YOUR AARP
What Your AARP State Office Can Do for You
(and how you can get involved)
From left: Building community in South Dakota; Fighting fraud in Pennsylvania
AARP MAY HAVE a robust national presence in Washington, D.C., but a great deal of our work on behalf of older Americans is done closer to their hearts and homes. AARP has offices and staff in every state and three territories, and each of these 53 operations is empowered to focus on its area’s unique needs. “Working across the country enables AARP to effectively support a wide range of needs and interests,” says Kristin Dillon, senior vice president of state and community engagement at AARP.
Here’s a look at some of what AARP does through our state offices.
→ Making older voices heard. Policies that benefit older adults are often decided at the state legislature level and by local governments. Each AARP office has experienced staff working to influence state and local lawmakers. Current priorities are making sure older Americans accrue retirement savings, have access to quality long-term health care and avoid fraud. “For the mayor’s race in Philadelphia, we had our volunteers meet with every candidate and ask them questions important to making our communities more livable,” says Bill Johnston-Walsh, the state director at AARP Pennsylvania.
→ Tailoring opportunities to the 50+ community. Each state office has programs, events and activities tailored to the people of that state. Popular programming includes educational workshops on how to prepare to be a caregiver and how to get the most from Social Security and Medicare. State offices also run seminars on avoiding fraud. And each state office runs “fun with a purpose” activities. “We have an online cooking class every month with a local chef. We’re offering members discount tickets to theater and musical productions,” says Pamela Dube, associate state director at AARP New Hampshire. Find out what’s happening in your state at aarp.org/local.
→ Making local communities more livable. State offices work with elected officials to push for better transportation options and for programs like safer intersections and sidewalks. Some state offices have helped establish centers where people can get to know each other. And in a crisis, state offices help distribute disaster relief funds raised by AARP.
→ Providing opportunities for volunteers. Making good things happen for older people requires a lot of volunteer hours. AARP state offices coordinate those volunteer efforts. “We recently did a day of service where we made food for the homeless,” says Alex Juarez, the communications director at the state office in Arizona. AARP is looking for “activists” who want to get involved in making their communities and states better places to age. To sign up, visit aarp.org/volunteer.
→ Shaping the future. AARP is looking for volunteers who want to help with voter education efforts in the 2024 election cycle. AARP state offices will organize state voter engagement activities designed to educate residents on how, where and when to vote, as well as how to choose a candidate who best reflects their interests on Social Security, caregiving and a host of other priorities. To get involved in those efforts, visit aarp.org/getinvolved. —Julie Goldenberg