When Juanita Jiménez-Soto took the helm of AARP's Veterans and Military Families Initiative in November 2023, she made history, becoming the first Latina and first woman to lead the program. But for Jiménez-Soto, this role represents more than a professional milestone. It's deeply personal.

Her husband is a Navy veteran and her son Diego is an Army lieutenant who graduated from West Point in 2022. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, she grew up in south Texas with a profound respect for service and sacrifice. Now, she's channeling that passion into ensuring veterans and their families have access to critical resources — from fraud prevention to caregiving support — through AARP's expanding veterans initiative.

“We are a convener of information, a collector of information, and a communicator of information,” Jiménez-Soto told LATINO Magazine. “Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for veterans, connecting them with the benefits and services they've earned.”

Launched in 2018, AARP's initiative remains one of the organization's newer programs but has quickly become essential. With 6.5 million AARP members who are veterans — about 17% of its total 38 million membership — the need for tailored support is clear. "Seventy percent of our veteran members have been with AARP for more than 10 years, and many are Vietnam veterans," Jiménez-Soto said. "But we're also expanding our reach to younger veterans in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Their needs are different, and we're adapting our resources to meet them."

One of the key areas of focus is fraud prevention, which AARP likes to say is “protecting those who protected us.” Veterans are twice as likely to be targeted by scams, according to AARP research. The organization provides resources to help veterans recognize and avoid fraud, from phishing schemes to fake VA benefit offers.

“Veterans are trusting — it's in their nature," said Justin Chávez, AARP Nevada's Associate State Director and a Marine Corps veteran. “In Nevada, where scams are rampant, we teach them to spot red flags, like calls claiming they'll lose benefits if they don't act immediately.”
Another important focus is caregiving support and offering what AARP says is a lifeline for families. Many veterans require caregiving due to age, disability, or service-related injuries. AARP offers guides, workshops, and online communities. “Caregiving isn't just about the elderly,” Jiménez-Soto noted. “Disabled veterans may have younger spouses or adult children caring for them. We provide tools for all of them.”

For Chávez, the issue is personal as well. After his father's death, he turned to AARP's caregiving resources. “I used their guides. It was a lifeline having that empathy and practical advice.” Chávez adds that one of the most overlooked but critical issues for veterans is end-of-life preparation. To address this, he recently hosted a workshop in Nevada on wills and burial benefits, partnering with legal aid and veteran services. “In Latino families, we often avoid talking about death. But these conversations are necessary. When my dad passed, I saw how unprepared families can be,” he said.

AARP partners with the Veterans Administration and nonprofit organizations such as Blue Star Families and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation to help veterans navigate benefits, from healthcare to housing assistance. “We don't gatekeep information," Jiménez-Soto said. "If a veteran needs VA resources, we link them directly. Last year, 115,000 people clicked from our site to VA.gov.”

AARP’s veteran outreach wouldn’t be possible without its more than 300,000 volunteers nationwide, many of whom are veterans themselves.
In Nevada, Chávez relies on over 100 volunteers to run walking clubs, fraud prevention seminars, and community events. “They're the life and soul of AARP,” he said. “Some are retired CEOs, military officers, or tech pioneers. Their expertise is invaluable.”

One of his most successful programs is a mall-based walking club, where volunteers chat with participants about Social Security updates and local resources. “We give out water bottles, hats, and info — it's a fun way to connect.”

In the Sunshine State, Thayra Hausheer is an Air Force veteran who leads outreach in the Miami area. Known as Tye to her friends, she arrived in the U.S. from Panama at age 19. After 4 years in the military and a 22-year career at the Social Security Administration, she answered the call to help her fellow veterans. “I retired early to become a full-time volunteer,” Hausheer recalls with a chuckle. “Last year I did more than 30 events, from health fair to employer workshops. People call me the AARP lady and I love it.”

As co-lead of AARP Florida's Veterans Forum, Hausheer assists in organizing quarterly virtual events, like a recent discussion on the Tuskegee Airmen that drew 100 attendees nationwide. She adds that AARP is not just for older Americans. “You can join AARP at 18. Young veterans and military families use our travel discounts, but they also get advocacy, job resources, and financial planning tools.”

Jiménez-Soto echoes this, noting that AARP's advocacy focuses on the 50-plus population, but its membership benefits span all ages. “We're evolving. Younger veterans are realizing we're a resource for them too."

Jiménez-Soto was a broadcast journalist for nearly 30 years until the private sector and then AARP came calling. “I started as a communications director in Texas, but when my son got into West Point, my boss said, 'You should lead our veteran efforts.' It felt like fate.”

Her bilingual outreach is especially critical for Hispanic veterans and families. “In Latino households, Spanish is often the language of trust,” she said. "We have a full Spanish-language portal, AARP.org/Veteranos, with caregiving guides, fraud tips, and benefit information.” The English version is AARP.org/Veterans. Under Jiménez-Soto's leadership, AARP is forging new partnerships with groups like the VFW and American GI Forum while expanding digital resources.

One upcoming project is a national veterans employment initiative.

“Many veterans struggle to translate military skills to civilian jobs. We're working with employers to change that. We leave no one behind. We focus on that, and we are constantly revamping our information, being very strategic when we do it and how we do it and aligning ourselves with organizations that can help us get there so that we can help veterans. We were created to empower them because there was a huge need that we realized was there,” says Jimenez-Soto. “Veterans have given so much. Our job is to ensure they get the support they deserve.”