- Mareli Furtado receives AARP's Andrus Award for her volunteer tech support.
- Furtado assists seniors at Riverdale Senior Center with tech issues and scams.
- Her self-taught skills and compassion build trust and keep her engaged post-retirement.
SALT LAKE CITY — Each year, AARP Utah honors volunteers who make a real difference in their communities. This year's top honoree is a woman using her tech skills and heart to help others.
She's retired, but Mareli Furtado is keeping busy. She's the go-to tech helper at the Riverdale Senior Center, solving everything from smartphone setups to online troubleshooting.
And if she doesn't know the answer right away? She'll dig in until she finds it.
"I do phones, tablets, computers, cameras," Furtado said.
At Riverdale Senior Center, Furtado is the help desk.
"Sometimes they lose things. The sound will go off, the ringer will go off," Furtado said.
No question is too small or too big for her to tackle.
"She had gotten a phone call from somebody that she thought was with the bank, and she basically was a scammer. And then I gave her a list of, 'OK, you need to call your bank right now,'" Furtado said.
She's carved out a niche that's often overlooked — and she's relentless.
"The only thing I can think of to compare to is like a bulldog that gets something and just will not let it go," she said.
Before retirement, Furtado worked for the IRS, but she was managing people, not tech.
"So I just am all self-taught," she said.
She's not just fixing devices, she's building trust.
"Most seniors want to learn themselves," Furtado said. "They don't want to just hand it to you for you to fix."
And she gets it — tech moves fast.
"The trouble is, is that there's a big gap in knowledge and technology just moves so fast, that to keep up when you're 90 years old is difficult," Furtado said.
That's why Miranda Rizzi, senior program specialist at Riverdale Senior Center, nominated Furtado for AARP's highest honor — the Andrus Award.
"When she helps people, they don't feel insecure like she's going to think they're dumb. She's just so compassionate about the way she helps people," Rizzi said.
She's just so compassionate about the way she helps people.
–Miranda Rizzi, Riverdale Senior Center
Furtado never expected the recognition.
"Oh, my goodness. I was flabbergasted. I just keep thinking why?" Furtado said.
But this is her way of staying sharp and connected.
"So I'm learning at the same time, it's keeping me young and engaged," Furtado said. "As long as people need me to do it. As long as they still keep coming here to the center, then I'll keep doing it."
She's also the life of bingo night. Thanks to Furtado's energy, the Tuesday group has grown to more than 26 regulars.
