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. <

Business Spotlight: Play Warriors, Inc.

Coping with grief, stress, hospitalizations and serious illnesses can be overwhelming for adults but even more complex for children trying to cope with obstacles in life. Play Warriors, Inc. in Windham helps transform those experiences into supportive, calming and nurturing situations by providing age-appropriate preparation, therapeutic play interventions, and coping strategies with opportunities for self-expression and connection.

Located at 840 Roosevelt Trail, second floor in Windham, Play Warriors was launched in Bridgton in 2019 and relocated to Windham in July. Owned and operated by Kimberly Leighton, MS, CCLS, Play Warriors offers child life therapy, therapeutic play groups and outings, peer support groups, no-cost integrative therapies, legacy items, and monthly CPR/first aid classes.

Kimberly Leighton, left, owns and operates Play Warriors in
Windham, which helps children cope with grief, stress,
hospitalizations and serious illnesses by providing therapeutic
play interventions, coping strategies and many other services. 
SUBMITTED PHOTO  

Child life specialists assess a child’s level of understanding and address any misconceptions, with regard to what they are going through or are about to experience. Leighton states that play is a non-threatening and universal language for children and serves as a tool for building and forging relationships with them, sharing information, and providing opportunities for learning. “When children can begin to understand what is happening to them, it’s less scary.” She works with kids as young as two and into their tween years.

Leighton says she may be the only child life specialist in private practice in Maine. “I opened this business to bring child life therapy to rural Maine to help at-risk families and educate the public about the role of child life in community settings. “I really want to expand child life services in Maine. This summer I had the privilege to supervise four college students from outside the state. In the coming years, I hope to help Maine college students find this rewarding career as I did at the University of Maine Farmington (UMF) 20 years ago.”

"I hold a master’s degree in child life therapy, and an undergraduate degree in early childhood education. Over the past 20 years, my professional journey has been dedicated to serving Maine families,” Leighton said. “I have gained diverse experience, including owning and operating two large childcare centers in Gorham and Portland, teaching pre-K through Grade 3, and working for non-profit organizations supporting vulnerable families. Five years ago, I ventured into private practice to support a determined mom help her daughter's home infusions. McKenzie Barker became the very first play warrior and is now the mascot for the company, appearing in ads and on t-shirts in her Play Warriors superhero costume and pink glasses. Kimberly worked with McKenzie to publish her very own book, “I Am a Pompe Warrior” about her life with Infantile Pompe Disease, soon to be available on Amazon.

Leighton said the best thing about her job are the families that she works with. “I’m passionate about what I do and believe in helping people and taking the time to listen. Watching them get back on their feet brings tremendous joy to my life as well.” Leighton said.

She said that her late husband, Dr. Peter Leighton, a local addiction medicine physician, encouraged her to open Play Warriors. “He was my biggest supporter. A year after opening the business and right at the onset of the Covid pandemic, his brain cancer returned and he passed away only one year later,” Leighton said. “During this time, our community supported our children in so many ways. It is my hope to give back to others what we have received.

Now, three years later, Kimberly is inspired to help widows with widow coaching, and she is a newly certified grief yoga teacher. When Kim isn’t at Play Warriors, she works part-time as a child life specialist at the MaineHealth Bleeding Disorders clinic and owns and operates a short-term rental company, Boho Ridge, Inc. “I like to stay busy. That is a coping skill that I’m working on!”

Pricing for Play Warriors is similar to that of counselors and other practitioners with a master’s degree. Some services are reimbursable for children in foster care placement, and free for children in treatment for cancer and their siblings with help from a partnering non-profit, Lucy’s Love Bus, Kimberly hopes to transition Play Warriors into a non-profit organization within the next few years. “I would love all of the services to be free for all families.” Play Warriors is hoping that as the word gets out about the new location, other practitioners and volunteers join them in providing more pediatric therapeutic services, integrative offerings, classes, workshops, meal trains and more.

Testimonials posted on the Play Warriors website are exceptional. For more details, call 207-387-7366 or visit www.playwarriorsinc.com. Find them on Facebook and Instagram. <