Nonprofit Spotlight: Age Friendly Windham

Windham is making significant strides in ensuring residents of all ages and abilities can thrive. The town’s Age-Friendly Windham (AFW) initiative, which began as a grassroots effort among community volunteers and town staff, has evolved into a fully established program dedicated to expanding services, fostering partnerships, and advocating for infrastructure improvements that enhance residents’ quality of life.

 

Volunteers pack emergency preparedness 'Go-Bags' last
month containing essential items for use during severe
storms to help residents respond confidently to crisis
situations. This initiative is part of an effort by Age
Friendly Windham to enhance residents' quality of life.
SUBMITTED PHOTO   

Enhancing Emergency Preparedness

Following severe storms in December 2023 and April 2024, Windham officials recognized the urgent need to improve emergency preparedness, particularly for older adults vulnerable to prolonged power outages. Through its participation in the Community Connections (CC) project, AFW has taken proactive steps to address these concerns.

Led by Age-Friendly Coordinator and Community Connector Erica Bell-Watkins, the initiative has successfully brought together key town departments—including Police, Fire, and Communications—to develop a more age-friendly and resource-conscious emergency response plan.

As part of this effort, AFW conducted a comprehensive emergency preparedness survey in late 2024, receiving over 150 responses from community members. The findings are shaping new strategies, including the distribution of 100 emergency preparedness “Go-Bags” this spring. These bags will contain essential items such as battery-operated radios with flashlights and chargers, blankets, batteries, first aid kits, water purification tablets, hand sanitizer, and secure document bags. Additionally, AFW has created an Emergency Preparedness Guide to help residents respond confidently in crisis situations.

Expanding Services and Strengthening Partnerships

Beyond emergency preparedness, Windham has leveraged the CC project to expand key community services, including:

● Increased Transportation Access: In 2024, Windham’s transportation service provided over 200 rides to 60 clients for medical appointments and social activities. AFW is now working to double ridership and ensure more residents can access reliable transportation.

● Bridging the Digital Divide: In partnership with the Windham Public Library and the National Digital Equity Center, AFW launched Techno Wednesdays, a series of digital literacy workshops covering cyber fraud prevention, telehealth navigation, email basics, and device assistance.

● Community Meals and Educational Programs: The Nourish Your Body and Mind series offers opportunities for residents to gather, learn, and connect. Past sessions have covered topics such as housing solutions, winter preparedness, and local resources, with support from organizations like the Southern Maine Agency on Aging, AARP, and Maine Housing.

Boosting Community Awareness and Future Growth

One of the biggest successes of the CC project has been expanding community awareness of AFW’s programs. Bell-Watkins has focused on outreach and collaboration, ensuring that residents are well-informed about available services. “Since launching the Community Connections pilot in September, I’ve been able to dedicate more time to outreach and building partnerships,” said Bell-Watkins. “As a result, more people know about AFW’s programs and resources, and that’s a huge step forward.”

Looking ahead, Windham is committed to securing long-term funding for these critical programs. A key milestone in this effort was Bell-Watkins’ appointment to the Ad Hoc Middle School Repurposing Committee, highlighting the town’s recognition of the importance of age-friendly services. Additionally, the Community Connect pilot will continue to financially support the position in partnership with the town, ensuring that Windham’s efforts to foster a more connected and resilient community will continue well into the future.

For more information about Age-Friendly Windham and upcoming initiatives, visit www.agefriendlywindham.org or contact Erica Bell-Watkins at 207-892-4649. <

Nonprofit Spotlight: Age Friendly Windham

Age-Friendly Windham (AFW) is dedicated to fostering an inclusive community where all generations interact meaningfully. This mission promotes shared activities, knowledge exchange, and social collaboration, ensuring everyone feels valued and connected.

To further this goal, AFW will host a Tea, Connections and Learning event from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7 at the Windham Town Hall Gym with their partners, Windham Public Library and Windham Raymond Adult Education (WRAE). This will be a kick-off event to introduce a variety of upcoming classes this spring.

"There will be something for everyone, education, exercise and hobbies,” AFW Community Coordinator, Erica Bell-Watkins said. “It is important to stay active during the long winters in Maine to maintain social connections.”

The Tea, Connections, and Learning discussion will include an introduction to Techno Wednesday learning sessions and are a result of a grant provided to Windham Public Library (WPL).

“The Libraries Transforming Communities grant from the American Library Association (ALA) provided $10,000 in funding to increase accessibility to library facilities, services, and programs to better serve people with disabilities,” WPL Director Jennifer Alvino-Wood said. “Our focus is on increasing digital literacy skills for community members who are unable to visit the library due to mobility challenges or other issues. We are grateful for the support from ALA to help us provide these important services to our community.”

Guest speakers at this kick-off event include Tom Meuser, Ph.D., Founding Director of the Center for Excellence in Aging and Health, and Jason Adout, Physical Therapist and President of Maine Strong Balance Center. They will discuss upcoming classes that will begin in late January 2025.

Classes that will be introduced at this event include the following:

Pathways for Life Review: Exploring Personal Narratives for Healing & Growth. Taught by Tom Meuser, participants will discover the developmental benefits of life review while exploring their own narratives and (optionally) sharing them with others. Course materials will be accessible via Google Classroom. Class will be held at WRAE in person, unless weather conditions necessitate a switch to Zoom. Classes will meet from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Mondays Jan. 27 to March 3. The cost of this class is $50.

AARP Smart Driver class taught by Andrew Grant is specifically designed for drivers aged 50 and older to brush up on their driving abilities and knowledge of traffic regulations in order to help lower accidents and traffic penalties. This two-session class will be provided from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday April 9 and Wednesday, April 16. The cost of this class $19.

Assisted Living: Finding the Right Fit For Your Family. Kaitlyn Cunningham Morse will lead this program, taking a practical in-depth look at what assisted living truly entails and what to consider when exploring this option for yourself or a loved one. Participants will gain valuable insights to recognize quality care, ask the right questions and make choices that align with each family’s unique needs and values. This class is offered from 6 to 7 pm. Wednesday, March 26. The cost of this class is $25.

Grief, Loss, and the Holidays: Getting through that first year after loss with all the “anniversaries” of time spent together. Winter doldrums set in and we’ve got a “recipe” for darkness and depression. This class will offer a compassionate and uplifting conversation with steps for helping you to process grief. Join us on Friday, Jan. 24 from 10 to 11:30 am. The cost of this class is $10.

Techno Wednesday sessions will cover subjects such as telehealth, cyber fraud, freezing your credit report, computer basics, social media, and much more. These classes will be held on Wednesdays with dates to be determined and are free.

Echo Dot smart speakers, smart plugs, and some tablets will be given out to attendees of these classes who are in need so that they may be used to turn lights on in their homes, know the weather, and be connected with contacts outside their homes.

“Technology such as this can assist community members stay safely in their homes and remain connected to family and the community at large,” Alvino-Wood said.

Representatives from the organizations will be in attendance to help sign people up and share more information. Register for the Jan. 7 event online at https://windham.coursestorm.com/course/techno-wednesday

If you need a ride to this kick-off learning event on Tuesday, Jan, 7, or to learn more and RSVP, please call Age Friendly Windham at 207-892-4649. <

Nonprofit Spotlight: Age-Friendly Windham

Age Friendly Windham supports Maine’s age-in-place legislation by offering an informational session.

As Maine’s population ages, more seniors are looking for ways to remain independent in their own homes. But with mobility and safety concerns increasing as we grow older, staying put isn’t always easy. In Windham, an innovative solution is on the horizon.

Age-Friendly Windham, a town-supported volunteer group that focuses on a multi-generational healthy community, will offer an informational session on Nesterly, a nationwide home-share program that the Maine State Legislature passed last spring.

This information session and Afternoon Tea will be held from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17 at the Town Hall Gym, 8 School Road in Windham. Senior Director of Government Relations & Communications Erik Jorgensen will lead the session.

Jorgensen explained that the Legislature passed a resolution, authored by Saco Rep. Maggie O’Neil, to provide a web-based home-share pilot program that would help to match older residents with compatible adults in need of affordable housing.

“Though this is not a government program, MaineHousing was asked to conduct a request for proposals and that led us to Nesterly, which is a social enterprise based on the West Coast. We are currently part way through this one-year pilot program,” he said.

Every potential host and guest goes through a comprehensive background check.

“The background check report includes a National Criminal Search, a Sex Offender Registry, and a Global Watch list Search. It also includes an Address History Search and Social Security Verification,” Jorgensen said.

In addition, hosts and guests must be interviewed by a member of Nesterly’s social worker-led team to better understand their particular goals for the home share before making any placements.

The Nesterly staff look at issues of compatibility, they confirm that potential guests have a job or another source of regular income, and they spend some time getting to know the guest and the guest’s needs.

“The host has absolute discretion over whom to rent to,” Jorgensen said. “The host sets the rent amount and house rules. In many cases, the host and the guest can agree to a certain amount of work around the household (shoveling snow, lawn mowing, cleaning, etc.) in exchange for a reduction in the rent. The hosts can then meet potential guests over the Nesterly platform – they don’t have to reveal any personal information or the location of their home until they are ready to do so. If a host does not feel like a potential guest is a good fit, the conversation ends there.”

The leasing process is handled through the Nesterly platform using standard documents based on the length of the anticipated stay. Nesterly home shares must last for a minimum of 30 days, so they are not considered “short-term rentals.”

The benefits of using the Nesterly program are many.

“If you put an ad in Uncle Henry’s or Facebook, you may get potential renters and you may find the perfect renter,” Jorgensen said. “However, Nesterly is free to use, though a $95 to $195 booking fee is deducted from the first month’s rent and 2.5 percent of the rent is deducted each month to help pay for the services.”

Jorgensen also said that hosts never have to ask for rent, as payments are deducted automatically from the guest’s bank account at the end of the month and transferred to the host, less a 2.5 percent service fee. Nesterly also provides extensive support.

“Every month during a home share, Nesterly staff reach out separately to both the host and the guest to check in and see how the home share is going,” Jorgensen said.

Nesterly puts a great deal of emphasis on compatibility and security before a home share begins. Nesterly’s rental agreements can be canceled for any reason by either the host or the guest with 30 days’ notice.

Nesterly has been successful in greater Boston and several metros outside of New England.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Nesterly could help you or someone you know to age in place, don’t miss the informational session hosted by Age-Friendly Windham on Sept. 17. It’s an opportunity to ask questions, enjoy tea, and explore the benefits of home sharing.

Window Dressers, a nonprofit organization that creates and installs insulating window inserts to help Maine residents save money on heating bills and Sebago Lakes Fuller Center for Housing, a local nonprofit that focuses on home repairs for aging adults and veterans in need so that people can stay in their homes safely, will also be at the event.

To register for the event, RSVP at WindhamRecreation.com, or contact Erica Bell-Watkins, Age-Friendly Windham Coordinator at eabellwatkins@windhammaine.us or call 207-892-4649. <