DALLAS – AARP Texas honored Allan Wollos this week as one of this year’s recipients of Texas’s 2013 AARP Andrus Award for Community service during a luncheon at Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church. The Andrus Award symbolizes an individual’s power and ability to make a difference in the lives of others.
“We are thrilled to recognize Allan Wollos with the most celebrated volunteer award given by AARP,” said AARP Texas State Director Bob Jackson. “Allan has spent an incredible amount of time and energy giving back to his community. His work embodies the motto of our founder Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus — “to serve, not to be served.”
Allan Wollos is dedicated to the well-being of his community and congregation. While serving as a minister at his Dallas church, Allan still makes the time to volunteer for groups like AARP and the Girl Scouts.
In 1998, he noticed that he was the only African-American in his AARP Driver Safety Program class and took it as a sign that he should get more involved. Today, he oversees the AARP Driver Safety Program in about 60 Texas counties.
Motivating and mentoring others has always been a passion for Allan, who says his itch to volunteer comes from his experience in the ministry as well as from his mother, who is still active in the community as a centenarian.
Allan acts as a marriage counselor for his church and assists at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. Wollos’ “ministry under a bridge” includes driving around the Metroplex and handing out food and clothing to the homeless. And most Sunday mornings, he can be found preaching.
Young adults from his church have a standing offer of someone who will listen and a homemade meal at the Wollos house, and some of the children call him “Pa Pa.”
The AARP Andrus Award for Community Service recognizes members and volunteers who, through volunteer service, are significantly enhancing the lives of individuals age 50 and older.
“Allan Wollos’ work in the Dallas community embodies the spirit of the AARP Andrus Award for Community Service, said Ollie Besteiro, AARP Texas state president. “His incredible devotion to service can inspire us all.”
Recipients across the nation were chosen for their ability to enhance the lives of AARP members and prospective members, improve communities and inspire others to volunteer.
