News from AARP Maine

Greetings to all of you!

 With summer in full swing, some of us are planning to travel a bit and for me, this includes visiting several age-friendly communities over the next few months. I look forward to seeing many of you and learning more about the wonderful initiatives underway to advance age-friendly projects in Maine communities! This is also a good time to mention that quite soon we will open the nomination period for our annual “Community Beacon” award which celebrates a collaborative, engaging, action-oriented community that focuses on helping older adults live, and thrive, in place. Last year, we celebrated Age-Friendly Sullivan. Which community will it be in 2024? It’s never too early to start pondering! Stay tuned for the nomination period announcement.

Last month, AARP Maine Volunteer State President, André Chassé, and I spent a week in Washington, D.C. participating in an AARP Leadership Summit at the National Office. Part of the summit included a Lobby Day enabling André and I to meet Maine’s Members of Congress and/or their staff to talk about various issues that matter to older adults. We were able to highlight the great work of Age-Friendly Communities at each meeting with specific examples from both of Maine’s congressional districts. We also made sure congressional leaders were aware of the 14 Community Challenge grantees and their quick-action projects for 2024!

 I wanted to invite you to two opportunities that are coming right up. First of all, we invite you to participate in an upcoming training session: Voters 50+ Our Voices Decide: Volunteer Voter Engagement Training 2024. This training will be on Tuesday July 23, 2024, from 9:00AM to 2:30PM at the William S. Cohen Community Center in Hallowell.  At this event, current and new volunteers will be trained on AARP’s 2024 Voter Engagement plan and how they can work together in their communities to: 

• • Educate Mainers on how they can vote in the 2024 election 

  • Engage those seeking elected office on key issues for Mainers 50+ such as supporting family caregivers and protecting Social Security  

Lunch will be provided and parking is available on site. Please note that registration is required for this event. Please click here to get started. 

Secondly, to celebrate Social Security turning 89 this year, come and meet AARP Maine at one of our Get the Scoop on Social Security events this summer. At these events being held in Auburn (July 25th), Bangor (July 30th) and Portland (August 15th), you can get the latest information on Social Security and enjoy a free ice cream cone. Once again, registration is required and you can get all the information you need here.

Warmest wishes to you for a happy and healthy summer!