Senior Corps Volunteers Receive Stipend Increase

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), the federal agency responsible for the nation’s volunteer and service efforts, has increased the hourly stipend for Senior Corps volunteers serving through Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs. This change went into effect on April 1.

This is the first stipend increase for Senior Corps volunteers since 2002 and comes as a result of increased appropriations provided by Congress in Fiscal Year 2020. Senior Corps volunteers in the Senior Companion and Foster Grandparent programs—who help home-bound seniors maintain independence and tutor and mentor at-risk youth, respectively – will now receive $3.00 per hour of service.
Senior Corps opens doors for Americans who might not otherwise have the opportunity to serve their community due to financial or other barriers. Open to adults age 55 and older with incomes up to 200 percent of the poverty line, Foster Grandparents and Senior Companions are unique among volunteer programs as they allow the women and men serving to earn a small stipend.

“I’m thrilled to be able to provide this benefit to our Senior Corps volunteers,” said Deborah Cox-Roush, director of Senior Corps. “The Senior Corps volunteers of Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs offer tremendous value to the children, clients, and communities they serve. This stipend increase is one small way we can show how valuable our Senior Corps volunteers are to us.”

Recognizing that Senior Corps volunteers in the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs may be unable to serve during the COVID-19 public health emergency, CNCS has adapted its policies to support its volunteers. Existing Senior Corps volunteers with Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs will continue to receive their stipends during this time. This decision will minimize potential service disruptions for Senior Corps programs in the future, as well as preserve the volunteer workforce.

Each year, Senior Corps engages approximately 200,000 Americans at 25,000 locations across the nation through its Foster Grandparent, Senior Companion, and RSVP programs. For more than five decades, Senior Corps volunteers have used their skills and experience to mentor and tutor youth, help seniors maintain independence in their homes, connect veterans and military families to services, support solutions to the opioid epidemic, help Americans rebuild their lives after a disaster, and more.

While serving, Senior Corps volunteers also improve their own lives, staying active and healthy through service. Findings from a recent CNCS study show that Senior Corps volunteers serving with the Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion programs report feeling significantly less depressed and isolated, along with higher health scores.