Congratulations, Shirley!

PROVIDENCE, RI – Shirley Bishop Harris will be honored December 16 by AARP, the nonprofit organization for people 50 and older, as recipient of its 2022 AARP Rhode Island Andrus Award for Community Service -- the organization’s most prestigious and visible state volunteer award for community service. 

“We are delighted to provide this recognition to Shirley,” said AARP Rhode Island State Director Catherine Taylor. “She has been a shining star in our corps of volunteers, contributing years of service to AARP as a skillful volunteer leader of our Tech Team and a passionate legislative advocate on state and federal issues important to 50-plus Rhode Islanders.

“We are indebted to Shirley for the work that she does and the cheerful, efficient way that she does it,” Taylor added. “Our Zoom attendees enjoy Shirley’s genuine attention; volunteers love working with Shirley, whose enthusiasm is both inspiring and infectious.

Click here to see more 2022 Andrus Awards photos

“This annual award is a symbol to the public that we can all work together for the greater good,” added Taylor. “AARP has long valued the spirit of volunteerism and the important contributions volunteers make to their communities, neighbors, and the programs they serve. Shirley’s service embodies the words of our founder, Ethel Percy Andrus, whose motto was, ‘To serve, not to be served.’”

“Volunteering at AARP Rhode Island is a means to stay active and meet people from all walks of life,” Harris said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to help others with the aging process, learn new skills and possibly have an impact on bills at the State House and work with our delegation in Congress.  Being named an Andrus Award winner is nearly overwhelming; I’m so honored to think my work is worthy of this prestigious award named after our founder. I look forward to many more new experiences.” 

Watch Shirley's Acceptance Speech

Andrus Award recipients across the nation were chosen for their ability to enhance the lives of AARP members and prospective members, improve the community in or for which the work was performed, and inspire others to volunteer.

Read Shirley's Story in the Valley Breeze

Shirley Harris has been an active volunteer with AARP since 2017, working in advocacy, testifying at the State House on prescription drug bills and serving as a reviewer of AARP Community Challenge Grant applications. With the arrival of COVID, Shirley become a part of the Zoom Tech Team and now hosts monthly AARP Zoom programs, including RI Healthy Cooking with Chef Mary Weaver, Everybody Dance! with Rachael Balaban, AARP’s URI Master Gardeners Series and Tai Chi/QI Gong with Master Woo.

A Guilford, Connecticut native, Shirley attended Newbury College in Boston, before earning a degree in secondary education at New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University). 

Upon graduation, she married James Harris and moved to Springfield, MA where she taught for a short time before moving to Rhode Island. Shirley continued her studies at RIC and worked at WPRO radio. After the birth of her daughter Kimberly, she was mostly a stay-at-home mom but active in the PTA, Brownies, Band Boosters and teaching computer skills to first graders at her daughter’s school. Shirley returned to the workforce part-time at Allstate Insurance, eventually becoming a claim representative.  When Allstate closed its RI claims office, Shirley worked at National Grange Mutual in Auburn MA before retiring in 2015. 

Shirley is a past recording secretary for the Cumberland School Committee and has been with the Lincoln School Committee for the last 15 years. She a Deacon and President of Park Place Congregational Church in Pawtucket.