Why You Should Become An AARPer
The American Association of Retired Persons, the AARP, is
America's leading non-partisan, non-profit organization
dedicated to improving the lives of people aged 50 and older. It
has over 35 million members, 40,000 of whom live outside the US.
Members do not have to be retired; in fact, 40 percent of them
work full or part time. Membership is open to anyone 50 or
older, and with 25 percent of the American population in this
age bracket, nearly half of all people in this group have
memberships. The median age of AARP members is 65, and slightly
more than half are female. In its mission statement, the
organzition says that it is "dedicated to enhancing the quality
of life for all as we age. We lead positive social change and
deliver value to members through information, advocacy and
service." The AARP provides information bulletins about news
relevent to the older population, acts as a lobby group to
advance their interests, promotes community involvement by its
members, and offers its members a wide range of products and
services such as health insurance.
The AARP was founded in 1958 by retired high school principal
Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. The AARP grew out of the National
Retired Teachers Association, which Dr. Andrus had established
in 1947 to promote her philosophy of productive aging and to
offer health insurance to retired teachers. In that era, health
insurance was virtually unavailable to older Americans, since
few private insurers would accept these high-risk clients and
the American government had not yet established Medicare, which
was only enacted in 1965. This association of retired teachers
grew to offer membership benefits to all retired citizens. It is
now a world-wide organization with headquarters in Lausanne,
Switzerland and Washington, D.C., local offices in every state,
and over 2,500 local chapters.
AARP has 2 affiliated groups. One is the AARP Foundation, which
is a charity that runs social programs to help people 50 and
older, and also supports AARP Foundation Litigation, a national
group focusing on legal issues affecting older Americans. The
second is AARP Services, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of AARP
which provides members with products and services such as
medical, automobile, home and life insurance, discounts on
prescriptions and prescription eyewear, and a travel discount
program.
Source of Funds
AARP receives income from memberships, advertising revenue from
its publications, royalty fees from companies providing
AARP-endorsed products, and extra fees from member programs.
Publications
AARP members receive bimonthly the "AARP Magazine" and also the
"AARP Bulletin" printed 11 times per year. AARP also publishes
"Segunda Juventud", a quarterly Spanish-English newspaper
targeting the Hispanic community. The AARP website also offers
information on a wide range of topics. AARP also produces "Prime
Time Radio", a weekly interview program focusing on the
interests of mature people, and the daily "Mature Focus Radio"
which has brief discussions on various topics. AARP's Public
Policy Institute researches international issues affecting aging
and uses the results of these studies to help draft public
policy recommendations.
The AARP as Lobby Group
The AARP has been an effective force in causing the government
to become more aware of the interests of the older population.
They undertake litigation in cases of age discrimination,
pensions, health care, economic security and consumer issues.
AARP volunteers often appear before the US congress to testify
about the effects of government policies on the elderly. At a
local level, the AARP trains volunteers in how to deal with
government officials. Though non-partisan, the AARP keeps its
members informed on each party's stand on issues affecting older
Americans. AARP representatives also participate in
international conferences on aging.
About the author:
About the Author: Frank Hague is getting there.
http://www.aarp-now.info http://www.life-extension-now.com
http://www.youwillquit.com
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