Content starts here
CLOSE ×

Search

AARP AARP States

Meet Connecticut Volunteer Leader Marilyn Diaz

by Leslie Nord

Marilyn Diaz first started volunteering for AARP in Connecticut because she is bilingual and saw a need for more volunteers who could communicate with Spanish speaking people. During her six years as a volunteer she has happily translated materials for the local community such as information about fraud. Working with her cousin, Migdalia Cruz, who is also a bilingual AARP volunteer, they have greatly increased the number of Spanish speaking volunteers. However, Marilyn’s biggest AARP success story has to do with teaching college students.  She has been instrumental in helping to design a curriculum that has college students combat stereotypes about aging.

“The success of the Disrupt Aging Classroom has been exciting,” said Marilyn. The goal is to teach students that aging is something they all need to be aware of no matter what profession they choose. For example, aging affects nursing, architectural design, and accessibility in all professions. She emphasizes to the students they will need to understand the aging process and its ramifications as a lot of them either already are or will become caregivers. She said, “before the class students do not realize how aging impacts their lives.”  One student even changed her major because of the class.

Marilyn became a volunteer six years ago and has been on the Connecticut Executive Council for half of that. She is a member of AARP’s national Volunteer Facilitation and Training Team (VFTT) and has been active teaching classes, making presentations, and creating curricula on different topics. To create the Disrupt Aging class she and a group of fellow volunteers from CT worked with AARP CT's Erica Michalowski, college professors and a gerontology company to be sure that, “we had our facts straight before heading into the classroom.” The success of the class is exciting. At the start of the class a pre-survey is administered asking students what aging looks like. At the end of class, the results are totally different. “Personally, it brings tears to your eyes that you can impact lives and change minds,” says Marilyn. The class has been recognized at the national level as a great program and training is underway to teach it throughout the nation.

Marilyn also found an innovative way to get information out to seniors in her community. At the federal level, cable communities are required to provide some public access channels for local cable programs. She asked her local company if they would be interested in AARP hosting a regular show. Every month a different AARP program is featured with an emphasis on what is happening in the state, some being used for volunteer orientation. The segments have come in very handy for virtual community outreach during the pandemic.

Sometimes the benefits of volunteering for AARP are more subtle, but just as important. She was talking to another member of a group called CT Latinas Golf Team. She was having a horrible experience with her mother’s care in a nursing home. She was only getting assistance 10 hours a day when her needs required 24-hour assistance. Through Marilyn’s connection to AARP, she was aware of the state’s long-term care ombudsman (who works to promote and protect the rights of residents in nursing homes). The ombudsman contacted the nursing home and the next day her mother was able to get 24-hour care.

Marilyn is proud of the fact that even during the pandemic AARP has been very responsive. “We have been able to give updated support to our members and our aging community; information on COVID, virtual movies for grownups, resources for caregivers, advocacy issues regarding nursing homes, prescriptions drugs and so much more. We have been very responsive nationally and that has made a major impact for seniors. I admire AARP for its credibility because we are nonpartisan. Even when we partner with legislators, we advocate for what constituents want and need. That is major. We are helping people.”

About AARP States
AARP is active in all 50 states and Washington, DC, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Connect with AARP in your state.