Shumway: Volunteers Find Fulfillment With AARP

AARP Wyoming Photo

AARP Wyoming State Director Sam Shumway runs the audio and video for AARP Wyoming’s Virtual Line Dancing Class led by Laramie resident and Shumway’s mother, Susan Shumway in March of 2023 (AARP Wyoming Photo).

AARP Wyoming relies heavily on volunteers. We have community groups who meet, plan, and execute local projects and events; a team of volunteer lobbyists that help with our advocacy work; a veterans advisory that assists in our engagement with veterans and military families; and finally, our volunteer State President and Executive Council guide the overall strategic direction and focus for AARP Wyoming.

Every year we send a survey to all of our volunteers. The purpose is to better understand them and learn how we can enhance the volunteer experience and create more meaningful volunteer opportunities. Let me share a few interesting takeaways:

• 87% of volunteers were active in 2023, up 6% from 2022. This increase is not surprising as we were just getting back into the swing of things post pandemic in 2022.
• 77% said they felt valued as an AARP volunteer (31% extremely and 46% very)
• 85% agreed that they received adequate training

In-person volunteering was the most common method to volunteer, with 70% opting for this mode. Hybrid volunteering, combining both in-person and virtual modes, was embraced by 23% of volunteers. Only 4% were exclusively virtual.
The three things volunteers reporting enjoyed most about volunteering were: Helping others, working with other volunteers, meeting new people.

Volunteers were also invited to provide comments. Here are a few highlights:

• I'm finding it is fun to develop new activities for our community.
• I feel I volunteer with a great group of people, who truly care about legislative issues that affect our state and community.
• I'm finally feeling a part of something that values my unique skills, temperament and values

These responses generally indicate that our volunteers are feeling appreciated, engaged, and empowered to do the work they do. At the same time, 15% of respondents indicated they only feel somewhat or slightly valued. I think about this often and have committed myself and our team to make sure that 100% of our volunteers feel appreciated and have a great experience.
One final, and personal, note. Two years ago we were planning our virtual fitness classes. A member survey indicated that folks were interested in line dancing. We looked high and low for a line dance instructor, and came up empty. In a last ditch effort, I reached out to my mom who had taught music and dance her whole life - although she had never taught line dancing. I explained our predicament and asked if she would be willing to help out. After telling me ìnoî multiple times and multiple ways, she finally relented. That was just over two years ago. Every week since then she has prepared an hour-long line dance class and drives from Laramie to Cheyenne to teach over 100 virtual students. She recently said to me, this experience has probably added 10 years to my life.

I can say with confidence my mom's AARP volunteer experience has been positiveÖ.for her and for me.

Thousands of Wyomingites have benefited from AARP volunteers who step up and work to make a difference in their communities, and hundreds of volunteers have seen their lives enhanced by raising their hands and agreeing to be an AARP volunteer.

THANK YOU to every AARP Wyoming volunteer!