Content starts here
CLOSE ×

Search

'Day of Service' Kicks Off AARP's National Event in Boston

L1009635
A volunteer packs food items for the hungry.



The tables were stacked high with groceries: pasta, peanut butter, cans of peaches and beans. In front, an assembly line of volunteer workers packed them in brown paper bags and passed them along to be loaded into cartons for delivery to a food bank.

"It's fun," said 66-year-old Ronna Davis of Stoughton, Mass., "and it's a way to help people in need."

Davis, who had heard about the project on the radio, showed up with her lifelong friend, Esther Kaplan, also of Stoughton. "I'd been looking for a volunteer activity to get involved with," said Davis, "and this seemed like a great opportunity. I'm at a point in life where I want to be a good role model for my four grandsons."

>> Sign up for the AARP Money newsletter

The two women were among dozens of volunteers who gathered on a warm and sunny afternoon to help assemble some of the 50,000 meals (all donated by various businesses) that will be delivered to the Greater Boston Food Bank, a nonprofit clearinghouse for food.

The meal-packing project was just one of the volunteer opportunities offered during the Community Day of Service that kicked off AARP's twice-yearly Life@50+ National Event and Expo in Boston on Thursday.

Throughout the day, hundreds of volunteers donated time to help worthwhile organizations around the city, among them Cradles to Crayons (which serves low-income and homeless children) and Kit Clark Senior Services (which helps older adults live independently).

>> Get travel discounts with your AARP Member Advantages.

L1009616
Among the food packers was AARP's own Pepper Schwartz.



"The Boston Community Day of Service offers members and others an opportunity to discover real possibilities in their lives through volunteer efforts in the local community," said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation president. "Giving back to the people of Boston enriches the lives of both those in need and those who volunteer."

Sponsored by AARP's Drive to End Hunger, the meal-packing activity will continue throughout the three-day event, which brings together tens of thousands of AARP members and others for educational seminars, exhibits, films and entertainment.



Photo credit: Ian Cunningham (2)

 

Also of Interest

 

See the  AARP home page for deals, savings tips, trivia and more

Search AARP Blogs

Related Posts
October 27, 2015 05:58 PM
Lexi Jadoff, 31, is a driven, ambitious Washington, D.C., consultant with a unique way of de-stressing. She volunteers with The Reading Connection (TRC), a nonprofit that promotes reading for at-risk families. Jadoff is among the Read-Aloud volunteers who read each week with children at shelters…
September 17, 2015 02:29 PM
Some people take a fitness class before heading to work. Others jog a mile or two. Jennifer Kenealy, 45, gets her morning workout by hauling boxes of children’s books to schools, recreation centers, youth-focused nonprofit organizations and other sites. These are spots where children of low-income…
September 08, 2015 11:10 AM
Men in tuxedos and women in sparkly jackets mingle in the Green Room of the Little Theater of Alexandria (LTA) in Virginia. A pianist in the far corner plays show tunes on a baby grand piano while a small group sings “Hello, Dolly.” Other guests sip wine and nibble on artistically presented hors…