WINTHROP — CARES Inc. has been awarded a grant that provides the opportunity to loan assistive technology equipment to people to make life easier at work, school and home.

Assistive technology can be things as simple as a walker or crutches or as complex as computers that type what a person says. The purpose of the loan program is to give people the opportunity to try out different technology free.

CARES Inc. offers its assistive technology to the people living in Androscoggin, Oxford, Franklin, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln and Waldo counties. Clients or their caregivers may call Kathy Despres at 1-800-773-7055 or e-mail her at [email protected] and tell her their needs.

Those wishing may check CARES on the web at www.caresinc.org. If it has the equipment, staff will arrange to have it shipped for 30 days, enclosing a return label to ship it back. This is a no-cost service, funded through a grant by the Department of Education, Maine CITE Program.