RUMFORD — The Oxford County Wellness Collaborative will hold meetings in September and October for residents to share what’s important to them in terms of health and wellness, Brendon Schauffler, a facilitator with the collaborative, said.

The meetings are scheduled for 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 9 and 23, and Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The September meetings will take place at the Praise Assembly of God Church in Rumford. The venue for Oct. 7 will be announced later.

A news release by the Healthy Oxford Hills group in Norway said the Oxford County Wellness Collaborative was formed “in response to publication of the 2010 County Health Rankings, which showed Oxford County as 16th out of 16 Maine counties in overall health.

“The vision of the (collaborative) is that Oxford County is the healthiest county in Maine and one of the most desirable in which to live, work and raise children,” the release said.

Schauffler said the gatherings would be “a series of structured conversations led by community members in certain regions” to discuss and share what’s important to them in health and wellness.

“We want to hear the people saying, ‘These are the priorities that matter to us,’ without any interference from outside organizations,” Schauffler said. “These gatherings will have a facilitator from Healthy Oxford Hills at the meetings, but the meeting will be entirely community-led.

“We’re hoping to build relationships with the community, along with a sense of trust, so we can work to dig up what matters to them most,” Schauffler added.

After meeting with different regions in Oxford County, including River Valley, Sacopee Valley and Oxford Hills, the collaborative will hold larger meetings for the entire county to discuss “one or two specific goals” for action, Schauffler said.

For more information, call Schauffler at 739-6662, or email him at [email protected].

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