Volunteering

By Bev Bachel

AARP is now accepting nominations for its 2015 Minnesota Andrus Award for Community Service, which honors Minnesotans over the age of 50 who are sharing their experience, talent, and skills to enrich the lives of their community members. Individuals do not need to be AARP volunteers or members to be nominated. AARP will make a $1,000 donation to an approved charity of the award winners choosing.

Currently, nearly one in three Minnesota third-graders are not reaching basic levels of literacy. AARP Experience Corps Tutors directly address this need by providing one-on-one reading tutoring as well as serving as a caring adult in each of their students' lives.

Happy National Volunteer Week! AARP is incredibly grateful for all of our volunteers who dedicate their time and enthusiasm to our programs. Our volunteers come from all over the state of Minnesota to help their communities receive the benefits and knowledge of AARP.

Kathryn LeRoy LeBrasseur of Alexandria was presented with the 2014 AARP Minnesota Andrus Award for Community Service at an awards reception held at the Senior Community Center today. The award honors Minnesotans over the age of 50 who are sharing their experience, talent, and skills to enrich the lives of their community members. As part of the award, AARP made a $1,000 donation to the Alexandria Senior Community Center.

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My name is Lynne McMullen and I recently began a new job developing SNAP outreach efforts to help Minnesota nonprofits combat hunger among senior citizens. When I began this assignment I had little understanding of the physical, mental and emotional impact hunger has on thousands of older Minnesotans.

As I approached becoming an empty nester 18 years ago, I began working on an MBA in Nonprofit Management while managing a Creative Kidstuff toy store. While it’s a great company with a strong mission, I knew that retail sales was not the best match for me. I celebrated my graduation in 1999 by taking my two daughters on a trip to Italy. It was on that trip that I decided to quit my job immediately and spend the summer job searching in nonprofit organizations.

Everyone loves a good story about high school sweethearts. Bob and Rosie Geyen's story is one of those. They met at a Waconia High School play and had their first date 50 years ago this January. Education was one of their many shared loves. Rosie taught 1st grade until the birth of their first child and was a substitute teacher over the years. Bob taught and administered in several Minnesota school districts.

AARP recently joined forces with Experience Corps, one of the nation’s most highly regarded service programs, which engages older adult volunteers to help improve K-3 literacy in underserved schools.