Seniors Helping Seniors: RSVP Lifts Holiday Spirits

The Santee Sheriff's Department (RSVP) spent their Thursday morning ferrying a warm meal, food goods to last for weeks, other goodies and some holiday cheer to seniors in Santee, Lakeside and unincorporated El Cajon that are part of the (YANA) program.

Six RSVP volunteers helped out 36 local elderly this year- as one put it, "Seniors helping seniors."

RSVP is a senior welfare program that includes visits to homes, daily telephone calls to check up on seniors, and special hot meals and visits around Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

"It's a bonanza this year!" said one RSVP volunteer- and the large eye's of YANA recipients belied that same sentiment- so much food in a time of need.

, a leading RSVP volunteer that won the recently, said the East County church Our Lady of Grace donates a lot of money and food to the program, about two-thirds of everything they recieve, with many organizations and individuals such as the Girls Scouts and donating time and funds as well.

If you would like to contribute, you can drop money or food off at the .

RSVP has been putting on the YANA program and this charity drive for nine years and more than 250,000 hours have been logged by RSVP volunteers at the Santee Sheriff's station since its inception.

Seniors that take part in YANA are either referred to the Sheriff's Dept. by Adult Protective Services or the senior reaches out to the program. Reach out to RSVP if you or someone you know could use assisance.