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In early 2022 it was brought to the attention of the Lions Club of Stratton/Eustis that there may be unmet needs of older citizens. To know if that was true, in October 2022 the Club convened a forum of 32 people (local, regional, and statewide) who stepped methodically through the process of identifying and prioritizing needs, acknowledging what is currently working well, creating the ideal future, and then creating a common future. Through that process the participants were able to identify two outcomes that are most pressing and important: Transportation and Access to Resources.
Contact: Peter Smith (psmth1971@gmail.com)
Structure: All-volunteer
Eustis-Stratton's Initiatives and Accomplishments:
Communication and Information
There is a plethora of resources available and the community has identified a number of needs. Everything from a range of health care needs to heating and food assistance to local chores. Many of these needs are filled by local family, friends, and neighbors. It is unknown how effectively this patchwork of help is serving the community and how ‘stressed’ this ‘system’ is.
We are continuing to explore how to best solve what we believe is one of the core needs for local residents, which is to help citizens find the resources and solutions they need from the universe of what is available. We believe the solution needs to be something that actually works, is trusted within the community, is ‘affordable’, and sustainable. Currently, the Town of Eustis is working with provider organizations outside of the local community, like Seniors Plus and the Healthy Community Coalition, to provide physical space in our community building to provide services for residents. These services and availability would be on a predetermined schedule.
We are also exploring the idea of a ‘resource navigator or coordinator’ role for the local or regional community. Among the responsibilities for this role include clear knowledge of the range of services available and how to access them. This role could additionally serve as a coordinator for a community volunteer transportation system, should this be created.
Transportation
We are studying programs from other towns and connecting with local and regional programs/towns/businesses to determine if we can create partnerships as well as learn from others as to what is working well and where challenges lie.
Challenges to Community Engagement
We are continuing to grapple with how to market/communicate what resources are currently available and also engage and involve the community so that needs/wants are understood so that the correct services and programs are made available.
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