HOW AARP IS FIGHTING FOR YOU
AARP Takes On Social Connection
SCIENCE HAS LONG shown the power of human connection and the health threats of isolation. And we at AARP have long known that staying connected can keep people more resilient as they age.
But three years of a COVID pandemic revealed just how vulnerable older Americans can be to isolation. A key part of our response at AARP has been to create an ever-evolving and growing menu of programs to help older Americans feel connected, heard and cared for. Here are just some of the ways we try to help.
→ Attend a (virtual) event. The AARP Virtual Community Center is a bustling online activity hub offering everything from movies, concerts, cooking classes and museum tours to virtual exercise classes and lectures from top professors. It’s for AARP members and nonmembers alike; events are free and there are several each day. Go to aarp.org/vcc to see the schedule and register for events.
→ Take a class. Senior Planet is the flagship program of OATS (Older Adults Technology Services) from AARP, which offers a diverse menu of interactive learning activities, such as free virtual classes taught live on Zoom. Visitors to the Senior Planet website can also find articles, interviews and video tutorials that correspond to your interests. Go to SeniorPlanet.org.
→ Have a conversation. AARP Friendly Voice has trained volunteers who are ready to have a warm conversation, hear your concerns and, when warranted, connect you to local services and organizations that can help. To request a conversation, call 888-281-0145 and leave a way and time you can be reached. A volunteer will call you back.
→ Become a local volunteer or attend a local event. AARP has offices in every state, as well as Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Washington, D.C., and each office is hungry for volunteers to help lobby state officials, stage events, serve those in need, teach classes and more. Plus, each state office hosts events and classes. Find out what AARP is up to in your community by visiting AARP.org/local.
—Heather Nawrocki, AARP vice president of fun & fulfillment
HERE FOR YOU
• The Ethel Circle From AARP This closed Facebook community of older women sharing ideas, concerns and stories is already 30,000 strong. Members are meeting up in cities across the country! Request to join at www.facebook.com/groups/theethelcircle
AARP BOARD OF DIRECTORS Board Chair Lloyd E. Johnson, First Vice Chair Beth Ellard, Second Vice Chair Robert Blancato, Governance Committee Chair Margot James Copeland, Joseph F. Coughlin, Jeffrey D. Dunn, Jo Ann Jenkins, Rosanna A. Márquez, Alan Murray, Julio Portalatin, Marie Quintero-Johnson, Libby Sartain, David Windley