ICYMI: AARP in Your Community - Philadelphia 2018

AARP Pennsylvania is making an impact, right here in Philadelphia and the surrounding region, by participating in local events and connecting with the 50+ community. Here’s a sample of what AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers have been up to in the past few months.

 

Wawa Welcome America

AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers spent the sunny day at the Independence Mall in Philadelphia. An event flooded with attendees looking to celebrate the birth of our great country provided an opportunity to engage the public about our livable communities initiatives.

Movies for Grownups

On June 19, AARP Pennsylvania hosted a Movies for Grownups screening of Boundaries at the United Artist theater at the Grant Plaza in Northeast Philadelphia. The event attracted 97 members for a fun evening of socializing and movie viewing. On June 28, AARP hosted another Movies for Grownups screening. This time, it was a screening of Lean on Pete at the United Artist Oxford Valley Stadium theater in Bucks County, which attracted 40 members.

Pride Festival

The rain didn't stop AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers from going out and participating in the 30th anniversary of the Philadelphia Pride Festival. The event provided a great opportunity to engage the LGBT community and discuss important issues impacting the 50+ and to learn about the successes and challenges faced by the LGBT community.

ODUNDE Festival

AARP is committed to celebrating the vast array of cultures in Philadelphia. That includes our presence at the city’s ODUNDE festival on June 10th, which is the nation’s largest African-American street festival. An event that covers 12-city blocks and attracts approximately 500,000 attendees annually.

AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers spent the day engaging with attendees, taking the time to discuss local volunteer opportunities and the wide range of legislative and community outreach work currently underway in the city.

PIFA: Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts

On June 10th, AARP Pennsylvania was in attendance on the streets of the biannual Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts which consumed Broad Street from City Hall to South Street. The spectacular street festival provided a great opportunity to engage attendees in discussions about AARP's impact in the city and the importance of livable communities for people of all ages.

Asian Heritage Month Celebration – 38^th Annual North American Chinese Basketball Tournament

AARP is dedicated to celebrating the mosaic of cultures that are present in Philadelphia. That includes or presence at this year’s Asian Heritage Month Celebration. AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers spent the day engaging with attendees, taking the time to discuss local volunteer opportunities and the wide range of legislative and community outreach work currently underway in the city.

Operation Stop Scams

AARP Pennsylvania hosted a free shredding event on May 12 in Norristown in the lot located on the corner of Dekalb and Airy Streets. Nearly 300 cars lined up to shred over 17,000 pounds of documents containing sensitive information that could be used by identity thieves. Individuals were invited to bring unwanted documents containing sensitive or personal information and watch them be shredded. The free event was a tremendous success, garnering a large crowd that kept the shred trucks grinding for four straight hours. AARP staff and volunteers were hard at work helping with boxes of documents, and encouraging people to sign up for AARP Fraud Watch Network to learn more about how to be protected from fraudsters. This event was hosted by AARP in collaboration with the Municipality of Norristown, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce, ACLAMO, Norristown Police Department, and Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General.

Philadelphia Wine Festival “Travel & Taste” Lounge

AARP Pennsylvania was present at the May 3 ^rd Wine Tasting event at Lincoln Financial Field. AARP members were provided with a code to purchase discounted admission tickets. The event was a great opportunity for AARP to celebrate and connect with the community. Proceeds from the event went towards benefiting Rebuild Wine Country, a partner of Habitat for Humanity.

Lansdale International Spring Festival

AARP Pennsylvania attended the 27 ^th annual International Spring Festival in Lansdale on April 21. Staff and volunteers took the time to engage attendees and celebrate cultural diversity in Montgomery County.

Vision Zero Conference

On March 17, AARP Pennsylvania sponsored the 3 ^rd annual Vision Zero Conference, hosted by Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition. The event was a great opportunity to discuss Livable Communities. AARP’s William Armbruster spoke on issues surrounding transportation and the effects on aging members of our communities. Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney also spoke at the conference on his commitment to making Philadelphia’s streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists of all ages.

National Coalition for 100 Black Women

AARP Pennsylvania sponsored the 32 ^nd Annual

Madame CJ Walker Awards Luncheon & Economic Empowerment Seminar on March 17. AARP Ambassador Regina Belle attended the event to honor African American women entrepreneurs and community activists. Regina Belle took the time to take selfies with attendees at the AARP booth and sign copies of the Disrupt Aging book before performing during the luncheon for the nearly 1,000 attendees, which included Governor Tom Wolf, former Governor Ed Rendell, Congressman Dwight Evans, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, and several Philadelphia City Council representatives were also in attendance.

Philadelphia Flower Show

AARP Pennsylvania was proud to sponsor the 2018 Philadelphia Flower Show which took place from Saturday, March 3, 2018, to Sunday, March 11, 2018. AARP members and guests were invited to join AARP

staff and volunteers, and were provided with a code to purchase discounted admission tickets to the Flower Show. In addition, AARP members were invited to an exclusive reception at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Flower Show attendees were invited to join the AARP Block Party, an interactive exhibit space which included features such as Augmented Reality, a social media art mosaic, a prize wheel, a listening post on how we “disrupt aging”, and a coin toss for the AARP wishing well, which resulted in a charitable donation of $5,000 to the William Way LGBT Center. William Way was selected because it shatters stereotypes about aging, challenges outdated beliefs and sparks new solutions that help the LGBT community in the Greater Philadelphia region choose how we live as we age.

Chinese New Year Parade

On February 18, AARP Pennsylvania sponsored the Lunar New Year parade in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. The event was a great opportunity to celebrate and connect with the community.

Movies for Grownups Screening of Black Panther

On February 17, AARP Pennsylvania hosted a Movies for Grownups screening of Black Panther, one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The movie was Hollywood’s first cinematic production with a predominantly all-black, superhero cast. At the event, AARP staff and volunteers had the opportunity to engage with over 100 invited movie-goers.

Senior Sweetheart Dance

On Valentine’s Day, AARP provided an enjoyable night for guests at the 6 ^th annual Senior Sweetheart Dance. AARP Pennsylvania partnered with State Representative Jordan A. Harris to present a dinner and dance for the community. The event was also an opportunity to provide attendees with educational material in the midst of the lively activities.

AKA Luncheon

AARP Pennsylvania staff and volunteers were in attendance at the Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority’s annual luncheon and fashion show, “A Legacy of Love, Passion, and Style.” AARP staff

and volunteers engaged in conversations about aging stereotypes with many women of influence in the Philadelphia area. Of great interest and subject of discussions was how we could work together to make our communities more livable for all ages.

Annual African American Book Fair

On February 3, AARP Pennsylvania volunteers and staff joined more than 3,500 people at the African American Children’s Book Fair. The 26th edition of the annual event was held on the main campus of the

Community College of Philadelphia. The event was supported by Philadelphia City Council members Kenyatta Johnson, Blondell Reynold Brown, Jannie Blackwell and Vice Chair of the Council’s Aging Committee, Derek Green.