We hope that everyone in the Rangeley Region is “social distancing” and practicing “self-quarantine” by staying at home as much as possible. These are the ways each of us can do our part to help Maine’s healthcare system from being overwhelmed by seri-ously ill Covid-19 patients.

We also know how it feels to begin feeling a bit alone and isolated after a few days of doing what each of us can to fight this fast-moving pandemic. RHW’s H.E.L.P. volun-teers want to truly help you with a friendly phone call or two…or perhaps even a call every day. These folks have considerable experience in this area of community service.

HOW TO GET ON THE CALL LIST:

Its easy! Simply make the first call to Joanne Dickson, Rangeley Health and Well-ness (RHW) at 670-5236. Leave your name and phone number and your interest in the new call program. Joanne will then connect you with H.E.L.P. volunteer co-ordinators of this new community service, Marcia Baker and Allen Wicken. You will get a call back that same day to hear more details about this newly-expanded “Neighbors Calling Neighbors” service (in response to the coronavirus crisis) and get you on the call list. Its as easy as that!

A bit of history about our H.E.L.P. programming:

A few years ago, a group of local residents (most of them senior citizens themselves) got together for some brainstorming about what could be done to assist local elderly residents to remain in their homes rather than in a facility. It is where most all of us would like to live if at all possible, correct? Nationally, this strategy is called “Living in Place”. The local group decided to call their services “Helping Elders Live in Place”, or H.E.L.P.

Under the leadership of Rangeley Health and Wellness, the very successful H.E.L.P. programs have been the Winter Senior Social, Adult Respite Care, the Senior Expo, and the Neighbors Calling Neighbors program. It is an expansion of this latter program that we are talking about here …. except that it is being expanded to be a service for all interested Rangeley Region residents. RHW is calling this new program for the times: H.E.L.P. (Helping EVERYONE Live in Place).