Spotlight: AARP Chapter Volunteer

Talk to Betty Goldsmith for just a few minutes, and you feel as though you have made a friend for life. The engaging Brockton resident has the knack for connecting with people from all walks of life, and uses that skill to make a difference for seniors and their families in her hometown.

How long have you been a part of the AARP Brockton Chapter?

I’ve been with the chapter for eight years – a neighbor asked me to go to a meeting with her, and I loved it. I first served as the chapter vice president, and have been chapter president for about five years now.

What do you like about volunteering as a chapter president?

I always like to help others – it’s a joy. I really get a lot of enjoyment from volunteering, and staying involved, and love working with the other volunteers. Our chapter meets once a month – except for July and August – so I do a lot of planning for our meetings. Often that involves organizing transportation, since that can be an issue for many of our older members. I make sure that our meetings are interesting, with speakers on different topics that matter to our members. If we don’t have a speaker, we often have music. We recently had a senior choir put on a show that was amazing.

What activities have you been working on recently?

The AARP Walgreens Wellness Tour came to Brockton in June, so we spent the day at the health fair, giving out information, and talking to residents about protecting Medicare and Social Security. Many signed our petition pledging to contact Congress to urge them to stop making harmful cuts to these programs. It’s important to me – I rely on Social Security – and to all generations! I’ve also passed out information at the Council on Aging, and at my church – talking to people, getting the word out about the importance of this campaign.

How can members get involved with your chapter, or with a chapter near them?

We meet at the Brockton Council on Aging on the second Wednesday of every month, from September to June, at 1pm. You can find a chapter near you with the AARP Chapter Locator.

To learn more about what we do, and how you can get involved, visit the state web page, “like” the AARP Massachusetts Facebook page, or send us an email at ma@aarp.org.