‘Age-Friendly Community – that’s just for old people, right?
No!
Our mission statement says that we “explore ways to make the community more supportive of healthy aging, enabling residents to stay in their own homes and communities as they age.’
That means that we want to help those who are facing challenges because of age – but also those who plan to get older (that’s all of us!) and those who don’t want to be forced out of their homes or this community because there aren’t enough services and opportunities with the Bethel Region. We consider our organization to be helping the whole community, not just older people.
The Age-Friendly Community Initiative provides or partners with several services or projects in the Bethel Area. All services are free. They include the Neighbor to Neighbor Rides program (offering free rides to locations or appointments within a half-hour drive), the winter Walking Program at the Gould Academy Field House, and the Handy Neighbor Program, which in collaboration with Telstar, the NorthStar program, and Bryant Pond 4-H Camp, does home projects for area seniors.
N2N Rides needs volunteer drivers and people to join our crew of call coordinators. The latter involves responding to our phone-answering machine requests for service, employing minimal computer skills.
The Walking Program recently started up again at Gould. Join us for a fun fitness walk on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 2 p.m. (The program was suspended briefly last week but has resumed.)
In October, the Handy Neighbor Program had two very successful work days, with students stacking wood, raking leaves, and performing other tasks at area homes. The teens benefit by earning credit toward their community service graduation requirements.
To request an N2N ride or other service call 207-824-4444.
Want to help set the groundwork for your future years? Have some specific ideas? We’d love to have you share them with us. For information, inquiries, and suggestions, email agefriendlybethel@gmail.com or visit our Facebook page or website, www.agefriendlybethel.org.
Happy New Year!
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