As part of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors­sponsored program, Realtors and affiliate volunteers from the association participated in both Santa Clara and San Mateo counties to assist seniors during the week of May 2­8.

Small teams of volunteers washed windows, cleaned gutters, turned mattresses, changed smoke-detector batteries, strapped down water heaters and performed other desired and necessary health and safety tasks.

Valerie Brand of Intero Real Estate Services in Los Gatos chaired the local outreach committee and worked with local agencies and senior centers to find seniors and others who needed assistance in their homes. She also coordinated the efforts of 80 local Realtors involved in going out to help seniors in 40 homes in Los Gatos and Saratoga.

"It's been quite a job putting together the bags of supplies that go to each team, getting the yard signs ready and preparing packets for the seniors that include emergency phone number information and other handy items," Brand said. "But it's all worth it, since the senior citizens are so appreciative."

The RSVP program is designed especially for homeowners or renters who are advanced in age, disabled or otherwise challenged. Seniors filled out an application and requested specific services such as painting house numbers on the curb, installing hand-held shower fixtures, cutting and pruning overgrown shrubs and tree branches, moving or rearranging furniture, repairing leaky faucets and even removing cobwebs.

"This is a way for Realtors and affiliates to give back to the community where $1 million-plus homes are giving us our payroll. The most enjoyable part for me is that they are so thrilled about the program when we come out to help. It's the kind of hard work that they can no longer do. It's also a social aspect and a way for us to make friends with the senior citizens while getting to know other members of our own organization," Brand said.

The team of Matthew Swenson of Alain Pinel Realtors, Penelope Worsham, who owns a staging company, and Joey Carfagno of Bank of America spent two hours helping a senior in Los Gatos by changing smoke-detector batteries, washing windows inside and out, cleaning gutters and taking apart and cleaning some outdoor patio furniture.

"She was ecstatic. A person of her age is not going to climb up on a second-story roof to wash windows. It's the little things we can do that are sometimes so big. It's great to be able to help seniors, and it helps us make a connection in the community," Swenson said.

Another team included Realtors Dave Tonna and Cynthia Stebbins of Windermere Silicon Valley Properties and Diane Kim Hanne of Washington Mutual. They were busy climbing ladders to clean gutters, programming a VCR and fixing a loose doorknob, in addition to taking care of a list of other repairs and tasks the senior requested.

"The owners are so happy and practically in tears when we are leaving. The perception is sometimes that Realtors are just salespeople, and that's not what we are all about. It's more than just about commissions. We do a lot in the community, and this is a way for us to show that we care. This is so rewarding," Tonna said.

The cost-free program was initiated by the Realtor and affiliate members of the Silicon Valley Association of Realtors three years ago and was expanded last year to include volunteers from the San Mateo County Association of Realtors. In 2003, 400 Realtors and professionals offering real estate­related services provided help around the house for 280 homeowners in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

The Silicon Valley Association of Realtors is a nonprofit regional trade association serving 3,000 Realtors and affiliate members from Los Gatos, Saratoga, Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Los Altos, and Palo Alto in Santa Clara County to Menlo Park and Atherton in San Mateo County. An information resource for both Realtors and consumers, the association provides ongoing education programs and training, Internet access and online networking as well as mediation programs and legislative advocacy. For more information, check out www.silvar.org.