Photo by John Huba
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Web Exclusive…
How You Can Make an Impact
January & February 2005
What can AARP The Magazine’s 2005 Impact Award winners inspire you to do?
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Richard Gere
What he's already done: Gere's organization Healing the
Divide leads projects that help communities around the world, including an AIDS
awareness campaign in India.
What you can do: Help out at your local AIDS treatment
clinic—you'll find a state-by-state list of local AIDS
organizations at TheBody.com, an online HIV/AIDS resource. Many
organizations need administrative help, or editorial or design work for their
publications and ad campaigns, and there may even be opportunities to work
directly with AIDS patients. Call your city or county health department if you
need further help finding AIDS centers in your community.
Linda Saif
What she's already done: Working as a consultant to the World
Health Organization, the microbiologist and her lab at Ohio State University
are fighting the deadly virus that causes SARS.
What you can do:
Take precautions to prevent the spread of SARS as you travel the world.
Follow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's guidelines for traveling to
countries where SARS cases have been reported.
William Donaldson
What he's already done: The former Marine beefed up SEC oversight
of mutual funds in the wake of the Enron and WorldCom scandals.
What you can do: Actively monitor your investments—and the
folks who oversee them. The National Association of Securities Dealers'
website shows how to get
information on your financial professionals.
Jane Seymour
What she's already done: The actress advocates for the prevention
and treatment of child abuse through her work with Childhelp USA, and she
recently renewed her commitment to a Red Cross initiative that vaccinates
children in Africa against measles.
What you can do: Learn the signs and symptoms of child
abuse, and report
abuse to the appropriate local agency. To volunteer with Childhelp USA,
reach out to the organization's nearest office or
chapter.
Princess Yasmin Aga Khan
What she's already done: Khan raises funds and lobbies for
research into Alzheimer's disease, which affected her mother, the late
actress Rita Hayworth. Khan is vice-chairman of the Alzheimer's Association
and president of Alzheimer's Disease International, and her two annual
fundraising events generated $3 million in donations in 2004.
What you can do: Become an advocate for funding for research into the
disease. The Alzheimer's Assocation's website identifies the
organization's advocacy priorities and explains how you can assist the cause
with tasks as simple as writing to Congress.
Antonia Hernández
What she's already done: The former president and chief counsel
of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund is now president and
CEO of the California Community Foundation, which puts generous donations
toward improvements in the lives of poor people.
What you can do: Donate online to one of the
many efforts supported by the California Community Foundation.
George Wein
What he's already done: Wein launched the Newport Jazz Festival
in 1954 (meaning the event became eligible for AARP membership as a 50-year-old
last year). He oversees a dozen festivals throughout the world.
What you can do: This one's easy, jazz fans. Attend the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage
Festival (AKA JazzFest), April 22 - May 1, 2005. Proceeds go to the related
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation,
whose cultural-preservation programs include free jazz festivals throughout the
year, a healthcare clinic for local performing artists, a music school, and
more.
Alice Coles
What she's already done: Coles coordinated an effort among
neighbors to apply for federal and state housing grants to turn her community
of two- and three-bedroom shacks with no running water or heat into 132 new
homes supported by a greenhouse and technology center.
What you can do: Volunteer with Rebuilding
Together, an organization committed to preserving and revitalizing homes
and communities on behalf of low-income homeowners across the nation.
Tom Brokaw
What he's already done: The NBC Nightly News anchor retired in
December 2004 after bringing a focus on international events to the job.
What you can do: Stay on top of the news so you can bring an
educated voice to discussions and debates with friends and colleagues. How can
you be sure you haven't missed an important headline? Test your knowledge of current events
with the Newseum's interactive NewsMania quiz.
Gloria White-Hammond
What she's already done: The pastor/pediatrician makes
humanitarian missions to Africa—particularly to Sudan—to support
education and industry on behalf of women and children affected by civil
war.
What you can do: Learn about aid priorities in
Sudan and donate to relief efforts via UNICEF's website. (Note: One of
last year's Impact Award winners, Jessica Lange, has worked
closely with UNICEF to bring suffering to light in the Democratic Republic of
the Congo.)
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