As of November 1, 2025, millions of Americans—including many older Vermonters—may not receive their monthly food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to the ongoing federal government shutdown. This disruption affects individuals living on fixed incomes, many of whom rely on SNAP to afford groceries and maintain their health.
November is National Family Caregivers Month, a chance to recognize the contributions, commitment, and sacrifices made by America’s 63 million family caregivers every single day.
As Chittenden County’s district coordinator for the AARP Foundation Tax-Aide program, Philip Soltau, 77, is this year’s recipient of the AARP Andrus Award for Community Service in Vermont.
Retail prices for many of the most commonly-used brand name drugs by older adults rocketed upward by an average of 8.4 percent in 2017, outstripping the general inflation rate of 2.1 percent. The annual average cost of therapy for just one brand name drug increased to almost $6,800 in 2017.
For more than 20 years AARP Vermont has been representing the interests of ratepayers in utility cases before the Vermont Public Utility Commission. It has been a long, expensive and frustrating battle.