The October 2024 AARP Volunteer Summit was an incredible gathering, brimming with excitement and a powerful sense of purpose! Each year, dedicated AARP volunteers from across the state and our tight-knit team of four staff from the Wyoming State Office come together to reconnect, rejuvenate, and dive into fresh ideas and initiatives that strengthen our communities. This year, we saw our shared commitment deepen toward AARP's five priorities: Fraud Prevention, Caregiving, Social Connections, Veterans Support, and Brain Health.
Thirty volunteer leaders from around Wyoming descended on the Ranch at UCross in North Central Wyoming, Oct. 2 for three days of workshops and discussions to further AARP Wyoming's work in the Cowboy State. Themed, ìRooted & Amplified: Technology as a Force to Deepen Community Connections, the week saw presentations from AARP's national office featuring volunteer-led fraud and scam prevention efforts and methods for equipping volunteers to connect and lead presentations offered by local community action teams in the fields of caregiving, artificial intelligence, and movie nights.
When Tropical Storm Helene slammed into western North Carolina, AARP volunteer leaders and staff all across the state were anxious to help. Many ideas were proposed, but it was a single photograph in the Citizen Times of the devastation of a veterans housing site in Swannanoa, one of the hardest hit towns, that spoke most powerfully of the tremendous need in the Mountain Region.
Governor Maura Healey (D-Massachusetts) signed legislation to allow registered nurses to practice across state lines. This is legislation AARP has fought for.