AARP Spotlight: Mary Terry, AARP Eureka Chapter

Mary Terry has lots to talk about when sharing information about her Virginia AARP Eureka Chapter. Her enthusiasm for their members and activities shines through the current pandemic situation which has shut down activities and in-person meeting.

The Eureka Chapter was started in 1968, and with the South West Chapter, is one of two local Roanoke chapters. Eureka currently has 33 members and typically meets monthly (the second Tuesday of the month, 1-3:30, with repast following, at the Roanoke City Melrose library) except for a July and August summer break. June is usually a joint luncheon with the SW Chapter, and December has been a Christmas celebration, sometimes including a gift exchange.

They do not have a Chapter website as most members do not have computer access. They can meet remotely by conference call when they are unable to meet in person due to weather or illness.

Terry has been a member of the Eureka Chapter since 2011, when she joined at the behest of her brother. He was the Chapter President and she was elected Vice President in 2013. When he passed away in 2014, she was elected to succeed him as President. She missed almost a year from actively serving because of back surgery with a complicated recovery, and was ramping up to full activity when COVID-19 put an abrupt stop to planning and in-person meetings. They hold Chapter elections every two years.

The Eureka Chapter has a long history of volunteering and supporting the community. They had a 50^th Anniversary Banquet in 2008 which has become a biennial fund raiser. Tickets sales cover expenses and the profit is returned to the community as support for the Harrison Museum, Christmas Tree Project (in 2019 sponsored a family and purchased two winter coats), and a sponsorship for a student to attend Apple Ridge Farm’s Summer Camp, among others. Fundraising plans for 2020 (scuttled due to the pandemic) included a senior luncheon and fashion show.

Eureka Chapter members also give of their time. As volunteers in coordination with LOA (League of Older Americans) they have participated with the Soup for Seniors program by sorting and packing (even donating) the soup and crackers distributed the first week of February. They had plans to volunteer with the Rescue Mission which were put on hold by the pandemic.

This Chapter even has a “Happiness Committee.” They make sure that they connect with their members especially in times of illness, a family death, or to brighten someone’s day by making phone calls and sending cards. When a member passes away the committee makes sure that the family receives a donation.

Some of the other opportunities members have had are discussions about fraud, the 2020 Census, new member recruitment strategies, and they have had members of the fire and police departments speak with them about safety issues. They frequently participate at local festivals; one that Terry mentioned was the Henry Street Festival in Roanoke. There, members asked attendees if there was something they wished they could ask their Congressional representatives. If yes, the member volunteer would (with permission) take a digital picture of the attendee, attach it to their question and submit to the Congressional representative by email.

Terry and the other officers had mapped out a plan to write a grant to rent a bus and take their chapter to the D-Day Memorial in Bedford. While the goal remains, the current pandemic has put those plans on hold.

When asked about the most enjoyable part of her position, Terry said it was “getting to know new members!” Most of the membership is over 70 years old, and they have lost seven members in the last year, so recruiting new members is an important part of her job.