Lydia Oliphant, Connecting Houstonians with Help

Lydia Oliphant decided to try out volunteering with AARP in Houston at the recommendation of her friend’s daughter. Now, more than two years later, she's pitched in a multitude of ways, including with Fraud Watch Network talks, walkability audits and events for family caregivers.

“AARP’s mission of enhancing the age 50+ lifestyle and informing them of things that pertain to their interests is particularly important,” she says.

That’s why her work focuses on helping members of the community find the resources, like the correct state and local agencies, to address their concerns. For example, many older Houstonians are concerned about scams and theft. To combat these growing worries, AARP has created programs like the Fraud Watch Network and AARP Foundation Tax-Aide, both of which are free for members and the public alike.

The AARP Fraud Watch Network offers information about protecting yourselves from fraud by signing up for Watchdog Alerts.

Tax season can be very stressful, especially without the right resources. So the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program is run by IRS-certified volunteers who can help simplify filing your taxes.

Sharing these important resources through her volunteer work is what makes Lydia a vital part of our AARP community, and her work does not go unnoticed.

“Lydia has been an inspiration to many of us at AARP in Houston. Her dependability and desire to stay connected via mobile technology makes her an ideal volunteer. As a former educator, she is always honing her knowledge of AARP and the programs we offer that help make our community livable for people of all ages,” says Juanita Jiménez-Soto, who leads AARP’s communications work in Houston.

It's National Volunteer Month, and we're profiling just a handful of our amazing AARP volunteers right here in Texas. Read about more of their terrific work.