The Secret Behind AARP Wyoming’s Big Impact

How does a small team of just four staff and one intern keep up with AARP states ten times our size? The secret isn’t in the number of employees—it’s in the power of our 160+ volunteers.

Across Wyoming, volunteers make everything we do possible: from our Community Action Teams in Sheridan and Cheyenne, to our Veterans Advisory Council, to tax assistance, driver's safety, advocacy, and the more than 300 virtual classes, lectures, and events we offer each year. Our volunteers greet guests at events, lead workshops, plan community projects, devise fraud prevention activities, support caregivers, and help us reach the 50+ states— in ways we could never accomplish alone.

This year, we’re proud to announce that Carla Crayton of Sheridan has been named the winner of the Andrus Award for Community Service, the highest honor AARP bestows on a volunteer in Wyoming.

Carla’s journey began in 2013 when she founded the Sheridan Foster Parent Exchange out of her living room. What started as one foster mom trying to ease the pain of a child in crisis has grown into a lifeline for families across Sheridan, Campbell, and Johnson Counties—providing free clothing, beds, and other essentials for children in transition. Last year alone, the Exchange served over 1,500 children and families, and Carla now mentors similar programs in other parts of the state.

Her volunteerism doesn’t stop there. Carla has been a foster parent since 2012, a Court Appointed Special Advocate, a greeter for hundreds of children at Vacation Bible School, and has served with international missions helping victims of human trafficking.

As Terri Markham, who nominated Carla for the award, puts it:

“Carla does not serve for recognition—she serves because she believes every child deserves to feel safe, valued, and loved. Her story is one of humble leadership, quiet determination, and relentless generosity.”

Carla will be honored at our Volunteer Summit on October 16 at the UCross Ranch, where we’ll celebrate her remarkable impact alongside volunteers from across the state.

AARP Wyoming is growing its team of volunteers, and there’s a place for you. Whether you want to help in person in Sheridan or Cheyenne, join our Veterans Advisory Council, or support our virtual programs, we have meaningful ways for you to get involved.

To learn more about volunteering, contact Jenn Baier at jbaier@aarp.org. Together, we can continue to build something big.

To register for one of our 300+ events online or in-person in Sheridan and Cheyenne, visit aarp.org/wyevents to watch replays of popular events like Pickleball, Colored Pencil, or our online fitness classes Visit aarp.org/wyondemand. You do not have to be 50 or an AARP member to participate!

Jennifer Baier, ASD of Outreach and Local Advocacy, AARP Wyoming