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AARP South Carolina Honors Roger Addison With Andrus Award for Community Service
Columbia volunteer recognized for service, leadership and commitment to helping others live with dignity and purpose
AARP
Roger Addison has built a life around a simple but powerful idea: Show up for people.
He shows up with meals for older adults who may live alone. He shows up for patients and hospitals that depend on timely blood deliveries. He shows up for AARP members and volunteers in Columbia. He shows up for his church, his fraternity, his hometown and his community.
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That steady commitment to service is why Addison has been named the newest recipient of the AARP South Carolina Andrus Award for Community Service, AARP’s most prestigious state volunteer honor.
Named for AARP founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, the award honors people 50-plus who share their experience, talent and skills to improve the lives of others. It reflects Andrus’ motto: “To serve, not to be served.”
Addison’s service spans many organizations and many needs. For more than six years, he has delivered meals three days a week through Meals on Wheels. His visits offer more than food. They bring connection, reassurance and a friendly face to older adults who may spend much of their time alone.
For the past three years, Addison has also supported the American Red Cross by transporting blood across South Carolina. The role requires dependability and long hours on the road to help ensure blood products reach hospitals when they are needed.
His leadership is also felt deeply within AARP. Addison serves as president of the AARP Columbia Chapter, where he helps guide local volunteer efforts and support programs that connect people 50-plus with resources, information and opportunities to serve. He has also helped lead outreach through the chapter’s Friendly Voice Committee, which makes regular calls to older adults who may be experiencing isolation.
“Roger Addison represents the very best of service in South Carolina,” said Charmaine Fuller-Cooper, AARP South Carolina state director. “His commitment to helping others live with dignity and purpose reflects the spirit of Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus and the mission of AARP. Whether he is delivering meals, connecting with people who may feel isolated or leading volunteers in Columbia, Roger shows how one person’s steady compassion can strengthen an entire community.”
Addison’s commitment reaches beyond AARP. He serves as a trustee at his church and is active with the Masons. He also travels regularly to Washington, D.C., where he volunteers with Bread for Life in the neighborhood where he grew up. The work reflects his belief that service can honor both the place you live and the place that shaped you.
His civic involvement includes work as a poll manager with the South Carolina Election Board, helping support a smooth voting process for community members. The role often requires long days and careful attention to detail.
Those who know Addison say his impact is not only measured by the meals delivered, miles driven or calls made. It is also reflected in the people he inspires. His example encourages others to volunteer, stay involved and see aging as a time of purpose and continued contribution.
“Roger’s story is a powerful reminder that volunteer service is built on trust, consistency and care,” said James Agens, communications director for AARP South Carolina. “He does not serve for recognition. He serves because he believes in people. That is what makes his leadership so meaningful and why this honor is so well deserved.”
For Addison, service is not limited to one organization or one cause. It is a way of life.
“I do this because I can,” Addison said, “and it is an absolute honor to do so.”
Through his years of service, Addison has helped reduce isolation, support access to food, strengthen community connections and encourage others to give back. His leadership reflects AARP’s mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age.
AARP South Carolina congratulates Roger Addison on this recognition and thanks him for his continued service to Columbia, South Carolina and the communities he holds close.
To learn more about AARP South Carolina volunteer opportunities, visit here!
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