Dr. Heisung Lee Receives 2022 Andrus Award for Community Service

Dr. Heisung Lee Receives 2022 Andrus Award for Community Service

AARP’s Andrus Award for Community Service was presented to Dr. Heisung Lee on Dec. 13, at the Korean Central Senior Center in Centreville. 

The Andrus Award, AARP’s most prestigious volunteer tribute, recognizes outstanding individuals, age 50 and older, who are sharing their experience, talents and skills to enrich the lives of others.  

Jim Dau, AARP Virginia state director, presented the award, highlighting Lee’s accomplishments.

Dau commended Lee on her vision, commitment, and excellence in leadership to volunteers and their communities. Lee has led the Central Senior Center for almost 30 years, building programs for classes in English, fitness, health, music, art, calligraphy and computer technology.  Lunch is served at her church, staffed by volunteers, serving Korean food to hundreds of people. This social gathering has helped thousands of senior Koreans make new friends and deepen their sense of community. 

Lee also created a Korean Meals on Wheels program to deliver food directly into seniors’ homes.  She saw that people received the food they wanted and needed. In 2005, Lee was honored by the Virginia General Assembly for her work with the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) for the development of a nurse aide training program for the Korean and Hispanic communities. This has been a very successful program and has resulted in the training of over 1,000 personal care aides and certified nurse aids.

The Central Senior Center was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and, like other senior centers, was closed for several months. Lee and her volunteers responded by using technology to address social isolation in the Korean community. At first, this was via cell phones and social media, and then transitioned to Zoom classes. By the fall of this year, her team was able to offer both on-line and in-person classes to over 200 participants.

Lee accepted the Andrus Award and accompanying check to the Central Senior Center, and indicated that she wanted to share the award with all the volunteers who made this work possible.  These volunteers include instructors, cooks, classroom aides, transportation workers, personal care aides and certified nurse aides. Lee encouraged people not to wait, but to volunteer early in life, even if they could only give a small amount of time. She said that many small acts of volunteering can result in deep changes in our communities that make them a better place to live.