Age-Friendly Community Initiative

Contact: Nancy Davis (agefriendlybethel@gmail.com)

Joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities: 2015-09-15

Structure: Regional 501c3 volunteer board/committee 

Featured in Lifelong Maine News, June 2023

The Age-Friendly Community Initiative includes 6 AARP NAFSC NETWORK communities:

• Age-Friendly Bethel

• Age-Friendly Gilead

• Age-Friendly Greenwood

• Age-Friendly Hanover

• Age-Friendly Newry

• Age-Friendly Woodstock

Age-Friendly Community Initiative's Programs, Activities, and Accomplishments:

With many age-friendly projects and perspectives already offered in our small community, AFCI considers itself to be a connector, with a strong emphasis on collaborating with other non-profits. These are initiatives started and sustained with AFCI as the lead: 

Communication and Information

• Along with other print and digital resources, we publish a weekly column in our local newspaper, which includes information about local resources, as well as pertinent resources from national publications.

Housing

• With the local high school, we have a collaborative Handy Neighbor Program which provides simple household chores to people over 60.

• We hire a licensed Occupational Therapist to perform Home Safety Assessments.

• Adaptive tool kit allows people to learn about and try devices to make everyday life a little easier. 

Social Participation

We have an over-arching focus on diminishing social isolation in our community.  We partner with and support other organizations on activities that bring older adults together: 

• • with the Bethel Rec department, the very popular (and chatty) winter Walk the Gym program

  • with the local high school and others, Senior Citizen and community dinners

  • with the Local Food Connection, the monthly Soups On luncheon

Transportation (including promotion of active transportation)

• Our singular and signature program is the N2N (Neighbor to Neighbor) Rides program, which serves all 6 of our towns, transporting clients to a wide variety of commitments and activities within the region.

• Publication of the Safe Walking Bethel map.