One place to start exploring the lively world of senior volunteering is a national organization that has been advocating for and managing opportunities for years, “Senior Corps.”  There is a link to New Jersey-specific information on the website. http://www.seniorcorps.org/about/sc/index.asp

The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services has a link to volunteer opportunities (such as RSVP) where seniors can provide assistance to those in need:
http://www.state.nj.us/health/senior/stayinghealthy.shtml#Volunteer

For many years, SCORE—Counselor to America’s Small Business—has utilized senior skills to improve business productivity. Their link: http://www.score.org/volunteer.htm

Hightstown NJ Volunteer Opportunity

AARP Volunteer Opportunity:

The Prescription Drug Retail Price Registry became available to all New Jerseyans in the Fall of 2007. The Registry provides a list of the 150 most frequently prescribed drugs and what they cost at pharmacies across the state. Many people don't realize that different pharmacies charge different prices for the exact same drug. With the Registry, consumers of any age and any income-level can easily find out where to find their drugs for the lowest price in their own communities.

The Registry is available via the internet or through an 800#

The Registry is available in both English and Spanish

AARP New Jersey is featuring the Registry in every one of its quarterly New Jersey newsletters that are sent to AARP members. The November issue and the upcoming March issue showcased the Registry on the front cover and encouraged readers to call a special toll-free number to order brochures describing the program. AARP hopes that readers of the newsletter will want to share such a valuable service with their friends, families and community organizations.

The fulfillment center at AARP, responsible for sending out the requested brochures, is keeping track of every person who orders a brochure. Members and non-members are allowed to order as many as they want. The fulfillment center collects their contact information, information regarding how they heard about the program and the number of brochures requested. This information is then provided to me on a regular basis.

Now, our plan is then to follow up with the individuals who requested a brochure directly from the Volunteer POWER Center. We want to:

1. Make sure they received the brochures from the fulfillment center

2. See if they would like more to share in their communities (they may belong to a church/synagogue, participate on a committee, etc. etc.)

3. Send them the brochures they have requested

4. Send them Divided We Fail pledges

In a similar fashion, we will also reach out to our state agencies such as senior centers, public libraries, hospital associations etc.

Our office will provide all necessary training and instruction, including a written script. We will also supply lunch.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Title: Prescription Drug Registry Outreach Specialist

Timeframe: 3 hours a week with lunch, ongoing

Date to start: Training will be in early to mid-March and we will start making calls around the third week of March

Description: We are looking for volunteers who are really good on the telephone and enjoy making new contacts. The tone of the script will be friendly and conversational. We are hoping to develop a relationship of sorts with the people we call so that they feel attended to and very positive about their contact with AARP. One of the things we are tracking through these phone calls is how many people are choosing to renew their membership with AARP, so we definitely need to leave them with the best possible impression of who we are and what we do!

For more information, please contact:
Jane Margesson
Director of Communications
AARP New Jersey
101 Rockingham Row - Forrestal Village
Princeton, NJ 08540
(609) 452-3908
(609) 987-4634
jmargesson@aarp.org