Summary: Legislation requires ACTION to promote meaningful volunteer experiences through its programs, to coordinate its programs with other compatible programs in the public and private sector, and to encourage greater use of volunteer services to those programs. ACTION is responsible for three Older American Volunteer Programs: Foster Grandparents, Senior Companions, and Retired Senior Volunteers. Relatively stable funding over the past 3 years has limited increases in volunteer levels and elderly applicants have been placed on waiting lists. Joint program sponsorships offer a greater variety of volunteer opportunities to older Americans in a community than the single program approach. However, ACTION has not developed formal policies regarding the administration of multiple projects by a single sponsor or encouraged joint sponsorship where it is feasible. For 6 years ACTION support enabled the National Center for Voluntary Action to expand an information center to monitor the activities of and disseminate information on successful volunteer programs. In 1977, ACTION discontinued its demonstration grants to the National Center and its clearinghouse operation with the expectation that National Center activities would be continued with private resources. ACTION requested additional funds to operate its new Office of Voluntary Citizen Participation, but the emphasis the new office will place on encouraging increased voluntarism for older American programs has not yet been identified. As part of its redirection and reemphasis of program goals, ACTION should evaluate the State Volunteer Services Coordinator Program it has supported in eight states in conjunction with service capabilities of the National Center for Voluntary Action to avoid any potential for duplicating development of information exchange systems.
