AARP 2008 Annual Report Download - page 4

other states can follow.
In the workplace, we continued to champion 50+ workers by urging more employers to offer flexible work
schedules, telecommuting options, training and a better work/leisure balance. And, in communities around
the country, AARP members are serving on local boards and commissions to help make their communities
more livable.
The world we faced at the end of 2008 was far different than it was in January. Millions of our members
felt the anguish of losing their jobs, their health coverage, their homes, or the pensions and retirement
security they had worked a lifetime to attain. Too many people felt they were lost in unfamiliar territory,
without a map or a compass.
We helped them navigate through these daily struggles, while leading a nationwide effort to find common
ground on health care reform and lifetime financial security.
As I prepare to step down as AARP’s CEO in 2009 and begin a new adventure, I am optimistic that our
collective efforts in 2008 laid the groundwork for even more significant improvements in the quality of life
for our members and people of all ages next year, and beyond. I will leave AARP with enormous pride in
what we have accomplished.
2008 Year in Review
2008 was a special year for AARP. We celebrated our 50th anniversary, reflecting on past achievements
and uniting generations in building a better future. At the same time, we helped our members weather the
steepest economic downturn in generations and led the way in helping America adjust to the new realities
of an aging population.
In a broad sense, the mix of advocacy, trustworthy information, civic engagement, charitable efforts, and
value-based products and services that we made available reflected the early years of our organization.
But how far we’ve come! In 2008, AARP leveraged cutting-edge technologies and resources to serve
members better. For example, our first-ever online daily newspaper went live and hundreds of thousands of
AARP members participated in “town halls” conducted by telephone conference calls, enabling them to
discuss health care reform and other issues with state officials – and each other – from their homes.
Restless for action on complex problems that they cannot solve on their own, AARP members participated
energetically in Divided We Fail, our national effort with business and labor to break through partisan
gridlock. The goal: to place quality, affordable health care and lifetime financial security high on the public
agenda and to achieve them.
After all, AARP members grew up, got their first jobs, fought wars, and raised families during times of
tumultuous change. They didn’t just sing “The Times They Are A’ Changin’.” They lived it.
Our collective efforts made a positive difference in people’s lives and helped to push the nation in the right
direction.
2008 Highlights
AARP's collective efforts made a positive difference in people’s lives and helped to push the nation in the
right direction. In 2008: