Karla Koehl: August Volunteer of the Month

When AARP member Karla Koehl received an email regarding the start of a Lehigh Valley Speaker’s Bureau more than two years ago, she decided to check it out. After listening to the presentation by Kellie VonStein, Associate State Director of Community Outreach in Lehigh Valley, Karla was sold on the idea of volunteering and signed up for the Speaker’s Bureau.

“We go out into the community and talk about brain health, Social Security, caregiving, and other topics. I really enjoy doing that and when Kellie said she needed help getting speakers, I took that on. We now have about 12 volunteers in the Speaker’s group.”

Karla is also known as the volunteer portal champion. She was trained last March on the portal at the National AARP office and since then, has trained many volunteers on how to use the system.

Another favorite for Karla is the Lehigh Valley walking series.

“From the beginning, the walking series was very well received,” said Karla, who signed up immediately for the series. “I get to meet other people in the area and explore the Lehigh Valley and it’s beautiful park system.”

All in all, volunteering for AARP makes Karla happy.

“I like meeting people and putting good information out there with the Speaker’s Bureau. The walking series is great. I love getting out in nature. People are excited about it and that warms my heart. I never imagined volunteering could be like this.”

Join Our Volunteer Team
It's easy to become a volunteer with AARP Pennsylvania. Visit aarp.org/iwant2volunteer to learn more about available opportunities, the benefits of volunteering, and how you can get involved.