Community Connector Spotlight:
Bethel Area AFCI
Melinda remington

Bethel serves as a central hub for nearby towns like Gilead, Greenwood, Hanover, Newry, and Woodstock, offering essential services such as pharmacies, healthcare, and shopping. AFCI has been working since 2015 to support a shared community goal - to create a community where people can remain active and involved in their homes and communities as they age.

Strengthening the Community Through Key Programs

AFCI has developed several impactful programs that provide practical support while fostering a sense of community.

Neighbor2Neighbor (N2N) Ride Share
This free service relies on volunteer drivers who take people to medical appointments, grocery stores, hair salons, and social gatherings. Through the CC pilot, Melinda is actively seeking volunteers to grow the program. 

“You never know where you’ll find a volunteer,” she says. “Fur Night with the older ladies in Bethel resulted in recruiting a new driver!”

Winter Walk the Gym
Staying active in winter can be challenging, but AFCI’s Walk the Gym program offers a safe and welcoming space for movement and partnering with N2N they can provide a ride to folks who need it. The program, a collaboration with Gould Academy, is hosted in their Fieldhouse, providing an inclusive environment for all mobility levels. It was recently highlighted in a WMTW news spot showcasing its physical and social benefits. Watch here.

Handy Neighbor Program
Twice a year, the community comes together for this intergenerational initiative. High school students and adult volunteers assist older residents with yard work and household chores with the goal of strengthening community bonds while helping people maintain their homes. Over 100 students and a dozen adult volunteers have completed needed chores for the older people in local towns. At the end of the day, everyone looks tired, dirty and proud as they hungrily devour pizza, chips, and soda provided by AFCI!

“We are delighted to see a wider range of people asking for assistance," and Melinda says, "for students, the spirit of sharing and caring comes alive when they realize the positive impact their contribution makes for their elder neighbors. These tangible improvements help everyone, young and old, to feel better about their own neighborhoods while making the towns more cohesive throughout the region."

Building Connections and Looking Ahead

Melinda’s outreach approach leverages natural synergies between community groups

 “I attend and work on a wide variety of activities and much of what these other organizations do intersects with the goals of our AFCI,” she explains. 

By attending local events like the Bethel Senior Citizens Club, ‘Soups On’ lunch program, and ‘Morning of Games,’ she has built valuable relationships that spread awareness of AFCI’s mission, and inspired people to take a lead to start something in their own towns. For example, a Bryant Pond resident who Melinda met through a charitable sewing group has begun a Games Group at her local library.  

“I am so impressed with the passion our members have for our community and for those in need,” says Julie Hart, recently appointed AFCI Board President. “Through her CC role, Melinda has made a tremendous difference in the number of people we have served and the general awareness of AFCI programs in particular. The board is focused and is working hard to meet the goals and objectives of all of our programs.”  

By continuing to adapt to the needs of the aging population, Bethel and its neighboring towns are setting a strong example of what it means to be an age-friendly region.