The ROOST - The Place for All Things Volunteer

AARP Volunteers Gail Tate, Bettina Robson, and Bob Bush share the purpose of Fast Track, the first three sessions and the fourth session called Campus Session. Access FAST TRACK Registration Link Here:(log in to the Volunteer Portal to access)https://aarpvolunteer.my.site.com/vtm/s/group/0F93l000000c0KNCAY/fast-trackWant to be an AARP Volunteer?https://www.aarp.org/volunteer/

Roost News Interviewer, Louise Gallagher chats with Marissa Volpe, AARP State Office Associate State Director (ASD) for Outreach and Community Engagement and AARP Colorado State Office volunteers Cristy Moran, Niki Delson, and community partner Frank Sgambati. They share their story of successfully partnering with the Libraries in Colorado to support their rural community.

Constance Harris, Interviewer for the Roost News Podcast interviewed Katherine Lewis, Associate State Office Director, Maryland AARP State Office and Shirley Sgouros, 2025 Andrus Award Winner for Maryland. Kathy shares the process that the AARP Maryland State Office uses to select their Andrus Award Winners. The 2025 Winner, Shirley Sgouros shares feedback on being selected from the Maryland Commu...

Nancy McCammon Hansen interviews Jina Ragland, Senior Associate State Director for Advocacy, Nebraska State office, Jessica Kinser, Associate State Director for Communications Nebraska State Office, Ambre Marr, Senior Associate State Director for Advocacy, Indiana State Office of how their State Offices are handling and decreasing the number of individuals who are scammed using the Cryptocurrency...

Roost News Interviewer Doretha McCoy chats with Thaya Hausheer and Migdalia Cruz, Co-Leads for the Office of Volunteer Engagement's Volunteer Facilitation Training Team. They share an overview of its purpose, responsibilities along with the training and facilitation opportunities that VFTT offers to AARP State Offices as well as to the community.

OVE/AARP Roost Team member Whitt Phillips chats with Tara Shaver. Tara is the Senior Advisor, Office of Volunteer Engagement and Volunteer Engagement Advisor to the South and Central Regions. The AARP Live Show on RFD-TV is our monthly live call-in show for people 50-plus, and can be seen online at aarp.org/aarplive or on RFD-TV every third Wednesday at 7:30 PM ET/6:30 PM CT. To volunteer to help...

Lillian S. Lee, Co-lead, OVE/AARP Roost News chats with NRTA's Senior Advisor, Mary Beth Dixon and Adam Goldberg, Senior Legislative Representative. They share how their division empowers educators nationwide to champion financial and health security through advocacy and collaboration. Valuable resources are available through the NRTA: AARP's Educator Community Division.

Judee Barone, Co-Lead for the OVE/AARP Roost News podcast chats with Aisha Bonner-Cozad, Sr. Research Manager, PRI-Advocacy Community & Engagement (National AARP Office) Dr. Bonner-Cozad explains the preparation and pre-testing that occurred with the newly developed 2026 AARP National Volunteer Opinion Survey to be distributed during the month of May 2026. The actual survey is ready to go—she’...

Roost Team member Curt Springstead interviews Volunteer Todd Alper, Volunteer Karen Katter, and ASD Robyn Haberman on their dynamic system of growing volunteer teams in AARP NY (Westchester County).

AARP Massachusetts State office and AARP Utah State Office connect and collaborate on Fraud (Romance Scam), Cybersecurity and Cryptocurrency initiatives. AARP Roost News, Co-Lead Lillian Lee interviews Polly Hunt, Community and Volunteer Engagement Director for the Massachusetts AARP State Office, Joseph Hiabayashi, Associate State Director for Advocacy, AARP Utah State Office, and volunteers, Eri...

Three AARP State Offices share the components of their Speakers Bureau. ND, WA, and NJ State Office staff and volunteers share how they onboard volunteers to become DIY presenters, their DIY Programs, how their Speakers Bureau is organized in assigning volunteers to present their DIY presentations, successes, and areas that they are enhancing.

OVE AARP Roost News Interviewer Doretha McCoy interviews Loria Hubbard, ASD Tennessee and Mitch Mitch Olszewski, Volunteer. They share information on the GrandFamilies Council (a group of grandparents who are raising their grandchildren) and the GrandFamilies Professional Panel (a group of professionals from across the state who work with the GrandFamilies Council).

OVE AARP Roost News Podcast Co-Lead, Lillian S. Lee interviews Encore Creativity for Older Adults members Dr. Mary Ann East, Suzanne LaFollette-Black, Angela Burns, and Vickie Knowles share the story of Encore. They cover the mission of lifelong long learning, wellness, time commitments and the fun aspect. Contact Information:info@encorecreativity.org and/or suzannelafolletteblack@gmail.com

Roost News Team member Judee Barone speaks with staff and volunteers of the Ethel Circle - An AARP Community. The guests share the origin of the Ethel Circle, the purpose, the activities, and how to become a member.

Roost News Team member Nancy McCammon Hansen speaks with Emily Gorman, AARP Director of Community Engagement, Fort Wayne, and Mike Roeger, Advocate for AARP Indiana on their advocacy work to make cities in Indiana a better place to live.

Roost Team member Doretha McCoy chats with Volunteer Portal Training Specialists, Jeanne VanDivender, NC Volunteer and Laurie Roland, GA Volunteer about their role as a Volunteer Portal Training Specialist (VPTS).

AARP Staff, Mike Kulick, Office of Community Engagement, Rosalie Calarco, Associate State Director for AARP NC, Alan Ormsby, AARP Utah, and Scott Wegenast, AARP KY. They shared the many programs that are in place to support the AARP Staff and Volunteers in Rural communities. They also shared how to contact the Office of Community Engagement for more information. The OVE AARP Roost Team interviewer...

AARP Staff, Mike Kulick, Office of Community Engagement, Rosalie Calarco, Associate State Director for AARP NC, Alan Ormsby, AARP Utah, and Scott Wegenast, AARP KY. They shared the many programs that are in place to support the AARP Staff and Volunteers in Rural communities. They also shared how to contact the Office of Community Engagement for more information. The OVE AARP Roost Team interviewer...

For Volunteer Month, we're taking a peek behind the scenes with the Roost News team! Staffer Tara Shaver returns to the mic to interview the team to learn what brought them to The Roost News Podcast and learn more about their backgrounds, interests, and more. We went a little long on this one, folks, but we think you'll dig it!

ASD Outreach, Jackie Boland, coordinated a Social Security event. Volunteer Speaker, Bill Staton attended the event and followed it a few weeks later with a community workshop for pre-retirees. To honor Social Security’s 90th Anniversary, the staff and volunteer team held a “Volunteer Round Up,” to update the team about the 90 day campaign, engage them in thinking through the campaign, obtain usea...

ASD Outreach, Jackie Boland, coordinated a Social Security event. Volunteer Speaker, Bill Staton attended the event and followed it a few weeks later with a community workshop for pre-retirees. To honor Social Security’s 90th Anniversary, the staff and volunteer team held a “Volunteer Round Up,” to update the team about the 90 day campaign, engage them in thinking through the campaign, obtain usea...

AARP Virginia, Associate State Director for Communications, Ginger Thompson along with volunteers Evan Jones, and Larry Lipman share information about the AARP Virginia Virtual Volunteer Newsroom. They share their story providing the below: • Organization • How to get involved • Onboarding process • How to stay involved...and much more....

The AARP TN State Office shares their effective three-step plan for on-boarding prospects who become active volunteers. They also share best practices for engaging, supporting, and keeping volunteers.

The Office of Volunteer Engagement’s Volunteer Helpline provides personalized customer support to current and prospective AARP volunteers. If you have a question about volunteering with AARP and are unsure who to contact, the Volunteer Helpline is a great place to start. *Please note that the Volunteer Helpline focuses specifically on volunteer needs and is separate from AARP’s Membership Services...

In this episode, AARP Roost News Team member Curt Springstead speaks with representatives of AARP Do It Yourself and Do It Yourself Plus programs better known by their abbreviations DIY and DIY +. These programs are designed to help states create Speakers Bureau programs to share information of value to the 50+ community.