RSVP of Jefferson County, Steubenville, Ohio

RSVP of Jefferson County, Ohio partnered with Harding Middle School and Jefferson Community College to build a community rain garden at the Jefferson Community College parking lot on May 15, 2008. Fifteen RSVP volunteers age 55 and older signed on to participate (though threat of rain caused only 5 to attend) in partnership with 10 youth from the local middle school. Overall, 29 volunteers were on location to help with this multigenerational, service-learning community project thanks to additional partnerships with the Families and Children First Committee, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District.

The project provided a springboard to continue similar efforts to help protect local rivers, streams and lakes from storm water pollution. As a result, key stakeholders expect to have the community rain garden project in place for years to come at different locations. In addition to the environmental benefits, this expansion will help RSVP extend throughout new parts of the county, increasing its service area and promoting volunteerism and intergenerational partnerships to even more local seniors and youth. The project served both the older adult volunteers and the students by teaching them something new about rain gardens and teaching them to appreciate and respect a generation other than their own.

As one participant shared in a follow-up survey: "No matter how old or young you are, you can still have fun together. We always need to be attentive to others' needs and feelings. We all can work together to accomplish a common goal. What is nice is that we can drive by this project and feel proud that we helped to put this together."