THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1:30 p.m. -COVID-19 Vaccines Q&A

• Coordinate local help for a friend or family member with AARP Community Connections.
• To get up-to-date coronavirus information and more, Monday to Friday, listen to AARP's Take on Today podcast.
• Read the latest information about the coronavirus.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 7:30 p.m. - AARP Presents a Conversation with James Patterson

James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author, known for many enduring fictional characters and series. Walk in My Combat Boots, Patterson’s latest, was crafted with First Sergeant US Army (Ret.) Matt Eversmann, part of the Ranger unit portrayed in the movie Black Hawk Down. It is a powerful collection original interviews with the men and women who serve. Join us LIVE for a conversation and Q&A where you can ask James Patterson and Matt Eversmann your questions.

Register online.

ON DEMAND: Take Advantage Any Time

You have the experience. Now regain the confidence.

BACK TO WORK 50+ offers free workshops, coaching, and resources that can help you compete in today’s fast-changing workplace.

You will get:

• A free copy of our Jobseeker Guide
• Group Coaching Sessions by Professional Career Coaches
• Access to On-Demand Videos and Tools
• Membership in an Online Community

Register online or call 855-850-2525


MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1:30 pm ET: All Things Zoom

Curious why Zoom has become everyone's go-to video conferencing software? The webinar will go over how to use Zoom to chat with friends & family, and take virtual classes with Senior Planet! You'll learn about useful Zoom features, whether you're connecting with an iOS, Android, or Windows device. The lecture will also go over security considerations and give tips on how to look your best during a video chat.

Register online.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY, 16, 4 p.m. - AARP Rhode Island Virtual Healthy Cooking

Fresh homemade pasta is always a special treat but can be time consuming, requiring a pasta machine or special attachments for your mixer. But Chef Mary of Newport Cooks will show you an easy recipe made with your own two hands… no special equipment needed.

Miss Mary? You can watch the recording.


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 7:30 pm ET - The Girlfriend Book Club Live Discussion of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

It's time to talk about our February book club pick, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. This livestream will only be available in the Girlfriend Book Club closed group on Facebook. To participate you must request admittance to the group prior to the start of the event. Tell us that you’re “going” to the Facebook event and receive reminders.

SATURDAY, FFEBRUARY 20, 11:00 a.m. - Daybreaker Live! A Joy Supreme: Dancing to Motown Magic Sponsored by AARP

AARP is teaming up with Daybreaker, the global morning dance movement, for a FREE, online, dance event, celebrating Black History Month and the music of Motown. The experience features live performances from Boyz II Men, Thelma Houston, and MC Lyte.​

Register online.*

*This is not an AARP event. Any information that you share with the host will be governed by their privacy policy.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 10 a. m. - Coffee Chat: “American Irony: Religious Freedom and Slavery in Colonial Rhode Island”

Join AARP Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Black Heritage Society for a unique conversation, “American Irony: Religious Freedom and Slavery in Colonial Rhode Island”  on Wednesday, February 24, 2021 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The presentation, conducted by Keith W. Stokes,  will highlight the simultaneous rise of religious freedom and African heritage people enslavement in Colonial Rhode Island.

Register online or via phone: (877) 926-8300

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 at 1:00 pm

This live Q&A event will address the latest information on vaccine supply and distribution, the efficacy of approved and pending vaccines, and ways to keep you and your family safe from the coronavirus. Sign up here if you'd like us to call you or click here to listen to the live event.


NEW SERIES! Live Author Talks! THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25 at 7:00 pm ET: AARP Presents a Conversation with Sanjay Gupta, MD.

Hear neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta talk about his new AARP-supported book Keep Sharp: Build a Better Brain at Any Age and ask your questions live. The CNN chief medical correspondent will also reveal how he’s getting through quarantine with three girls and two dogs running around upstairs while he broadcasts from his basement.

Register online.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 8pm - AARP Movies for Grownups: Amazing Grace

Amazing Grace is a concert film featuring singer Aretha Franklin recording the most successful gospel album of all time, Amazing Grace at the New Temple Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles in 1972. Witness Aretha Franklin as you've never seen her before--Brilliantly capturing the remarkable performer near the peak of her prodigious power, Amazing Grace is a thrilling must-watch documentary for Aretha Franklin fans. (Rated G)

Register online

Go back to school for a series of One Day University lectures, presented by AARP. Engage with top university professors on a variety of fascinating topics geared towards the 50-plus community.

Wednesday, February 10. 27, 5:30 pm - One Day University Lecture Series, Presented by AARP – Drive-Thru America: A Culinary History of the Fast Food Industry

Fast food is about more than just a quick bite; fast food history helps us understand the transformations in the way we eat, work, and live.  Marcia Chatelain, historian and author of Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America, will take you through more than a century of business innovation, changing palates, and hours of commercials.

Register online.

Wed., Feb. 24 at 5:30 pm ET: One Day University Lecture Series, Presented by AARP – A Different America: A Sports & Civil Rights 50 Year Retrospective

This presentation will consider the ways sports as well as politics and social trends have reflected larger trends in American life as well as influenced American history and the nation we occupy today. Professor Matthew Andrews from UNC-Chapel Hill will address how many feel these changes have been positive while others feel they’ve been negative.

Register online.

All lectures are free and held online. You must register in order to participate.

In order to reach more 50+ Rhode Islanders during the pandemic, we've taken to the airwaves with weekly appearances on radio stations in Woonsocket, Westerly and Newport.

AARP Rhode Island Communications Director John Martin (the former Rhode Island radio talk show host) joins the conversation on Woonsocket’s WOON (1240 AM) Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. as a guest on the storied “Coffee an…” morning show. Later on Tuesdays he chats at 9:30 a.m. with host Bruce Newbury on Newport’s WADK (540 AM). Wednesdays Martin checks in at 8:10 a.m. with morning host Frank Proznitz on Westerly’s WBLQ (1230 AM).

In addition, 60-second AARP Rhode Island Updates air daily on the above stations as well as WPRO (630 AM). Tune in to stay in the know! 

Feeling lonely and isolated can be overwhelming, especially at this time of year. But help is available – and it’s free. Click here to learn more about Social Check-in.

Continuing our precautions against the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, AARP has made the difficult decision to cancel all in-person AARP Smart Driver Safety Classes for the remainder of 2020.  However, the AARP Smart Driver online course is available right now.  Participants taking the online course will be eligible for a special 25% discount through December 31, 2020.  You may also qualify for multiyear discount on your car insurance.

TAKE THE AARP SMART DRIVER™ ONLINE COURSE TODAY!

The AARP Smart Driver course is based on the latest driver safety research and insights. By taking the course online, you can move at your own pace from the comfort of your home. Over nine in ten people reported changing at least one driving behavior after completing the course. The course will teach you:

» Evidence-based safe driving strategies
» How to deal with aggressive drivers
» New traffic laws and rules of the road

Plus, upon completion, you may be eligible for a multiyear car insurance discount. Consult your insurance agent for details.

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Email Lorna Oinonen to learn more about becoming a volunteer with AARP Driver Safety in Rhode Island at jl.oinonen@gmail.com

The Rhode Island AARP Tax-Aide Program is seeking volunteers to provide help and assistance in the preparation of personal income tax returns.  Watch the video and then, to apply, just click the link below.

Lean more, become a Tax Aide volunteer.