Claudia Summers, seated, formed the Bethlehem Senior Chorus in 2005. Photo by Mark Kozlowski

Jean Pelham, a child of the Great Depression, helped establish the Treasure Cove thrift shop. Claudia Summers, a retired music teacher, formed a chorus that sings at senior centers and other gatherings of older people. Jim Mitchell, a retired state auditor, is an advocate for older New Yorkers at the state Capitol as part of AARP’s Legislative Patrol.

AARP New York and the New York State Commission on National and Community Service encourage more volunteers like those three and are developing a plan to spur the state’s 3.4 million over-60 crowd to pitch in. The commission’s goal is to move New York into the top 10 states in volunteering, out of its current—and dismal—49th place. The “Create the Good” section on aarp.org offers online tools that allow volunteers to search by state, category and amount of time commitment, which can be as little as five minutes.

“The number one reason why people don’t volunteer is because, quite simply, they are not asked,” said Susan Stern, who chairs the commission as a volunteer. The new initiative asks New Yorkers of all walks of life to get involved.

“Volunteers can be a powerful resource for any organization and a major conduit for social change for communities,” said Lois Aronstein, AARP New York state director.

Pelham runs the 17-year-old Treasure Cove out of her church in Delmar. The Treasure Cove provides bargains to the community and free clothes to refugees, the homeless and kids who can’t afford prom outfits. “It’s very satisfying work. It gets me out of bed in the morning,” Pelham said.

Summers created the Bethlehem Senior Chorus in 2005 after noticing people gathering around the piano while she played for her mother, who was recovering from a hip replacement at a rehabilitation facility. The chorus performs jazz and songs from the 1940s and musicals.

Gratitude led Mitchell to the Legislative Patrol, whose members don red AARP shirts and make their voices heard at Assembly hearings. “I have financial security and I have health care. I’d like to see other people have the same,” Mitchell said. “That’s really the reason I got involved.”

Stern encouraged more New Yorkers to get involved. “In these difficult times, we all need something that is greater than ourselves,” she said.

Donna Liquori is a freelance writer in upstate New York.