Building great communities takes time – but small, tangible improvements can spark lasting change. That’s the idea behind the AARP Community Challenge, a grant program launched in 2017 to support quick-action projects that enhance livability nationwide.
Starting January 1, 2026, Minnesota workers will have access to Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)—a new state benefit that provides financial support and job protection when you need time away from work to care for yourself or a loved one.
Minnesotans who have been defrauded now have a better chance of financial recovery, thanks to a new bipartisan law championed by AARP Minnesota. The Consumer Fraud Restitution Fund, the first of its kind in the nation, was signed into law in 2025 with strong bipartisan support. This innovative fund will help victims of fraud recover lost money—especially in cases where scammers are untraceable or bankrupt.
Gayle Brown Olson has been awarded the 2025 AARP Andrus Award for Community Service for Minnesota. The annual award is AARP’s most prestigious and visible volunteer award.
Shirley Sgouros, 63, of Baltimore, is AARP Maryland’s winner of the Andrus Award for Community Service, based on her dedication to her Upper Fells Point neighborhood and its residents. From picking up trash and planting flowers, to organizing culturally rich events, she brings neighbors together to celebrate the community.
AARP Pennsylvania is pressing state lawmakers to enact a state-facilitated “auto IRA” program for private-sector workers without access to employer-sponsored retirement savings accounts.
AARP Vermont in 2026 will advocate for a tax credit for the state’s 70,000 family caregivers, as well as focus on cryptocurrency kiosk-related fraud to see whether lawmakers extend a moratorium on new crypto ATMs.
The AARP Community Challenge grant program funds quick-action projects for nonprofits, local governments and community groups to make neighborhoods more livable for people of all ages. In 2025, the program gave $4.2 million for 383 projects nationwide, including projects in Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina.
Fitness coach Carl Powell, owner of Body and Brain Health in Wailuku, is offering monthly hour-long brain health webinars, each focused on a “pillar of the month” such as exercise, stress reduction, sleep or diet.
With the legislature in session, all eyes are on the state budget. AARP New York will push to protect funding for home- and community-based services that help people age in place. Keeping utilities affordable is also on the docket.