ENCorps eNews- Sept/Oct 2019

"Let Us Forget Not to Be Kind" -Mary Stewart, from The Collect

This month, we are highlighting the work of Lifelong Communities Fellow, Candy Eaton. Candy grew up in Massachusetts. She moved to Maine with her husband in 1978, after enjoying previous summers on Mount Desert Island. Candy, a retired social worker, has spent nearly 40 years working in a variety of health care and social service organizations. 
 
While living in Sullivan, Candy regularly attended the town’s select board meetings, which are run by her husband Rob, Sullivan’s town manager. While living in Florida for a short time, Candy observed the numerous services available to older adults in the state and how that contrasted with the lack of services in Maine. This led her to looking into how to bring age friendly services to Sullivan. Using the World Health Organization’s Age Friendly Framework as a guide, she started Age Friendly Sullivan in January 2018 with the help of other community members who strongly supported the initiative.
 
As the program coordinator for Age Friendly Sullivan, she has partnered with local agencies, such as Eastern Area on Aging and Friends in Action, a transportation service program in Ellsworth. Candy has assisted with implementing several successful projects in Sullivan, including a community garden, meal home delivery program, and a creating a town/regional resource guide.
 
Earlier this summer, Candy was invited to become the Lifelong Communities Fellow for Surry and their age-friendly initiative called Neighbors Helping Neighbors. The Lifelong Communities Fellows (LCF) program was developed as a partnership between the University of Maine Center on Aging’s Encore Leadership Corps and Maine Community Foundation, with the guidance and expertise from AARP and the Tri-State Learning Collaborative on Aging. As an LC Fellow, Candy has lent her knowledge and guidance to Surry’s efforts recently assisting them in completing their first survey of community members. The results of the survey will be soon shared at an open house event.

In her free time, Candy enjoys cross-country skiing, reading, kayaking, and spending time with her husband at their island camp.

Thank you for all your hard work and dedication, Candy! We look forward to seeing more about the great projects you have been working on!

For more information:

Age Friendly Sullivan: https://sullivanmaine.org/age-friendly-sullivan
Neighbors Helping Neighbors (Surry): https://surry.govoffice.com/


If you would like your work to be featured in this newsletter, please contact Carli Hutchison at carli.hutchison@maine.edu.

Volunteer Tai Chi Instructor (Dover/Foxcroft)
UMaine Center on Aging RSVP

The UMaine Center on Aging Senior Corps RSVP is looking for a volunteer Tai Chi instructor in the Dover/Foxcroft area. The Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention program is a free class offered to participants twice a week for a minimum of 8 weeks. This program is an evidence-based exercise regimen from the Tai Chi for Health Institute that is designed to increase the health and comfort of those living with arthritis and to improve one's balance to protect against falls and fractures. Must be 55+ to apply. Training will be held in spring 2020. All the training you need to become an instructor will be provided.
 
For more information, please contact Paula Burnett at 207.262.7926 or at paula.burnett@maine.edu

Senior Companion Volunteer (10 Maine Counties: Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Hancock, Washington, Waldo, Franklin, Oxford, Kennebec, Androscoggin)
When: Ongoing
Provide Companionship or Respite

The UMaine Center on Aging Senior Companion Program is a volunteer program for adults 55 and older who are interested in helping homebound or isolated adults maximize, maintain or regain their independence. Senior Companions serve 10 or more hours per week providing friendly visits and help with everyday activities. Volunteers participate in preservice orientation and monthly trainings. Income-eligible volunteers receive a tax-free hourly stipend and mileage reimbursement to and from the volunteer site. If you are age 55 years or older and interested in helping area seniors maintain their independence and age in place, contact us today at: Don Lynch at 207.262.7927 or via email at:  donald.r.lynch@maine.edu or visit our website at: https://mainecenteronaging.umaine.edu/service/senior-companion-program/


Volunteer Ombudsman Representative (Scarborough)
When: Ongoing
Southern Maine Agency on Aging

Southern Maine Agency on Aging is looking for volunteers who will visit residents in their assigned long-term care home weekly or biweekly; educate residents and staff about resident rights; listen to resident concerns and with resident permission, follow up on the concerns with facility contact person; report observations about the condition of the home and the condition of the residents on their visit report immediately after the visit and submit to Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP); if interested, make quarterly monitoring visits to other long-term homes to assist LTCOP to meet the mandate of visiting all 355 long term care homes in the State of Maine.

For more information: http://volunteer.unitedwaygp.org/need/detail/?need_id=412636

Or contact Judie O'Malley, Coordinator of Volunteer Services at 207-396-6595 or at volunteer@smaaa.org

Museum Volunteer (Bethel)
When: Ongoing
Maine Mineral & Gem Museum

The Maine Mineral & Gem Museum (MMGM) is looking for volunteers to help interpret the galleries and guide tours. You don't need to be an expert (though experts are welcome!), just someone with an inquiring mind who likes to share information. Volunteers are also needed for the information desk in the Discovery Gallery. By committing eight or more hours a month, you can join the extended MMGM community and take advantage of exclusive training in mineralogy, geology, meteoritics, and museum practices. 

For more information: http://uwoxfordcounty.galaxydigital.com/agency/detail/?agency_id=86790

Or contact Director of Advancement, Jessica Siraco at 207-824-3036 or at jsiraco@mainemineralmuseum.org

Do you know of a volunteer opportunity that you would like to circulate to your fellow ENCorps members? If so, e-mail the volunteer opportunity including a description of the volunteer job and a point of contact to info@encoreleaders.org and we will get it into the next newsletter.