Aarp Foundation

SERVES VULNERABLE PEOPLE OVER 50 BY CREATING AND ADVANCING EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS THAT HELP THEM SECURE THE ESSENTIALS.

WORKFORCE PROGRAMSSENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM:FUNDED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, THE SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (SCSEP) HAS OPERATED FOR 56 YEARS, MAKING IT THE OLDEST AND LARGEST PROGRAM IN THE COUNTRY TO SERVE OLDER WORKERS. SCSEP IS A COMPREHENSIVE JOB TRAINING PROGRAM FOR ADULTS OVER 55 WHO ARE LIVING WITH LOW INCOME. IT FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES THROUGH PAID WORK-BASED TRAINING IN A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (KNOWN AS HOST AGENCIES), WITH THE GOAL OF ENABLING PARTICIPANTS TO OBTAIN IN-DEMAND, HIGH-QUALITY JOBS. AARP FOUNDATION SCSEP HAS WORKED WITH OVER 3,000 HOST AGENCIES THAT INCLUDE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND PUBLIC AGENCIES IN 473 COMMUNITIES IN 19 STATES AND PUERTO RICO. BASED ON THEIR EMPLOYMENT GOALS AND INTERESTS, SCSEP PARTICIPANTS ALSO RECEIVE OCCUPATIONAL, DIGITAL, AND EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS TRAINING AND A RANGE OF CRITICAL SUPPORT SERVICES. AARPFOUNDATION.ORG/SCSEP. BACK TO WORK 50+: SINCE 2013, BACK TO WORK 50+ (BTW50+) HAS SERVED UNEMPLOYED JOBSEEKERS 50 AND OLDER THROUGH JOB SEARCH RESOURCES, WORKSHOPS, AND COACHING. IN 2021 THERE WERE TWO SERVICE DELIVERY MODELS: A DIRECT-TO-CONSUMER MODEL, KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL ONLINE PROGRAM; AND A PROVIDER NETWORK. THE NATIONAL ONLINE PROGRAM IS HOSTED BY A SMALL TEAM OF AARP FOUNDATION NATIONAL COACHES WHO FACILITATE A VIRTUAL PROGRAM USING ZOOM AND OUR LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THE BTW50+ PROVIDER NETWORK OPERATES IN 12 COMMUNITIES, PROVIDING VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON WORKSHOPS AND COACHING. THE PROGRAM IS ALSO TESTING THE INTEGRATION OF SKILL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPANTS, AND THREE PROGRAM PROVIDERS ARE IMPLEMENTING A SKILLS-BUILDING BRIDGE PROJECT. AARPFOUNDATION.ORG/BACKTOWORK.WORK FOR YOURSELF@50+: THROUGH NATIONWIDE PARTNERS, THE WORK FOR YOURSELF@50+ (WFY@50+) PROGRAM MAKES IT EASY FOR PEOPLE OVER 50 TO EXPLORE SELF-EMPLOYMENT AND MICROENTERPRISE OPTIONS (SUCH AS GIG WORK OR INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR EMPLOYMENT) SO THEY CAN INCREASE THEIR FINANCIAL STABILITY. A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS AND A TOOLKIT GUIDE PARTICIPANTS THROUGH FIVE SIMPLE STEPS, WITH PLENTY OF COACHING AND PEER SUPPORT ALONG THE WAY. AN ONLINE FREELANCING RESOURCE CENTER PROVIDES ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND ADVICE. AS THE ONLY NATIONAL PROGRAM THAT HELPS OLDER ADULTS WITH LOW INCOME ASSESS AND PURSUE SELF-EMPLOYMENT VENTURES, WFY@50+ HAS SERVED MORE THAN 40,000 OLDER ADULTS - HALF OF WHOM IDENTIFY AS WOMEN AND NEARLY 60% OF WHOM ARE PEOPLE OF COLOR - ACROSS 39 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 2016. HTTPS://WORKFORYOURSELF.AARPFOUNDATION.ORG/SUCCESS-STORIES/ANDREW-IM-DETERMINED-AND-I-KEEP-MOVING-ON/" WORKFORYOURSELF.AARPFOUNDATION.ORG

BENEFITS PROGRAMSSUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP)/ESAP APPLICATION ASSISTANCE: AARP FOUNDATION IS HELPING TO INCREASE ENROLLMENT IN THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP, FORMERLY KNOWN AS FOOD STAMPS) FOR ELIGIBLE OLDER ADULTS SO THEY CAN RECEIVE AND USE SNAP BENEFITS TO BUY HEALTHY FOOD AFFORDABLY. THIS INCLUDES SUPPORT OF ESAP, THE ELDERLY SIMPLIFIED APPLICATION PROJECT. THROUGH GRANTMAKING, WE SUPPORT COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN STATES THAT RECEIVED WAIVERS FROM THE USDA TO ENACT ESAP. ESAP STREAMLINES THE APPLICATION PROCESS, MAKING IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER 60 AND HAVE NO EARNED INCOME TO RECEIVE SNAP BENEFITS. THE COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS USE THESE GRANTS TO FIELD MORE CALLS AND SIGN UP MORE SENIORS FOR SNAP. AARP FOUNDATION ALSO HELPS ADDITIONAL STATES APPLY FOR ESAP WAIVERS BY PROVIDING TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO DRAFT THE WAIVER THAT ALLOWS A STATE TO ENACT THE SIMPLER ESAP APPLICATION PROCESS, THUS ENABLING THE PROGRAM TO REACH MORE OLDER ADULTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WE FURTHER SUPPORT PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION ONCE THE WAIVER IS GRANTED.EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT:AARP FOUNDATION IS RAISING AWARENESS OF THE EARNED INCOME TAX CREDIT (EITC) AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH LOW INCOME, MANY OF WHOM MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS TAX CREDIT. THE GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE OLDER WORKERS FILING FOR THE EITC AND TO ENCOURAGE CURRENT NON-FILERS TO FILE IN ORDER TO GET THE CREDIT.MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAM:STATE MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS (MSP) CAN HELP PAY PREMIUMS, DEDUCTIBLES, COINSURANCE, COPAYMENTS, AND PRESCRIPTION DRUG COVERAGE COSTS. AARP FOUNDATION IS FOCUSED ON REACHING OLDER ADULTS WITH LOW INCOME WHO ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS VALUABLE ASSISTANCE BUT ARE NOT ENROLLED IN A STATE MSP.STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT TOOL:THE STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT TOOL HELPS OLDER ADULTS WITH LOW INCOME ENROLL IN INCOME-DRIVEN REPAYMENT PLANS, EMPOWERING THEM TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR STUDENT LOAN DEBT.

TAX AND CREDIT PROGRAMSTAX-AIDE:AARP FOUNDATION TAX-AIDE PROVIDES IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL TAX PREPARATION HELP TO ANYONE, FREE OF CHARGE, WITH A FOCUS ON TAXPAYERS WHO ARE OVER 50 AND HAVE LOW TO MODERATE INCOME. TAX-AIDE IS THE LARGEST FREE, VOLUNTEER-BASED TAX ASSISTANCE AND PREPARATION PROGRAM IN THE U.S., WITH OVER 26,000 VOLUNTEERS NATIONWIDE. TAX-AIDE VOLUNTEERS ARE TRAINED AND IRS-CERTIFIED EVERY YEAR TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND THE LATEST CHANGES AND ADDITIONS TO THE TAX CODE. AARPFOUNDATION.ORG/TAXAIDE.PROPERTY TAX-AIDE:AARP FOUNDATION PROPERTY TAX-AIDE HELPS OLDER ADULTS WITH LOW INCOME TAKE ADVANTAGE OF PROPERTY TAX REFUND AND CREDIT PROGRAMS, SAVING THEM MONEY AND HELPING THEM STAY IN THEIR HOMES LONGER. PROPERTY TAX-AIDE USES AN INNOVATIVE ONLINE FINTECH TOOL TO SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS OF APPLYING FOR PROPERTY TAX REFUNDS AND CREDITS. TRAINED PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS USE AN ELIGIBILITY SCREENER TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY FOR A PROPERTY TAX REFUND OR CREDIT. THE VOLUNTEERS THEN USE AN APPLICATION WIZARD TO HELP ELIGIBLE OLDER ADULTS COMPLETE THE APPROPRIATE FORMS AND PREPARE THEM FOR FILING. ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE BOTH IN PERSON AND ONLINE. WE CURRENTLY SERVE 12 STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA AND PLAN TO EXPAND NATIONWIDE TO ALL STATES OFFERING PROPERTY TAX RELIEF.