PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The annual Berkshire Athenaeum book sale doesn't just happen. There is a lot of work that goes into it.

 

Elizabeth Sharon Larsen and Arthur Larsen are the ones who do much of that work. The two are part of the Retired Seniors Volunteer Program and are stationed at the library.

 

Last year, the pair spent a collective 540 hours volunteering there. The couple is now up to 2,572 hours of volunteer service to the city.

 

"Sharon and Arthur bring a positive attitude to their roles and are always ready to help anyone in need. Together the Larsens have contributed 2,572 lifetime hours with 540 of those hours being completed in 2016," Mayor Linda Tyer said.

 

And while the couple doesn't do it to seek recognition. It was recognition they got on Friday during the annual RSVP luncheon. The two were presented the 2017 RSVP Volunteer of the Year award.

 

"This award honors volunteers who go above and beyond in their roles and can always be counted on. Sharon and Arthur truly exceed those expectations and represent the true value of service," Tyer said.

 

State Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier brought citations honoring the couple from the House of Representatives. She called the work the Larsens do a "shining light."

 

"There are a lot of hard things going on out there. We have wildfires, hurricanes, and other stuff happening at the federal level. I keep waiting for the locust to come. But here, in this room, represents a shining light, the shining light of goodwill represented in the way of volunteering in a way that comes truly from the heart," Farley-Bouvier said.

 

"It is you that is the very, very best of the community. For that, it is not possible to use the words thank you because it feels just not adequate enough. But know that your work is extremely valuable and very much appreciated."

 

She recalled her first time volunteering as a child. It was at the book sale.

 

"The value of putting a book in someone's hand can't be understated. But that takes a lot of infrastructure and a lot of work," Farley-Bouvier said. 

 

RSVP is in its 46th year and nationally the program has contributed 46 million hours to communities. State Sen. Adam Hinds said such a program builds a sense of community. 

 

"What really moves me to do the work we do every single day is community and service. To have the opportunity to recognize all of you who are at the center of service and community really means a lot," Hinds said.

 

"If you get those two right, we can go anywhere as a community." 

 

Hinds too brought a citation from the state Senate honoring the Larsens. He said the volunteers, stationed all across the city, shows people that they are part of a community that will be there for someone if something goes wrong. 

 

Tyer said the retirees have the most to offer in helping communities and is thankful that so many in Pittsfield choose to do so.

 

"The seniors are considered senior when they are 55. That is the prime time of life. That is when we have the most years of experience, the greatest amount of wisdom, and still have a lot of energy we can contribute to the community we live," Tyer said.

 

Jeff Roucoulet had worked as a code enforcer in the city's Health Department. He remembers when he first started working for the city, he saw RSVP volunteers everywhere but didn't know much about it.

 

"As I continued to network and meet new faces around Pittsfield, I would see various colored RSVP shirts and shining faces cleaning up North Street, organizing and selling books at the Athenaeum, and helping the poor lost souls at City Hall. Several times a day a mysterious white van would drive by me with the RSVP logo on it. Finally, after seeing the acronym everywhere in my travels, I sat down to do some research about RSVP," Roucoulet said.

 

Roucoulet has his own history of volunteerism as a volunteer firefighter in Dalton. When the RSVP director position opened early this year, he wanted the job.

 

"I saw they were hiring and I wanted to be part of it," he said.

 

Roucoulet has just recently taken over as the new director at RSVP. 

 

"I have witnessed such passion and commitment from our volunteers, stations, and employees. The impact you have on Berkshire County is tremendous and valuable," he said.

 

And there are more opportunities for those who are age 55 or older. Advisory Board President Carol Maynard said there are particularly openings for volunteers to help in the schools.