Behind The Scenes With The RSVP Director And Volunteer Program Manager

Ranging in age from 15 to 92, about 250 volunteers currently donate their time, lend their skills, and show their dedication to MVES. As RSVP Director and Volunteer Program Manager, Lauren Reid recognizes and appreciates the efforts that MVES volunteers put forth year-round. Lauren recently sat down with us to talk about her job, our volunteers, and the programs for which we’re currently seeking new volunteers.

Editor: What are your major responsibilities as RSVP Director and Volunteer Program Manager?

Reid: I see my mission as being two-fold. First, I maintain current volunteer programs and second, I try to increase volunteer opportunities at MVES. As far as maintaining, I make sure that our current volunteer programs are running smoothly and that each program has enough volunteers to operate successfully. I’m available to offer guidance to our volunteers and I ensure that they have the resources they need to be successful in their volunteer efforts. For the growth aspect I mentioned, I’m always looking into partnering with other agencies to see how we might be able to expand our volunteer programs. We want to offer our volunteers the widest variety of opportunities as possible.

We’re taught at a young age that a simple “thank you” goes a long way. But sometimes we want to do more than just say thanks—we want to show our appreciation firsthand! MVES recently hosted its first donor appreciation event to honor the people who generously support local elders and caregivers with their donations to MVES. Whether a donor gave $1 or $10,000 over the past two years, they were invited to attend and share in the company of others who support elder care issues.

On the evening of September 27, from 5:30 – 8 p.m., donors gathered at MVES’ Malden office to learn more about how their donations are helping local elders. Donors met MVES board members, management staff, and other community members who give to MVES.

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When embarking on a journey of any sort, it’s important to make sure you have the right resources at hand. Though it certainly isn’t as easy as getting a compass or a map as you might for a literal journey from point A to point B, there are resources available to help people during the journey through caregiving.

Through a grant provided by MVES and the Executive Office of Elder Affairs, Hallmark Health Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice is sponsoring a caregiver conference that will provide the opportunity for caregivers to take in information and learn about resources that are useful during the caregiver’s journey. The caregiving expo, “Charting the Caregiver’s Course,” will be at

the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield on October 13, from

8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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Answer: Unfortunately, breast cancer affects both younger and older woman. However, your article was right—it is actually more common in older women. For some idea of how prevalent, consider that 50% of all new breast cancers occur in women age 65 and older, and 22% in women age 75 or older. The estimated risk of new breast cancer is 1 in 14 for women aged 60 to 79 compared to 1 in 228 women aged 39 and younger. Currently, the median age of breast cancer diagnosis in the United States is 62. As our population ages, women over the age of 65 will become the group most affected by breast cancer.