Age-Friendly Dexter
A Note from Roe O'Toole Whitesel
Roe O’Toole of the committee and Liz Breault from the Abbott Memorial Library help spread the word about Age-Friendly Dexter
The Dexter Age Friendly Committee has been in existence since May of 2017. It was formed by a group of people who wanted to make Dexter a place where our aging population could remain independent in their own homes with increased options for community support and socialization while removing barriers and challenges throughout the town.
Over the past 6 years the Dexter Age Friendly Committee has applied for and received over $22,000 in grants which have been used, in part, to fund:
A chairlift in the Town Office for easier access to the Human Resources Director
Benches throughout the town and improvements to Wayside Park
Pop-Up Universities on a wide variety of subjects
Meals for Seniors’ supplement program
Raised garden beds with soil and plants
Senior Tablet and Echo Dot program
Funded two part-time AmeriCorps members to develop the Tablet program and a volunteer transportation program
Furever Friends, a cat adoption program through Spirits Place in St. Albans
And the list goes on and on.
Cooking Class
We partnered with Snap Ed to provide a cooking class to residents. The class included hints and tips to shop, cook, and eat healthy. Fun, food, and sharing our food related adventures was enjoyed by all!
Tea Talk at Wayside Park
Tea Talks and Next Steps
We also host monthly Tea Talks for socialization, guest speakers and/or live music. We meet outside at Wayside Park in fair weather months and at Gatherings 4 Main Street during inclement weather.
As with most organizations and community groups, we suffered a decline in board members during COVID, but thanks to the efforts of a devoted group we have managed to continue our good work for Dexter residents.
We continue to seek new members and ideas to make Dexter an even better town to live and thrive in.