Aging Well in Waldo County
(all communities in waldo county)

WHEN DID YOU ORGANIZE AS A REGIONAL APPROACH?

From the beginning. 

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO TAKE A REGIONAL APPROACH?

In early meetings, those in attendance decided our county with 10 towns of less than 1000 people, that those small communities had little capacity to organize themselves and so a regional approach was more equitable. 

HOW MANY MUNICIPALITIES ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR REGIONAL APPROACH? 

26

PLEASE DESCRIBE YOUR REGION

Waldo County has a few more affluent coastal towns and many more that are very rural, agricultural, and conservative politically. The coastal county seat is liberal and paints itself as supporting the arts in a big way. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE ORGANIZATION OF YOUR REGIONAL APPROACH?

All volunteer. We are struggling to maintain our services after the loss of volunteers during the pandemic.

IS EACH OF YOUR MEMBER MUNICIPALITIES AN INDEPENDENTLY ENROLLED MEMBER OF THE AARP NETWORK OF AGE-FRIENDLY STATES AND COMMUNITIES?

No, only the county seat and one other town. We had made efforts that have not been successful to date.

PLEASE DESCRIBE ANY KIND OF FISCAL RELATIONSHIP/CONTRACT

There is no fiscal relationship. 

WHAT HAVE YOU FOUND TO BE THE BENEFITS AND DOWNFALLS OF THE REGIONAL APPROACH?

A county like ours is an abyss of needs. We will never do more than make a small dent. We have learned this county is underfunded, and underserved, as compared to adjacent counties..

WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER PEOPLE CONSIDERING A REGIONAL APPROACH?

Find paid help. It’s really too big to have many problems solved by volunteers.