ICYMI: AARP in Your Community - Lehigh Valley 2017

Movies for Grownups

In late December, AARP Pennsylvania volunteers greeted nearly 100 AARP Members & their guests at the Movies For Grownups showing of Star Wars-The Last Jedi. AARP members and guests had the chance to connect with AARP to learn about the work we are doing in our local community, including how to make the Lehigh Valley area a more livable community.  This was the final event in series of successful Movies for Grownups offerings throughout the year.

Local Advocacy

AARP volunteers remained active on the advocacy front, visiting Lehigh Valley state legislators to urge their support for legislation designed to improve insurance coverage of telemedicine services. Volunteers were also active in their communities, planning meetings with local officials to discuss initiatives in 2018 that will improve the abilities of local residents to access services in their communities.  If you are interested in becoming an AARP volunteer in your local community, contact AARP PA.

Senior Expos:

AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers spread out across the Lehigh Valley area to attend numerous Senior Expos hosted by local legislators. At these local community events, residents learned about AARP volunteer opportunities, joined the  AARP Fraud Watch Network, and signed petitions to protect the future of Medicare that will be delivered to Congress later this year.  AARP continues to have a strong presence among the 50+ community.

Pines Dinner Theater Presentation

On October 13, the Pines Dinner Theater was the site for a special volunteer recognition program celebrating the work of AARP’s Lehigh Valley volunteer team. At the event, AARP PA’s State Director Bill Johnston-Walsh and Lehigh Valley Volunteer Team Leader Mary Jane Long thanked local volunteers for their dedication and hard work in the community throughout 2017.

Mayoral Roundtable

AARP is working to make the cities of the Lehigh Valley the best place to live for people of all ages.  On June 7, AARP hosted Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Bethlehem Mayor Robert Donchez, and Easton Mayor Sal Panto for a unique conversation focused on improving the livability of their communities.  Dr. Rodney Harrell, the Director of the Office of Livability Thought Leadership in AARP’s Public Policy Institute, moderated the event, which was attended by 75 community leaders from the Lehigh Valley and live-streamed by AARP.

The Mayors spoke of ongoing initiatives in their cities to reduce crime, improve transportation, and increase services for residents.  Pedestrian safety was an important goal cited by all three Mayors, who noted the difficulty of enforcing traffic safety laws.  The Mayors also discussed efforts to bring retail shopping into their cities, particularly grocery stores offering fresh produce.  Finally, the Mayors warned of the impact on cities about the proposed elimination of federal Community Development Block Grants and urged attendees to contact their federal representatives to maintain funding for this important program.

The Allentown Morning Call featured extensive coverage of the Mayoral Roundtable, which can be viewed by clicking here:

Operation: Stop Scams

AARP is always cautioning our members and the 50+ community to vigilant against frauds and scams.  In April, AARP Pennsylvania hosted a shredding event at Northampton Community College to help residents of the Lehigh Valley get rid of confidential materials safely.  In just under 4 hours, more than 40 AARP volunteers helped residents shred 6,766 pounds of personal material that could have fallen into the hands of identity thieves!

Sunshine Box Packing

On the first Tuesday of each month, local AARP volunteers pack more than 2,000 boxes of nutritious food to help those less fortunate in the community.  We will continue our community service work to help fight hunger among seniors in the Lehigh Valley. Please join us on the first Tuesday of every month at 8:30am at the Second Harvest Warehouse in Nazareth!

Join Us

We are so proud of the work we do in the Lehigh Valley supporting the mission of AARP and protecting seniors.  Look for us in your community. To learn more and to get involved, contact us here.