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Community Connector Spotlight:
The Community Connector Pilot is part of the Community Connections project, a signature initiative of the Governor's Cabinet on Aging, partnering with the University of Maine Center on Aging, Lifelong Maine's Age-Friendly Communities, and Maine's Area Agencies on Aging.
The goal of the Community Connector Pilots is to expand resource connections and increase the capacity of age-friendly communities to connect residents to the services and programs they need to thrive. Each of the 12 pilot projects built on the strengths and needs in their community so each is a little different.
Each month, the Lifelong Maine news will highlight one of the 14 Community Connectors working in the 12 Community Connector pilot sites. To learn more about all of the pilots, visit Community Connector Pilot Sites. This month, we shine a light on Dee Saucier, Danforth Livable Communities Community Connector.
Danforth Livable Communities (DLC), offers a variety of age-friendly programs and services to help people thrive in one of the most rural corners of Maine. A town of just under 600 people, Danforth sits on the border of Washington, Aroostook, and Penobscot counties, and serves as a hub for neighboring communities.
A Focus on Relationships and Resources
As a Community Connections pilot site, DLC’s Connector Dee Saucier, is focused on building relationships with older adults, identifying needs, and pairing people with a wide range of resources including: financial, wellness, housing, medical, transportation, safety, food insecurity, and social. Site Supervisor, and Town Manager, Ardis Brown explains “The goal is to not only help people find what they need to thrive but to make it more comfortable to accept help or to participate in social opportunities. The work is community driven with a focus on the priorities of our age-friendly plan.”
DLC operates out of a repurposed and revitalized local church where the community gathers for meals and social programs. Dee has office hours, as well, as a way to work with community members on individual needs. The site also serves as one of Aroostook Area Agency on Aging’s Access Point locations where people can attend programming remotely. “Their educational video events have been extremely helpful to the people who have attended and who are dealing with dementia as caregivers to their loved ones,” Dee shares.
An exciting addition this winter has been an indoor walking program. Collaborating with the town hall to offer a large indoor space, they’ve introduced 2 movement programs: Open Walk offered two times a week is a self-directed session, and Walk Fit a 30-minute low-impact guided exercise program which is also streamed live on YouTube. The programs are already getting a positive response - walkers have requested music, and tables with puzzles allow an engaging spot for a break and to chat with others.
Community outreach has been an important way for Dee to build connections - getting out to help deliver sand buckets this winter offered her a chance to meet people face to face and share information about upcoming programs. Through her outreach and engagement, Dee has also expanded the Danforth Volunteer Driver Program, which provides rides as needed for medical appointments and other needs.
A Resource Can Change a Life
In her Community Connector role, Dee has seen first hand how information and resources can change lives. After attending a training for caregivers, a woman talked more with Dee about her challenges caring for her husband. Dee connected her with the Aroostook Area Agency on Aging memory center, and also shared Pathways for Well-Being with Dementia, a manual that provides essential information about living with dementia developed by people living with dementia, care partners, and leading dementia specialists. This community member shared after she and her husband looked through the manual “it was like an awakening for both of us! Everytime I come in it’s like a lifesaver. I didn’t know what to do, but now I have all these tools to help him and myself.”
Danforth Livable Communities Team: Tara Mozdziez, Ardis Brown, Dee Saucier, Mary MacDonald
The weekly Walk Fit program at the Town Hall is streamed via YouTube.
What’s Next
Dee and Ardis are already looking ahead to the spring months, when they hope to see an increase in people coming out to programs as the weather improves. And based on some feedback they’ve received, they are also thinking about how they can better connect with folks in the 50-64 age range who are still working. With a strong commitment to connection and community, DLC continues to evolve, ensuring that Danforth remains a place where people of all ages can access the support, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive.
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