AARP Oregon Announces Our Highest Award For Volunteerism & Service 2020

By Lesley Johnson

Julie Manuel, from Oregon’s Washington County, has been selected to receive the 2020 AARP Oregon Andrus Award for Community Service – AARP’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award for community service. Fulfilling its purpose to empower people to choose how they live as they age, AARP Oregon relies on its over 500,000 members to advocate for a society in which all people live with dignity and purpose. 

"Through service to others, we're proud to honor Julie with the 2020 Andrus Award," said Edward Brewington, AARP Oregon Volunteer State President.


The Heart of a Volunteer (video)

Hundreds of these members take an additional step to volunteer with AARP, not because they, as educator/politician Elizabeth Andrew said, “necessarily have the time; they just have the heart.” Julie is described by teammates as “the top AARP Oregon cheerleader, never missing a chance to promote AARP, recruit a new volunteer, or mentor someone.”

Volunteers know that not everything moves as you’d like and more often than not things don’t fall into place as easily as you’d expect.  This is especially true during this time of the Covid-19 pandemic.  And yet Julie is described as the person that continues to get things done. She is the one who has a suggestion, will offer to research, make contact or do whatever is needed to accomplish activities towards the AARP vision, working to make everything click, noted her nominators Carlos Romo and Suzan Turley.

Many AARP members begin volunteering by tabling events.  For several years, Julie has been the one suggesting and seeking out the events/locales to table within the county.  She carries a trunkful of AARP supplies, banners, tablecloths, and brochures so she is always ready for what comes up.  She leads and organizes the tabling teams and is the one to step in if someone doesn’t show for an event.

Through her local AARP "Community Action Team," Julie has organized monthly Food Bank volunteer groups.  She has stepped in as one of the organizers and leaders of Washington County Walks, an offshoot of Neighborhood Walks. These events often have over 50 people participating.

Keeping abreast with local and statewide officials, Julie attends both town halls and tele-town halls. Fellow team members attest that Julie is an active advocate putting in many hours canvassing, sharing AARP priorities with elected officials, and staying on top of issues that might affect our membership.

Described as a “constant during turbulent times”, Julie has been exploring ways AARP can serve caregivers and the elderly who are isolated during the ongoing pandemic concerns. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King: “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve”. 

ˆLesley Johnson is an AARP volunteer.