AARP New Mexico

Grants Will Help Make Communities Even Better Places to Live. AARP New Mexico announced June 28th that three organizations, located in Alamogordo, Las Cruces and Farmington, will receive 2023 Community Challenge grants – part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.6 million awarded among 310 organizations nationwide. Communities across New Mexico are working to become more livable for residents of all ages. AARP is working in partnership with local leaders, organizations and dedicated residents to help make that vision a reality.

Attorney General Raúl Torrez joined AARP New Mexico volunteers, Tuesday, June 13, in reaching out to New Mexicans across the state in an effort to share information on how to keep themselves safe from fraud and scams. The event, called a “Reverse Boiler Room”, took the common criminal tactic of cold-calling people, and reversed it to offer proactive tips to spot and avoid scams.

The Andrus Award for Community Service honors a volunteer or volunteer couple who have gone above and beyond everyday volunteering and make a powerful impact on their community. It is our most prestigious volunteer award.

In the early 1900s, the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, now called "Black Wall Street," was a vibrant and prosperous community. Despite the challenges and racial injustices they faced, residents of this community built a thriving neighborhood filled with successful Black-owned businesses, attorneys, doctors, and real estate agents. Their achievements were nothing short of remarkable and served as a beacon of hope for Black Americans nationwide.

AARP New Mexico staff and volunteers gathered Thursday with other supporters to discuss the future of the Paid Family and Medical Leave Act. Senate Bill 11 was one of AARP’s priorities for the 2023 Legislative Session. Despite being passed by the Senate, the bill was tabled by the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee earlier this week, ending the bill for this Session. “Providing family caregivers with more resources, especially those that allow them to continue to work while caring for a loved one, is a top priority for AARP,” said Othiamba Umi, AARP New Mexico Advocacy Director.

With just over 18 days left in the 2023 New Mexico Legislative Session, things are moving slowly but in traditional fashion expected to start speeding up with marathon sessions taking place in both houses as the days start to dwindle. To date, there are no bills on the Governor’s desk but 20 have passed both houses and are waiting nearby. “Given that there are only a few weeks left in the 60-day session, Things seem to be moving unusually slow with many bills stuck in committees,” said Othiamba Umi, Advocacy Director for AARP New Mexico. “Two of our priority bills on financial exploitation of elders and supported decision making, an alternative to guardianship, cleared their first committee in late January but are still waiting for a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.”

Women's History Month is underway, and we're excited to celebrate the ground-breaking contributions of amazing women to communities nationwide. Originating as Women's History Week in 1981, March was officially dedicated to honoring women's achievements in 1987. And AARP joins in the nation in celebrating women for their leadership, mentoring, and dedication to their communities in ways that have changed the course of history.

AARP New Mexico is joining with America Walks to offer a six-month, distance-learning fellowship program for people interested in advocating to make their communities more walkable. Participants, known as fellows, will complete a series of modules covering leadership development, coalition-building, walkable community design, local public policy, and strategic planning.

Christmas came a little early for Rose Artemis this year – two months early in fact at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. For Rose, her dream was to ride in a hot air balloon. And well, as New Mexicans know – we have a lot of those. You might say Rose’s dream was a wish of a lifetime.

AARP New Mexico staff and volunteers will be walking the halls of State Capitol come January 17, focusing on several bills that will address such issues as financial security, support for family caregivers, guardianship reform and expanding broadband.