Primary Contact: Mary Hadlock
136 US Route 1, Scarborough, ME 04074
phone: 207-396-6509
fax: 207-883-8249
email: mhadlock@smaaa.org
website: http://www.smaaa.org/
The many programs and services of the Southern Maine Agency on Aging are supported by a corps of 608 volunteers who provide more than 38,480 hours of their time and expertise each year. This is the equivalent of 18 full-time staff positions.
Volunteers enable SMAA to offer a high level of service and help further collaborative efforts with organizations throughout Southern Maine. SMAA has been nationally recognized for training high-level volunteers to help provide services such as: organizing and delivering meals to homebound adults through the Meals on Wheels program; visiting isolated veterans through the Vet to Vet Maine friendly visitor program; counseling Medicare recipients on their insurance options; staffing the yearly Maine Senior Games athletic events; serving as coaches of evidence-based classes for fall prevention; and helping older adults manage their finances through the Money Minders Program.
With Maine VGF funding SMAA is growing their volunteer pool by at least 225 to support their programs that fall under the focus area of Aging in Place. More than 170 of these new volunteers are being trained and matched with volunteer opportunities that help promote aging in place throughout southern Maine communities. SMAA's many programs are designed and executed with the goal of helping older adults live at home, longer. As community-based services become more crucial to Maine seniors aging in place, so too does the increase in volunteers to help implement and support these programs. This initiative will promote volunteer-led services, help SMAA focus its volunteer engagement on the real need of the communities, and increase the organization's capacity to provide supports and services that help seniors age in place.