Beverly Bennett Schaedler of Newtown to Receive 2024 AARP Connecticut Andrus Award for Community Service

AARP’s Annual Highest Volunteer Honor Recognizes Outstanding Volunteers Age 50-Plus

AARP Connecticut is pleased to announce Beverly Bennett Schaedler of Newtown has been selected to receive the 2024 Andrus Award for Community Service, AARP’s most prestigious state volunteer award, for her outstanding volunteerism and commitment to the community. Ms. Bennett Schaedler will be presented with the Andrus Award on December 3, 2024. Ms. Bennett Schaedler is receiving the award in recognition of the significant impact her leadership and contributions on multiple Friends of Newtown Seniors initiatives has provided to the Newtown senior community.

The AARP State Andrus Award for Community Service is an annual awards program developed to honor individuals whose service is a unique and valuable contribution to society. The award is named for AARP founder, Ethel Percy Andrus, whose motto “to serve, not to be served” continues to shape our work years after she founded this association to help older Americans age with dignity and purpose.

“Volunteering is the best medicine in the world and it’s FREE!,” said Ms. Bennett Schaedler. “As a child needs care and guidance so do many in our community. Whether it’s changing a light bulb, replacing a roof, offering a free ride into town or helping move a piece of furniture to create a safe living environment, a volunteer can help! We must always remember in life ‘that there are no strangers in this world only friends we haven’t met’ and thru volunteering I have met some awesome people!”

In addition to the recognition, AARP Connecticut donates $3,000 on behalf of the Andrus recipient to an eligible non-profit organization of their choosing. Ms. Bennett Schaedler selected Friends of Newtown Seniors, an all-volunteer nonprofit group dedicated to helping the Newtown community address issues that affect the lives and well-being of seniors, as the recipient.

In 2019, Ms. Bennett Schaedler founded and currently chairs the Friends of Newtown Seniors’ (FONS) Chore Services program. The initiative allows seniors to age in place by providing a wide range of in-home services ranging from routine help with simple projects to more extensive repairs for seniors who lack the resources or family support to maintain a safe and livable space.

In addition to overseeing Chore Services, last fall Ms. Bennett Schaedler initiated and launched the “Newtown Rides” program for FONS, which addresses the needs for seniors to safely venture from their homes to address their specific social and other needs, otherwise impossible for them to perform, thus helping to alleviate their sense of isolation. The program shuttles seniors in need to various locations around town (doctors, grocery shopping, church visits, social calls, etc.) for two-hour segments free of charge, several days a week.

The individuals served through Ms. Bennett Schaedler’s Chore and Newtown Rides programs, as well as her volunteerism to help promote the AARP HomeFit Program in Newtown, are able to remain in their home and feel safe in an environment that provides amenities appropriate to the needs of their age.

“It has been my pleasure to be provided with the opportunity to nominate Bev Bennett Schaedler for the 2024 AARP State Andrus Award for community service,” said Frank Monette, a volunteer with Friends of Newtown Seniors. “Beverly is an imaginative and persistent advocate for generating community support that benefits ALL Newtown Seniors. The words ‘no’ or ‘can’t’ are simply not part of her vocabulary! The list of her accomplishments are really endless! Newtown should be extremely proud!”