Volunteer Stars Shine in Florida

AARP Florida has hundreds of member volunteers who are outstanding examples of service in their communities.

Volunteers can be found all over the state.

In Central Florida, volunteer Tess Canja, a former Andrus Award winner, who works tirelessly in Florida and Michigan, is one of many volunteers who lead the way in community service. Canja, who served as national AARP President from 2000 to 2002, helped establish one of the most robust AARP Chapters in the state, works as an advocate on issues such as health care, social security and Medicare.

Georgina Hernandez, a young college student has worked alongside AARP volunteers on service and advocacy projects in South Florida. She’s now an intern for AARP, but continues to volunteer and recruit other young volunteers to service projects for several different organizations.

According to a study by the Corporation of National and Community Service, during this economic downturn volunteer support has made it possible for nonprofits to maintain or increase the number of people they serve. In Florida alone, 2.8 million volunteers donated more than $8.7 billion of service work hours.

During Oct. 19-23, Create the Good  and the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s iChallenge  project will be highlighting the importance of volunteering in America. The major networks will feature stories about community service in various programs and shows.

But we hope to continue that momentum, and as part of the Create the Good effort, AARP is looking for volunteer stars in Florida. The volunteer stars will be featured in future articles. We want to recognize the wonderful work that volunteers are doing across the state.

Send the name of a “volunteer star” in your community to csnyder@aarp.org.