DRIVETHROUGH EVENTS HONOR RSVP VOLUNTEERS
RSVP, the nonprofit volunteer community service organization, recently borrowed a page from its own playbook and staged two drive-through appreciation events for its volunteers.
At the height of the COVID quarantine, RSVP volunteers staffed three drive-through food distributions organized by the Montco Anti-Hunger Network. People needing assistance drove past a set of food stations where volunteers handed out various food items and vital supplies.
RSVP then adopted the drivethrough format for the two volunteer events, which were held at Upland Park in Brookhaven and Montgomery County Community College in Blue Bell. There, staff and board members handed out goodie bags, collected raffle tickets and gave out water, chocolate-covered pretzels donated by Asher’s, and small items such as letter-openers to some 80 volunteers driving through in their cars. The final station was a Jack and Jill Ice Cream truck.
A surprise from Renewal
“We usually have an annual
volunteer appreciation luncheon,” said Michele Moll, RSVP’s executive director. “But this year we needed to keep thing safe and had to think outside the box.”
To help stage the event, Moll reached out to Renewal by Andersen, which had recently designated RSVP as its Window of Giving community partner.
“They were amazing,” Moll said. “We didn’t expect such extraordinary
help.”
Not only did Renewal pay for most of the refreshments and handouts, but they also provided volunteers to help staff the event, hired the ice cream truck and paid for the raffle prizes — a variety of $50 gift cards.
“They even had co-branded Andersen-RSVP shirts made for their staff,” Moll said.
“RSVP does great work in the
community, and we want to recognize them with our partnership,” said Kristin Gardner, Renewal by Andersen’s general manager for Greater Philadelphia. “In the past we’ve wrapped books for their Head Start program, some of our people have gone to the Head Start program and read from the books, and we’ve sponsored their golf tournament.