AUGUSTA – The Department of Health and Human Services announces that it has been awarded a grant by the federal Office of Refugee Resettlement to improve services for elder refugees. The grant will expand capacity to serve older refugees and their families and connect the state’s refugee programs to the systems of services to the elderly.

“We want to make sure that our new Mainers are provided the support they need to become contributing members of our community,” said HHS Commissioner John R. Nicholas. “That is especially true of our elder adults, which is why a grant such as this is so important.”

The department will use the grant to develop partnerships among refugee service agencies and agencies that provide services to the elderly and to identify the needs of older refugees. The grant will also fund efforts to design and implement plans for linguistically and culturally sensitive outreach and services to older refugees.

The department’s Community Services Center administers the Federal Refugee Resettlement Program in Maine and will oversee the $65,000 grant. David Stauffer, the center’s acting director, said the amount of the award is not nearly as significant as the award itself.

“Although the grant is small,” Stauffer said, “we believe this is an excellent opportunity to improve capacity in Portland and Lewiston to better serve elder refugees and their families.”

One of the reasons given by federal officials in awarding the grant to Maine was the hope that the project could serve as a model for other rural states experiencing a rapid influx of refugees. Like Maine, many of the states are facing the challenge of an aging population and are seeking to bring agencies together to provide appropriate services to meet the needs of their changing elder populations.

The department will receive assistance in administering the grant from Catholic Charities of Maine, which directs many of the state’s assistance programs for refugees.

For more information, people can call 871-7437. For more information about elder services, contact the Area Agencies on Aging, toll free from anywhere in Maine at (877) 353-3771 ((877) ELDERS1).