HOME RENEWAL Make your home safe and functional without sacrificing beauty or style. The AARP Guide to Revi- talizing Your Home: Beautiful Living for the Second Half of Life
tells you how. Members save 35
percent on AARP books online
( aarp.org/books).
AARP IN
ACTION
ASK LEE
The new scannable AARP
membership card has a magnetic
strip on the back, giving you instant
access to members-only retailer
discounts and admission to AARP
events. And you can track your
savings and other benefits online
by checking your member-value
statement ( aarp.org/mycard).
WANTED: TAX-PREP HELPERS
Tax season is approaching, and
AARP Tax-Aide—which provides
free tax-preparation help—needs
volunteers. Tax-Aide will train
greeters, communications and
technology coordinators, and
preparers. Sign up by the end
of the year (1-888-687-2277;
aarp.org/taxvolunteer).
Q: How does AARP help older
Americans who are struggling
to pay their bills?
A: In this tough economy, AARP’s
charitable arm, the AARP Foundation,
has delivered services (such as Work-
Search, which helps workers reenter
the job market or upgrade from their
current position), information, and legal
advocacy to more than 5 million older
Americans who are skipping meals or
meds while trying to keep a roof over-
head. One example: Many low-income
individuals don’t know about programs
Balance
your food
budget—
with help.
helping older adults cope successfully
with large-scale emergencies. Simple
measures such as providing comfortable sleeping places and help getting
around can keep seniors healthy and
productive. In the aftermath of the Haiti
earthquake the $1 million that AARP
members donated to the Foundation’s
relief fund, as well as the $500,000 the
Foundation itself donated, allowed
HelpAge to give food, well-being kits,
and shelter to thousands of Haitians.
Closer to home, the Foundation raised
$1.86 million in 2005 for grants to
victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Learn about more AARP Foundation
activities at aarp.org/foundation.
TOP RIGH T: MICHAEL LE WIS; ILLUS TRATION B Y CHRIS LYONS
PRESIDENT W. Lee Hammond
PRESIDENT-ELECT Robert Romasco
BOARD CHAIR Phil Zarlengo
BOARD VICE-CHAIR Gail E. Aldrich
SECRETARY/ TREASURER A. James
Forbes Jr.
CLASS OF 2012 Leobardo Estrada,
William J. Hall, Mara Mayor, Maeona
Mendelson, Robert Romasco, George
Rowan, Phil Zarlengo
CLASS OF 2014 Gail E. Aldrich, Allen
Douma, A. James Forbes Jr., Hubert
H. Humphrey III, Jacob Lozada,
J. David Nelson, Charles E. Reed
CLASS OF 2016 Jeannine English,
Catherine Georges, Barbara O’Connor,
John Penn, Diane Pratt, Carol
Raphael, Fernando Torres-Gil
AARP Board
that can help them pay food, housing,
utility, and prescription-drug bills. The
Foundation administers an online
benefits outreach program (aarp.org/
quicklink), a one-stop site where people can learn about benefits and apply
immediately to receive them.
Q: What about assistance to
disaster victims?
A: The AARP Foundation collaborates
with HelpAge USA, the only global
relief agency to focus specifically on
Q: Does AARP offer fitness
programs?
A: Check out aarp.org/health/fitness
for programs to help you get in shape,
including our interactive Fat2Fit com-
munity, a weight-loss group featuring
more than 17,000 participants. You’ll
also find informative articles and
motivational tips from experts—like
our Health and Fitness Ambassador
Martina Navratilova—on topics such
as choosing a gym and identifying
fat-burning foods. Watch Dr. Mehmet
Oz’s stretching, strength, and balance
workout videos, part of his plan to get
you healthier in six months. Or sign up
for Step Up to Better Health: Strap on
a pedometer to monitor the steps you
take each day, then track your prog-
ress online against one of four famous
American walking routes, including the
Appalachian Trail. —W. Lee Hammond
GOT A QUESTION
ABOUT AARP?
Write to Ask Lee, AARP, 601 E St. NW, Washington,
DC 20049, or e-mail AskLee@aarp.org.
