You’ve Got What It Takes – Volunteer With AARP Colorado!

Please email coaarp@aarp.org or call 1-866-554-5376 if interested in volunteering.

Cultural Competency Volunteers

AARP Colorado is seeking volunteers to make a difference in the community by building awareness and sensitivity for service providers of the LGBTQ community. We are working with Project Visibility, a program created by the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging. Project Visibility’s goal is to co-create an aging services community that is informed, sensitive and supportive of LGBTQ elders.

The Project Visibility course reviews LGBT history and terms, and teaches skills we hope will open the hearts and minds of those caring for this often invisible population. These skills include:

• Make no assumptions
• Ask open-ended questions
• Affirm resident rights

Volunteers are asked to conduct a total of six trainings per year, and they will receive a Train the Trainer session before working in the community.

State & Community Service Volunteers
Volunteers staff AARP exhibits and events; meet and greet the public; and, disseminate consumer-oriented information on AARP’s priority issues of affordable, accessible health care and lifetime financial security for all Americans.

AARP Local Discount Ambassadors

• Host/Coordinator- meet and greet AARP members and guests
• Greet general public and collect registrations, monitors crowd flow

Mentor Up
Mentor Up is all about young people helping older adults stay connected and adjust to the many challenges they face in today’s changing world. Volunteers work with local high schools and universities to create Mentor Up opportunities such as workshops to mentor to older adults on technology.

Fitness and Fun Volunteers
AARP Colorado is developing a program focused on fitness and fun for 50+. We need volunteers that would be interested in helping us launch this program.

• Create videos demonstrating exercise, healthy recipes, and other fun ways to enjoy life.
• Help with social media.
• Hosting events which provide healthy living activities, such as exercise classes and cooking demonstrations.

Age Friendly Network/Livable Community Volunteers (specific to Colorado Springs, Denver, Fort Collins and Boulder)
The AARP Network of Age Friendly Communities, launched in 2014, seeks to create communities that allow residents to age in place and are livable enviornments for people of all ages. Denver, Colorado Springs, Larimer and Boulder Counties are among more than 125 member communities nationwide.

Volunteers in each of these communities would engage in advocacy and activities to improve walkability, services, community engagement, affordable housing, and transportation options that are affordable and meet the varied needs of community residents. For 2017, walk audits and engagement in affordable housing and transportation advocacy will be priorities in the four member communities.

AARP Driver Safety Program
The AARP Driver Safety Program is the nation’s first and largest classroom driver safety course designed especially for drivers age 50 and older to help people live more independently as they age. The course covers the normal changes in vision; hearing and reaction time associated with aging and provides practical techniques on how to adjust to these changes. Participants also learn how to operate their vehicles more safely in today’s increasingly challenging driving environment and also receive a thorough review of the “rules of the road,” with an emphasis on safety strategies.

Volunteer management and instructor positions are available in many areas statewide. Volunteer marketing positions are available for the Front Range and Western Slope.

AARP Foundation Fraud Prevention

Fraud Fighter Call Center
AARP Foundation has volunteer positions in our Denver-based inbound call centers for the ElderWatch and Fraud Watch Network programs. This opportunity requires experienced, computer-savvy volunteers to work one-on-one with consumers targeted by fraud and scams and help guide them to the appropriate resources if they are a victim. The schedule is flexible with most volunteers serving 4-6 hours once a week.

Field Ambassador
This volunteer position presents information about the ElderWatch program and trains communities on how to stay safe from scams and fraud. As part of this self-driven opportunity, volunteers will present at senior centers, senior housing and faith-based organizations about fraud and scams targeting older adults. Volunteers might also represent ElderWatch at community events. Training provided.

AARP Tax-Aide
AARP Tax-Aide, a program of the AARP Foundation, began in 1968. It is a confidential, free and quality service supported by friendly people in local communities across the nation. This service is available to low- and moderate-income taxpayers of all ages with special attention to those aged 60 and older. IRS-certified volunteers are trained to assist in filing basic tax forms. A variety of service options are available at nearly 6,500 locations nationwide:
1. On-site tax assistance and preparation, from late Jan/early Feb to April 15th
2. 24-hour tax assistance via the Internet all year

Since 1980, the program has operated under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as part of its Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) program.

Management (training, communications) and tax preparer positions are available in many parts of Colorado.

NeighborWalks
Walk Coordinator
• Create the walk and coordinate with staff to finalize walk
• Practice your walking route with Walk Leader, Understudy, Floater and Sweep
• Assist with promotion of your walk
• Greet and engage with walk participants
• Generally welcomes and leads the walk
• Completes and submits summary form with NeighborWalks team

Sweep
• Assist with waiver sign-in, & handouts including passport
• Greet and engage with walk participants
• Sweeps are responsible for ensuring inclusion by staying at the back of the walk to ensure no walker is left behind
Walk Lead & Understudy
• Assist with waiver sign-in, & handouts including passport
• Greet and engage with walk participants
• Know the walking route if the coordinator is not able to or not interested in leading the walk, the lead is the volunteer who does the welcome and leads the walk
• The lead is often the walk understudy
• Communicate with Walk Coordinator and staff in planning
• Support Walk Coordinator on day of walk

Float
• Assist with waiver sign-in, & handouts including passport
• Greet and engage with walk participants
• Floats generally “mind” the middle of the walk, support the walk lead and encourage pedestrian best practices from participants

Speakers Network
Presents on key AARP issues in the community
(Topics include (but are not limited to); Fraud, Caregiving, Advocacy, Livable Communities)
• Speakers- present and talk on various AARP issues
• Organizer- coordinates Speakers network
• Marketer- identifies opportunities and promotes program

Social Media Volunteer
Serves as an AARP volunteer and participates in activities that enhance social media activities that support state plan objectives, projects, activities and initiatives. Additionally, volunteer will enhance member value and presence and influence at the national, state and community level through the utilization of social media tools.
The following volunteers seek through grassroots advocacy and outreach to promote issues of importance to AARP members and grow our presence as an organization. Activities include: communicating AARP’s positions to legislators; promoting consumer education through AARP publications and resources; and, motivating people to mass action on AARP’s state and federal priority issues.

Advocacy Volunteers
AARP advocacy volunteers perform grassroots lobbying and organizing activities to advance AARP’s federal and state legislative program. Denver metro volunteers meet weekly at the AARP state office during the legislative session and lobby at the state capitol. Other volunteers are engaged across the state to assist with legislative issues via Member of Congress visits, phone calls, e-mails, and letters-to-the-editor. Check out all the bills we are tracking in the Colorado Legislature.

Outside the metro area we need volunteers to attend and promote AARP issues at town hall meetings held by both State and Federal Legislators.

Multicultural Outreach Volunteers
Volunteers work on issues that are important to AARP Hispanic, African American, Asian American, and Indian members and their communities. Volunteer opportunities include outreach around access to Health Care, promoting cultural activities relevant to each community, financial empowerment including culturally relevant Tax Aide sites and financial education, and advocacy for housing & public transit affordability.

Please email coaarp@aarp.org or call 1-866-554-5376 if interested in volunteering.