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When creating a community you have to get your other community members to back you up. Police stations, libraries, and politicians can be great tools to help start up your Age Friendly Community. Start small with community engagement and work your way up once you get your footing.
- Betsy Martin & Mona Grandbois
One of the first steps taken by the Age-Friendly Biddeford leadership team was to meet with current mayor Marty Grohman. Under his leadership, the city has provided generous financial support for Age-Friendly Biddeford.
Betsy Martin and Mona Grandbois are the heart of what Age Friendly Biddeford hopes to accomplish. Both Mona and Betsy are inspired by the current needs of their community, and they want to be a part of building the resources that the community needs now and they might need in the future. In 2018 Biddeford was identified as an Age Friendly Community by AARP. Unfortunately, it disbanded in 2021 due to the pandemic. In July of 2023 the revitalization of Age Friendly Biddeford began when a small group, including Besty and Mona, met with Mayor Casavant in hopes that their goals of rejuvenating the program would be reciprocated.
Mayor Casavant and partnerships including McArthur library, Heart of Biddeford, and Age-Friendly Saco played a major role in helping Age Friendly Biddeford get on their feet. They worked to identify major concerns in their community and collectively decided that transportation would be their focus moving forward.
Age Friendly Biddeford Transportation started in December of 2023 with only four volunteer drivers and Mona as their coordinator. In less than a year they’ve grown to seven drivers and 63 riders. These drivers have completed 341 rides over the past year covering 4,148 miles. The volunteers have put in 478 hours of their time, bringing a value of $15,809.54 to the city in transportation services. As the program grows more rides can be provided. Through her Transportation Coordinator role, Mona sees the need for a more coordinated statewide transportation effort across age-friendly volunteer ride programs to help people access services, like trips to specialist medical appointments, outside their local community.
Volunteer Transportation Data
Events, Services, and Partners
Events, Services, and Partners
In addition to transportation, Age Friendly Biddeford has brought other programs to the community. Sand buckets are supplied to Biddeford residents in the winter months. Sand buckets are available for delivery to those 65+ in the Biddeford area. Tech workshops have been offered at the McArthur Library. Some of the topics included, Using Facebook Securely, Learning About Devices, Understanding the Internet and Online Games. The site also hosts a weekly coffee hour providing an opportunity for open conversation. This event is not structured and allows people to gather and chat with other community members. Light refreshments are also provided.
Age Friendly Biddeford would not be afloat without their amazing sponsors. McArthur Library has provided a safe space for coffee Thursdays as well as tech support, and help with both the Age Friendly website and Facebook page. Another amazing collaborator for the community has been Heart of Biddeford, which acts as the fiscal sponosr for Age-Friendly Biddeford.
ACTION PLAN
ACTION PLAN
The original action plan included the eight domains of livability as defined by AARP: Outdoor Spaces and Buildings, Transportation, Housing, Social Participation, Respect and Social Inclusion, Civic Participation and Employment, Communication and Information, and Community Health and Services. Wanita Page, a member of the AFB Committee, is spearheading the rejuvenation of the action plan with input from various committee members. Mona and Besty are excited about rejuvenating this action plan and making sure it continues to reflect the needs of Biddeford residents. Their passion has pushed Age Friendly Biddeford in such a positive direction. There's so much opportunity and need for ongoing age-friendly action in Biddeford. Mona shares, “in a perfect world - every older person would have an advocate - people often feel like they have no agency”. In the future they would love to incorporate a handyman program, winter accessibility and expanding transportation services. Without the passion of leaders like Mona and Betsy action would not happen in our Age Friendly Communities.
ADVICE
ADVICE
Betsy and Mona acknowledge that creating an Age Friendly community is not always easy, and encourage others getting involved in age-friendly leadership to plan to invest serious effort in the project. But they also find the work so rewarding and understand personally the variety of services that are needed to age well in their community. They both show so much energy and passion for the value of age-friendly, Betsy shares the rewards the work brings to her life: “I want to keep moving. I’ve met some amazing people and made new friends”.
For more Information:
For more Information:
Age-Friendly Biddeford
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agefriendlybiddeford
- https://agefriendlybiddeford.org/events/
Age-Friendly Biddeford Transportation Program
- Transportation.afb@gmail.com
- 207-391-9512
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