Member Spotlight: AARP

We continue to recognize members supporting the Smithsonian National Postal Museum and their online exhibit, “America’s Mailing Industry.” This week, we would like to recognize AARP – a top 20 U.S. mailer, with the largest circulation magazine in the world – and the invaluable role that USPS mail plays in the success of their mission.

AARP and the U.S. Postal Service: Partners for Citizen Action

Since AARP’s earliest days, when the Association operated out of the living room of one of its officers in Ojai, California, the U.S. Postal Service has played an incalculable role in AARP’s growth and its ability to fight for and equip older Americans to live their best lives.

What Is AARP?

AARPAARP was founded in 1958 by retired California educator Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus. Today we remain a non-profit, non-partisan social mission organization, and our membership has grown to nearly 38 million—making us the world’s largest organization representing people age 50-plus and their families.

We help people turn their goals and dreams into real possibilities, strengthen communities and fight for the issues that matter most to families, such as healthcare, employment, income security, retirement planning, affordable utilities and protection from financial abuse.

We maintain offices in all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Our board of directors, national officers, and state presidents are all unpaid volunteers, as are our program leaders and legislative advocates.

You don’t have to be a member to benefit from what AARP offers. As Dr. Andrus asserted, “What we do, we do for all.”

Turning 50

Many Americans first interaction with AARP comes through the “AARP letter.” The “letter” has become a rite of passage for Americans turning 50 years old. As that milestone birthday approaches, they wait in anticipation – or in dread – for the arrival of the letter from AARP congratulating them on turning 50 and inviting them to join.

Of course, the AARP letter wouldn’t be possible without the U.S. Postal Service, which has faithfully delivered tens of millions of them for us over the years. Sure, we could call people on the phone or send them an email, but it wouldn’t be the same for them as reaching into their mailboxes and pulling out a personalized invitation. In a fast-moving world filled with televised sound bites, 140-character tweets and texted emoticons, the tangibility of a letter in your mailbox strikes home…

Information, Education and Entertainment

While the “letter” may be the best-known collaboration between AARP and the Postal Service, it is far from the only one. People look to AARP as a trusted source of reliable information on a host of issues, from caring for a loved one to planning for retirement, from retrofitting their home for comfort at any age to healthy diet and exercise tips. Over the years, AARP has mailed out millions of letters, booklets and pamphlets to help people and their families meet challenges and enjoy new possibilities as they age.

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The USPS first mailed AARP’s magazine, then called Modern Maturity, to members in 1958 – the year our non-partisan, non-profit organization was founded. AARP the Magazine now is the world’s largest circulation magazine and is mailed six times a year to some 38 million members in fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands….

Ten times a year, AARP also mails to members its newspaper, the AARP Bulletin, a publication featuring practical advice about consumer scams to avoid, important trends affecting people over 50 and tips on saving money or taking care of a loved one. There are news items about events in public policy and shifts in consumer preferences, and reporting about select AARP activities across the country. After every issue, members report clipping articles and sharing them with friends or hanging them on the refrigerator, another piece of tangible value created out of the collaboration between AARP and the U.S. Postal Service….

Although personal computers and mobile devices continue to change how people communicate and channels (e.g., email, social media and blogs) for communicating continue to expand, the U.S. Postal Service remains a reliable and invaluable support to AARP and its mission, enabling informed citizen action and community involvement. Both of which would make our Founding Fathers and Dr. Andrus proud.

(Excerpted from “America’s Mailing Industry”, https://postalmuseum.si.edu/americasmailingindustry/AARP.html)