Honoring Carolyn Dundee – AARP California Andrus Award Recipient

AARP is proud to announce Carolyn Dundee as the 2025 recipient of the California Andrus Award for Community Service, our most prestigious honor. Named after AARP founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, this award recognizes individuals who embody the power of purposeful aging through extraordinary volunteerism. Carolyn’s decades-long commitment to service has transformed lives and inspired communities across California.

Carolyn began volunteering at age 10, and her impact has only grown. As a leader of Small Acts Big Change, a nonprofit founded in 2012, Carolyn has spearheaded hundreds of campaigns that uplift those most in need. Under her guidance, the organization has:

• Provided over 3,600 toys to children in foster care through the annual Big Give Toy Drive.
• Delivered thousands of hygiene kits to people experiencing homelessness.
• Supplied more than 3,000 blankets and towels to shelter pets.
• Distributed 5,700 books to at-risk children, fostering literacy and hope.

Carolyn has a gift for bringing people together, creating inclusive opportunities for volunteers of all ages. But her most groundbreaking achievement came five years ago when she launched a first-of-its-kind senior volunteer program in partnership with the Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge. Recognizing that older adults often lack accessible ways to serve, Carolyn designed projects tailored to their abilities and interests. The response was overwhelming: every volunteer spot filled immediately.

Since then, seniors have crocheted scarves for unhoused individuals, knitted hats for NICU babies, crafted cards for care center residents, and assembled chemo care kits for cancer patients. One participant shared, “Carolyn helped me feel useful again—I had no idea how much I needed that.” Through this initiative, more than 750 older adults have rediscovered purpose and joy, proving that aging is a stage rich with potential.

Carolyn’s work doesn’t stop there. She has mobilized volunteers to plant 4,000 trees, lead 700 community clean-ups, and deliver 55,000 handmade cards to seniors in care centers—acts that spread kindness and strengthen communities.

To honor Carolyn’s incredible contributions, AARP will make a $1,000 donation to Small Acts Big Change, supporting its mission to create meaningful volunteer opportunities and amplify compassion across generations.

Carolyn Dundee exemplifies AARP’s vision: a society where everyone lives with dignity, purpose, and connection. Her leadership reminds us that small acts truly spark big change—and that service knows no age limit.