Time frame listed on post card is 2- 3 weeks.

If there is no response from the volunteer by date listed on postcard, they will be put into inactive/discontinued status. No further communication will be sent.

If the volunteer communicates that they wish to remain active they will be put on the GAP list (Gray Area People) for two months. (See GAP Policy details.)

Volunteers who record own volunteer hours:
After four months of no hours or communication from a volunteer, despite the repeated notes on the hour form, the volunteer will no longer be sent monthly hour forms.

A Discontinue Postcard will then be mailed to the volunteer. Depending on the volunteer response, the volunteer will either be discontinued (inactive) or put on the GAP list for two months. GAP List policy then goes into effect.

If there is no response from the volunteer by date listed on postcard, they will be put into inactive/discontinued status. No further communication will be sent.

GAP List
The GAP list is an abbreviation for Gray Area People. This classification of a volunteer indicates they are indecisive about volunteering, they have a temporary illness, or some type of specific situation that needs to be tracked closely.

Volunteers will remain on the GAP list for two months initially. If there is communication from the volunteer asking to remain active, then they will be active until June. If no hours have appeared by June (year-end), then the volunteer will be put into inactive/discontinued status.

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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

RSVP collaborates with over 60 non-profit agencies in Lake County who need volunteers. Listed below are a majority of those agencies. The agencies report their urgent needs to RSVP, but most of them welcome volunteers even if a specific need is not posted. We could fill a room with paper listing all the volunteer opportunities! In order not to confuse you, we have chosen to list all the agencies and then if you see an organization that peaks your interest, please call the RSVP office to find out more details.

Team RSVP Guidelines
Those volunteers listed as TEAM RSVP ONLY will be called/mailed for every special event with no regard to their location or ability.

TEAM RSVP PLUS members will be called according to location i.e., where the volunteer lives in accordance to the location of the volunteer assignment.

If a TEAM RSVP Member does not have an answering machine or email and/or does not return calls/messages, they will be removed from the TEAM RSVP station. If they are a TEAM RSVP ONLY member, then the RSVP Admin Asst needs to be notified to start the Inactive/Discontinue procedure.

It will be crucial for TEAM RSVP members to inform RSVP staff of any instances of leave of absence for vacation, illness, etc.

Each May the TEAM RSVP member listing will be mailed an update postcard requiring volunteers to communicate their interest to remain on the TEAM RSVP listing. If no response is received from the volunteer within two months of May postcard, an Inactive/Discontinued postcard will be sent.

Generic Volunteer Hour Tracking Form

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VOLUNTEER WANT ADS

Professional Experience Needed: The Lakeland Foundation in collaboration with other agencies has a Leave a Legacy program. Volunteers are needed to refine lists and make phone calls to professional organizations to schedule presentations. Good phone skills and organization skills a MUST. Call Cristen at ext. 201.

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VOLUNTEER ENROLLMENT FORM

Please print out the the Volunteer Enrollment Form, complete and mail it to the RSVP office. Once we receive the VEF at the office we will call you for a brief volunteer interview at the RSVP office located in Downtown Willoughby. During the interview an RSVP staff person will review all the RSVP guidelines and benefits as well as gather likes, dislikes and detailed information on the volunteers wishes.

Volunteer Enrollment Form

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