LEXINGTON, Ky. - The founder of an organization that helps empower low-income women in Appalachia feels she's just won the lottery after finding out she's the $10,000 grand prize winner of a national contest by AARP. Jane Stephenson founded the New Opportunity School for Women in Berea nearly a quarter-century ago, and a prize of ten grand was announced last week for her charity as part of AARP's Create the Good "Win and Do Good" contest honoring community service by or for people age 50 and older.

Stephenson says the sweepstakes has drawn great publicity to her cause, while reinforcing a key mission of the New Opportunity School for Women: volunteering.

"And, it ties in so well with one component of our leadership development, because we are encouraging the women that come through our program to volunteer."

The executive director of the New Opportunity School for Women, Lori Sliwa, is overjoyed by the exposure it's given the organization, as recruitment has been a major problem. The program gives middle-aged women in Appalachia tools to improve their personal, financial and educational circumstances.

"It is giving them back their own power. Self-esteem is key; it's a core component to what we do. And we really help women re-ignite that fire within and realize their full potential."

Nearly 700 women have graduated from the program in its nearly-25-year history. And within those numbers, Sliwa boasts, there's a lot to brag about.

"79 percent of our graduates are employed, in school, or both. And the really incredible statistic is that 80 percent have completed some form of higher education; everything from an associate's to a master's degree, and we even have, I believe it's two, with PhDs."

Mimi Castaldi, vice president for volunteer engagement at AARP, says Jane Stephenson's record of commitment with the New Opportunity School for Women is a model of volunteerism the national contest sought to recognize. Castaldi hopes stories like Stephenson's will inspire other older Americans to "create the good" in their own communities.

"She started it 24 years ago. She was just about AARP's membership age when she started, just a little bit under 50. And, she's been going strong every since. And, what a difference she has made in that time period."

The New Opportunity School for Women is a free three-week career and leadership development program that teaches essential workplace skills for low-income women in the central Appalachian region.

Stephenson had already won $5,000 in AARP's regional volunteer contest. There were 1800 total entries in the sweepstakes, and public on-line voting determined the grand prize winner.






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Veterans in North Carolina are in desperate need of reliable transportation and the Veterans Affairs Volunteer Transportation Network is reaching out to residents for assistance.

Lack of reliable transportation is one of the most common obstacles preventing veterans from accessing essential medical care and treatment.

Sabrina Clark, director of the Virginia Center for Development and Civic Engagement, said with more than 750,000 veterans residing in the state, filling transportation gaps is crucial.

"This transportation network provides transport to many veterans who otherwise would have no access to their care at VA facilities," Clark pointed out. "It allows them to get the health care that they have earned and deserve."

Accessing health care can be even more challenging for veterans in rural areas. A 2017 study found rural veterans on average have to travel more than 30 minutes for primary care and 90 minutes for specialized care. North Carolina has the country's 5th highest veteran population.

Clark emphasized the need for volunteer drivers who meet specific requirements such as a valid driver's license, insurance, passing a physical and completing additional training. She also highlighted the importance of addressing diverse needs among veterans in various communities and added there are more ways to contribute beyond providing transportation.

"This is not a one-size-fits-all proposition," Clark noted. "It's to come in and what's required for specific programs and it might be different. It might look different across different ways that individuals are serving."

Clark added there are a wide range of volunteer opportunities at Veterans Affairs and urged people to discover how they can serve veterans in their community. She encouraged anyone interested in volunteering to visit volunteer.va.gov.


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AARP Idaho is seeking nominations in the state for its prestigious award for outstanding volunteers. The Andrus Award for Community Service is named after the founder of AARP, Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus.

For the award, AARP Idaho will select a person or couple age 50 or older, who performs services without pay in their communities.

Pamela Root, senior business operations analyst with AARP Idaho, said this award is special in the community.

"This award honors those age 50-plus who are sharing their experience, talent and skills to enrich the lives of their community," she explained.

Root added the recipient or recipients also get to choose a nonprofit within the state to receive a $2,000 donation from AARP. The nomination process is open through July 15. More than 28% of Idahoans volunteered in 2021, according to America's Health Rankings.

Root highlights last year's winner, Mary Zarybnisky of Burley who, along with her husband, has been an avid volunteer for years, including hosting free Thanksgiving dinners for the community and adopting families at Christmas time.

"They just are always looking at every opportunity to help people and those are the kind of volunteers that we are looking for - just people that go out of their way to make others' lives a little easier and a little better," Root explained.

Root said volunteering can give people a sense of purpose.

"When people retire, sometimes they feel lost. They don't know what to do with their time. They might feel isolated. They might even get a little depressed, and we all know that helping others helps ourselves," she continued.

Some Virginia groups are choosing to offer support to pro-Palestine student protestors.

Recent weeks have seen more than 100 arrests of protestors on Virginia college campuses. Many are demanding their schools stop investing in companies supporting Israel in its war in Gaza, although critics point out it would be more difficult than many people assume.

LaTwyla Matthias, executive director of Progress Virginia, said along with knowing their rights, protestors can stay safe in many ways.

"Don't talk to the police without an attorney present," Matthias outlined. "Make sure that they have food, water, medication, in case they do get detained or arrested; make sure that they're wearing a mask because we've been getting reports of gassing."

The Southwest Virginia Young Democrats have asked people to contribute to a fund for bail for protestors who are arrested. Gov. Glenn Youngkin has said he supports peaceful protests, but stressed that encampments and intimidation of Jewish students on college campuses won't be tolerated.

A report from a nonprofit group tracking armed conflicts and events shows most student protests since the Israel-Hamas war began last October have been peaceful. Only since April have protests involving students outnumbered those of other groups.

Matthias voiced concerns school administrators are not doing enough to ensure students' First Amendment rights, especially when they call in law enforcement. She thinks they should take a different approach.

"They should be cultivating an environment where the students can protest and speak their minds," Matthias asserted. "The students are in the care of the university that they attend so they really should be protecting the students from harassment and intimidation."

In Congress, U.S. House members are asking college and university presidents to testify before the chamber's Education and Workforce Committee on their handling of protests. So far, the presidents of Yale, the University of California-Los Angeles and the University of Michigan have been called before Congress.


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