Berwick for a Lifetime
Contacts: Terri Wright (tarrytyme@gmail.com) & Roz Edelberg (Imrozzy@yahoo.com)
Joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities: 2016-05-02
Structure: Support from Berwick Public Library, all-volunteer committee
Highlight of 2023: I am very proud of our little group for seeking out grants, and securing awards for $17,502.91 this year alone. This allows up to carry out some significant programs that will help improve the lives of older Berwick residents, and their care givers.
Berwick for a Lifetime, Business Cards
Let's Walk Berwick Video
Berwick for a Lifetime, Year End Review of Accomplishments, 2023
Berwick for a Lifetime's Initiatives and Accomplishments:
Civic Participation and Employment
BFAL had a table at town hall on voting day.
Communication and Information
Senior focuses Informational programming/community partnerships set up - Medicare Informational Program, Casco Bay Associates; Scam Alert, Edward Jones; Senior Housing: What's the Best Fit, Assisted Living Locators; Medicaid - Are you Ready for Long Term Care, Silver Lining Solutions?
Community Supports and Health Services
Food Commodity Box Delivery - Started Jan 12, 2023. Berwick for a Lifetime set up a delivery service to go up to the Sanford distribution site and pick up and deliver them to everyone on the list of people who registered.
Housing
Sand Bucket Brigade - BFAL partnered with Home Depot to get buckets and HD donated 20 to get us started! With the list of people who signed up on voting day to receive sand delivered to their homes, volunteers then filled the buckets at the highway department and delivered all 20 to residents in Berwick. One was even refilled!
Respect and Social Inclusion
The Berwick for a Lifetime Meet and Bleat! BFAL needed a program that really grabbed the attention of the community as a real attention-getter. Well, what better way to get the attention of people of all ages, than GOATS! So we invited the owner of a local goat farm if he wouldn't mind bringing a few of his friendly goats to greet our patrons! He was delighted and on November 19th we held our momentous "look at us" program at the Berwick Public Library, to promote the multi-generational, fun, programming BFAL wants to bring to the community! It worked, and more than 250 people came through the doors of the library that day. We achieved our goal of creating more visibility for the group, passed out our flyers and spoke with a lot of happy people and brought a fun filled program to Berwick!
Social Participation
Lunch and Learns - Partnering with the Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, BFAL hosted a series of three health and wellness events at the Berwick Public Library. On December 7 we offered The Importance of Fiber and Hydration; Jan 11, Balance and Fall Prevention; March 29th was Pain with Aging. Each of these informational sessions were presented by medical professionals in their field of expertise and followed up with a boxed lunch from a local sandwich shop. These programs were a great success!
Berwick Walkers - Beginning May 1st, Berwick for a Lifetime started sponsoring a Monday morning walking group! We call ourselves the Berwick Walkers and we get exercise, socialization, and the enjoyment of being outside and in nature! Snacks, water, and friendship are all enjoyed!
For a bit of Inspiration....
Berwick for a Lifetime has frequntly been featured in the media and in videos to increase community awareness: