Milwaukee County Commission on Aging chair wins AARP WI’s most prestigious volunteer award

MILWAUKEE, WI – Jan Wilberg, 76, of Milwaukee, who chairs the Milwaukee County Commission on Aging, has been selected by AARP, the nonprofit organization for people 50 and older, to receive the 2024 AARP Wisconsin Andrus Award for Community Service. This is AARP’s most prestigious and visible statewide volunteer award.

AARP WI selected Wilberg for the award based on her remarkable lifelong career of service, which has greatly benefited her community, reflected AARP’s vision and mission, and inspired other volunteers.

“This award acts as a symbol to the public that we can all work together for positive social change,” said AARP Wisconsin State Director Martha Cranley. “AARP has long valued the spirit of volunteerism, and the important contributions volunteers make to their communities, neighbors, and the programs they serve.

“Jan clearly goes above and beyond the definition of the word volunteer,” Cranley continued. “She serves as an inspiring example of the phrase ‘service before self.’ She is committed to doing whatever she can every single day to make life better for those around her. Jan is truly one in a million.”

As part of her award, Wilberg was given the opportunity to select an organization to receive a $1,000 donation from AARP. She will donate the entire amount to Street Angels, a mobile outreach organization in Milwaukee that supports those experiencing homelessness. She is the current Board President of Street Angels, and said the funds will be used to buy gas cards for those who are living in their cars over the winter months.

“I am so humbled and appreciative of this recognition and cash award, which will go a long way towards helping Milwaukee residents who are most in need,” Wilberg said. “We all deserve the opportunity to live our best possible lives and age with dignity and purpose.”

Wilberg and her husband Howard Snyder have four children and five grandchildren. She holds a master’s degree and a PhD in Urban Affairs from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and has served on the Milwaukee County Commission on Aging for four years – the past two as it’s chair.

“As an older adult, there are so many good and interesting things we can do, so let’s embrace that. The commission is always making positive changes in how we support the 195,000 older adults in Milwaukee County. There’s so much to be done, but we’re making great progress and I’m really proud of that,” she said.

Throughout her life, Wilberg has been committed to making changes that help those in need. She was a founding member of the League of Progressive Seniors, a group that focuses on voter education and outreach. From 2012 to 2022 she ran a nonprofit called “Time of the Month Club,” which collected and distributed menstrual supplies to homeless women.

In 2018, after 20 years working as a consultant on homelessness, Jan volunteered for the 4 a.m. shift at the Street Angels homeless warming room. This was a life-changing event that led to service on their Board of Directors as a member and then president.

In 2021, she and other volunteers spent 48 hours sleeping outside to experience firsthand the challenges of homelessness. Jan brought her experience as a nonprofit consultant to the work of helping Street Angels become a healthy, thriving, and impactful organization.

“She always looks at every issue with a different point of view, and I admire her for that,” said Amber Miller, a fellow Commission on Aging member who nominated Jan for the award. Miller said Jan exemplifies servant leadership and dedication to community service and is relentless in her advocacy and commitment to ensuring that older adults in Milwaukee receive access to resources and support.

“She is a powerful advocate for social change, particularly for the 50-plus community,” Miller said, pointing to Wilberg’s successful efforts to increase the Milwaukee County budget to improve senior programming and services. “Her unwavering commitment is truly inspiring. Her advocacy demonstrates her deep passion for ensuring that older adults receive the support they need.”

The Andrus Award will be formally presented to Wilberg at a ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 6, at Rise & Grind Coffee & Café, 2737 N. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Dr., Milwaukee.

Andrus Award recipients across the nation were chosen for their ability to enhance the lives of AARP members and prospective members, improve the community in or for which the work was performed, and inspire others to volunteer.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.