November 13, 2017
The meeting opened at 3pm by teleconference.
PRESENT: Brianna Tibbets, Cecily Cook, Carol Rancourt, Maryalice Crofton
DISCUSSION
1. Expertise we need on this TF
It was noted that the 4 recent Commission resignations (Rob, Ross, Mandela, Diane) were all members of this task force. There was a discussion about how to replace the creative skills they were adding to this group. One tactic is to recruit replacements with those skills or immediate access to them. For now, it also means this task force has only three members.
2. Work plan. Three of the key outreach activities have dates reserved. February 27, 2018 will be Maine National Service Day at the Capitol. All National Service programs will be in the Hall of Flags and the emphasis this year is the impact on beneficiaries of service.
Two of the three volunteer recognition programs have event dates. The individual awards presented by the First Lady will be in the Hall of Flags on April 23. That is the first day of National Volunteer Recognition Week. The Young Maine Roll of Honor recognition will be May 6 at Messalonskee Performing Arts Center in Oakland. The center is part of the high school.
The discussion then switched to the schedule of radio PSAs and centered mostly on the need to have better Senior Corps messaging for the outreach campaign. AmeriCorps recordings and messages were updated over the past two years.
It was determined that, to work on this, we need the perspective and language used by the programs. Each program director will be interviewed by phone before the next meeting by a member of this task force. The questions to be asked are
- How would you describe Senior Corps?
- What is the mission/purpose of your program?
- Why should people care about what you do? (what difference does it make)
- Where do you need volunteers? (geographic or type of service location)
- How would you describe your ideal volunteer?
Interview assignments:
Brianna -- Ruth Saint Amand (MaineGeneral RSVP, 861-3428, ruth.st.amand@mainegeneral.org) and Carol Rancourt (Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging RSVP, 396-6547; crancourt@smaaa.org)
David Burns – Judy Anderson (Aroostook RSVP, janderson@aroostookaging.org, 764-3396 x109 or
800-439-1789) and Maria Staples (Penquis Foster Grandparents, mstaples@penquis.org, 973-3611)
Carol – Paula Burnett, Director (UMaine Center on Aging RSVP paula.burnett@maine.edu , 207-262-7926) and Susan Lavigne (Opportunity Alliance Senior Companions, susan.lavigne@opportunityalliance.org, 773-0202)
Cecily -- Susan Lavigne (Opportunity Alliance Foster Grandparents, susan.lavigne@opportunityalliance.org, 773-0202) and Cindy Whitney, (UMaine Center on Aging Senior Companions, cynthia.whitney@maine.edu, 262-7926)
Maryalice will put the questions in the Hub as a doc so each person can keyboard the responses of the person they interview. Please send the interview results to Carol with a copy to Maryalice. Interviews need to be completed by December 8.
The meeting ended at 3:56 pm.