Community

50 Over 50 is more than a list. It's a connected cohort of over 250 trailblazing community builders, public officials, educators, nonprofit leaders, healers, small business owners, artists, and disruptors from across the state of Minnesota. If your nominee is chosen as an honoree, we'll tell and share their stories, invite them to speak at community events, and create moments for them to connect and collaborate with this incredible network.

AARP Minnesota and Pollen are looking for the next group of community builders, public officials, educators, nonprofit leaders, healers, small business owners, artists, and disruptors age 50 and up to join its esteemed list of 50 Over 50 honorees. Nominations for the 2022 50 Over 50 list are open through April 30. 

Want to shine a highly deserved spotlight on a mover and shaker older than 50 who is improving their community?

With an ongoing pandemic looming in the background and the need to bridge deep divides around racial and social injustices, this Black History Month provides an important and timely platform to celebrate the contributions of Black Americans to their communities and our nation. AARP is highlighting a number of people who are building up their communities around the nation, including three from Minnesota:

Applications are currently being accepted through March 22, 2022, 4:00 p.m. CT.

AARP is pleased to welcome Minnesota as the tenth state to join the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. Membership is a commitment to engaging older residents in efforts to improve the state’s infrastructure, systems and social environment. The network provides access to resources and information on age-friendly best practices being developed and implemented in other Age-Friendly states and over 600 communities across the nation.

AARP Minnesota's 50 Over 50 award has helped launch a gallery exhibition, boosted public awareness on sex trafficking, supported the LGBTQ community and more.

You may be eligible for assistance. Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program helps pay for home heating and water costs and furnace repairs for income-qualified households.

Every year, AARP Minnesota and Pollen’s 50 Over 50 awards allow us to recognize the contributions of Minnesotans over the age of 50. The 250+ honorees we've celebrated to date are shattering stereotypes around aging, but that's only the start of their contributions. Across a variety of sectors and issues, from urban to rural, and from the personal to the systemic, all of these honorees make a positive impact in the lives of those around them. This story series is an opportunity to take a closer look at that impact. In it, we'll explore the contributions and journeys of several honorees, as they navigate the joys of aging, and continue to find ways to make a difference.

Connect with 50 Over 50 honorees who are changing the conversation on aging, paving new paths for themselves and others, and harnessing hope for the future.