Good things happen when we volunteer!

Posted on 07/01/19 by Dr. Alicia Georges

Alicia George, AARP National Volunteer President

When we give our time as a volunteer, good things happen. We help those who are vulnerable, we build stronger, healthier communities, and we add meaning to our own lives.

Since AARP was created in 1958, volunteer service has always been at the heart of who we are. Today there are nearly 60,000 AARP volunteers across the country touching people’s lives in a very positive way.

It could be packing meals for older adults who don’t have enough to eat. It could be helping low-income taxpayers file their tax returns. It could be volunteering in our Driver Safety program to older drivers stay safe behind the wheel. It could be helping young students in high-need elementary schools learn to read.

These are just a few examples of how AARP volunteers are pitching in, building opportunity, meeting basic needs, lifting the lives of the people we serve.

One of the beautiful parts of volunteering is that the benefits flow both ways. When we give back, we also gain. Research shows that volunteering is good for our mental and physical health. It gives us new experiences, new insights, new connections of lasting value that enrich our own lives.

I think about the inspiring words of Anne Frank, who wrote this: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”

Indeed you don’t need to wait and you can start right in your own community. Here’s how:

Dr. Catherine Alicia Georges is National Volunteer President for AARP. In this role, Dr. Georges is the principal volunteer spokesperson for AARP and a liaison between the Board and those AARP serves.

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