AARP, << ahrp or ay ay ahr pee, >> is one of the largest private nonprofit membership organizations in the world. Its name is a shortened form of its original title, the American Association of Retired Persons. AARP has more than 40 million members, who must be 50 years old or older. Thousands of volunteers also assist AARP in educational and community service programs.
AARP’s main purpose is to address the needs of older people in the United States. It does this by providing them with education and services and by representing their interests before government agencies and other public bodies. AARP also works to improve the lives of older people by promoting their independence and dignity and by encouraging them to pursue personal goals. AARP offers members a number of benefits, including group health insurance, legal services, and a mail-order pharmacy. The organization’s magazine, AARP The Magazine, is the largest circulation magazine in the United States.
Ethel Percy Andrus, a retired educator, founded the American Association of Retired Persons in 1958. The organization changed its name to AARP in 1998. Its headquarters are in Washington, D.C. The AARP website at http://www.aarp.org provides additional information.
See also Retirement .
