As the AARP DC Volunteer State President, I am proud to represent 68,000 AARP members in the District, and on behalf of them and all older District residents, we are advocating for a budget that honors their dignity and needs. For the District’s FY2026 budget, our message is clear: District seniors deserve their fair share of the pie.
Social Security is your money — you earned it through a lifetime of hard work. And like most Americans, that money is needed to help cover living expenses and pay bills. More than one in nine District residents – 83,647 people – receive Social Security benefits, and 32 percent of residents 65 and older rely on the program for at least half of their income.
AARP believes in celebrating the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community across all generations. That's why we are proud to offer tools, programs and services to help LGBTQ+ District residents get the most out of their fabulous life.
The D.C. Council is working to finalize the city budget for fiscal year 2024, and AARP DC is encouraging residents to make their voices heard in support of programs that help improve the lives of adults 50-plus.
In the early 1900s, the Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, now called "Black Wall Street," was a vibrant and prosperous community. Despite the challenges and racial injustices they faced, residents of this community built a thriving neighborhood filled with successful Black-owned businesses, attorneys, doctors, and real estate agents. Their achievements were nothing short of remarkable and served as a beacon of hope for Black Americans nationwide.
The AARP District of Columbia Speakers Bureau offers presentations on a wide range of topics important to older adults, such as caregiving, health care, driver safety, encore careers and fraud prevention.
In 2023, AARP DC continued its fight for policies that help empower District residents to improve their lives and choose where and how they live as they age. AARP DC has a long history of supporting older District residents who want to live independently as they age, which is why as the District Council crafts its budget for the upcoming year, we are focused on three main objectives. The District Council must increase funding for senior nutrition programs; increase funding to help seniors connect with their community; and ensure appropriate resources are available for grandparents and close relatives caring for a child.