Create the Good

Brushing with Kindness in New Orleans’ Hollygrove Neighborhood

Posted on 09/20/2012 by | AARP Blog Author | Comments

Volunteering“Welcome back to the Hollygrove neighborhood, ” a Habitat for Humanity staffer said as she greeted a second wave of AARP members arriving ready to paint houses here this afternoon. “AARP has a lot of history helping out in this neighborhood, and we’re glad to see you again.” It’s true. After Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, we realized we had a lot of members – more than 1,000 – living in this working class neighborhood of New Orleans. We asked …

How To Start Your Own Volunteer Adventure

Posted on 09/20/2012 by | Volunteering | Comments

Travel | VolunteeringWhile showering one Tuesday morning, I had an epiphany. This enlightened thought inspired me to travel through the forty-eight contiguous states in forty-eight weeks doing volunteer, service, and charity work. The main goal was to promote a “service-to-others” lifestyle by lending a hand to people and organizations of all ages, backgrounds, and affiliations. While the “ah-ha” moment came all at once, getting to that point took several months to figure out what I loved to do and how each of …

Aeroponic Gardens for Good!

Posted on 09/7/2012 by | All the news that matters for Illinoisans over 50. | Comments

Your LifeHappy Friday! Jenn here to tell you about one of our latest community projects that has just come to fruition (literally, haha) – the Aeoroponic roof garden for good! On Wednesday, July 18, The Salvation Army Crossgenerations Corps Community Center celebrated the Grand Opening of their new Aeroponic Tower Garden.  Aeroponics is the process of growing plants in an air or mist environment without the use of soil. AARP and The Salvation Army partnered on the effort to promote healthy food options to local seniors in the Blue Island …

Supporting Service at Home, Abroad, and at Any Age

Posted on 07/5/2012 by | Volunteering | Comments

VolunteeringThis post was recently featured in the VolunteerSpot #SummerofService blog campaign. When Donna Berry, 60, stumbled upon Blackmon Road several years ago, she was stunned. She found a neighborhood teeming with children that had no running water, electricity or sewage. Outsiders had taken to calling it “Trash Pile Road.” Donna was astonished that minutes outside of her own neighborhood in North Carolina people were living in such dire conditions. She immediately took it upon herself to make a difference. Eleven …

33 Tons of Paper – Shredded!

Posted on 06/15/2012 by | Volunteering | Comments

Money & Savings | Your LifeThis is a guest post by Becky Squires, staff writer for AARP Foundation Consumers gathered in four places around Colorado — Denver, Black Forest/Colorado Springs, Ft. Collins and Pueblo – at special “Fight Fraud – Shred Instead” paper-shedding events organized by AARP Foundation Colorado, June 9. “Not only do old documents contain information that identity thieves can use, but shredding all this paper is good for the environment, too,” said Amy Nofziger, AARP Foundation manager.  Loaded with boxes of out-of-date …

Contributions of Older Volunteers Honored this Week

Posted on 05/8/2012 by | Volunteering | Comments

VolunteeringSenior Corps Week - May 7 through 11 – celebrates the work of older adults throughout the country who volunteer their time through Senior Corps, a program of the Corporation for National and Community Service.  Senior Corps and Americorps are both Corporation for National and Community Service programs; and both tap the time and talents of older adults to serve their communities in a variety of ways.  Whether its serving seniors, veterans or school age children, older volunteers give extraordinary amounts …

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