“Am I too young?” (said nobody ever) Too young to start working to make our community better for people in their 70’s, 80’s and 90’s? Never! Many of us, of course, are already there, but if you’re not … first, with luck, you may still be in the community at those ages and be thankful that there are many tangibles that demonstrate how our community values its elders. Second, what’s good for older adults is probably good for all ages. Think “livable community,” which doesn’t designate an age range. Third, you may have older friends or loved ones who already live here or may in the future.

So are you “too young” to work with the Age-Friendly Community Initiative? Decidedly not! We welcome community members of all ages to help us. In its 6-year history, AFCI has worked hard “to explore ways to make the community more supportive of healthy aging and to enable people to stay in their own homes and communities as they age.” We keep in tune with research, and share ideas with other communities in our state and around the nation that have similar goals. Contact us (information below) if you’d like to help.

The Livable Community assures that people are not denied a productive and happy life due to lack of transportation. AFCI’s N2N (Neighbor to Neighbor) Rides Program is flexible and very popular. Contact us (information below) if you need a ride to an important appointment or for social or other commitments.

All our services are free, but some people want to help defray program costs – so we welcome donations.

The Bethel Region, as you probably know, has had a head start on taking care of its citizens. There are already many services and opportunities in the area, and AFCI’s priority always is to support are area partners. Our Resource Directory, suggested by a citizen survey in 2015, includes a rich list of services – from as mundane as what time the Bethel Foodliner opens, to as specialized as where to find health specialists in the state. You may access the directory on our website (http://www.agefriendlybethel.org/directory-of-local-services.html), and we’re happy to email you a pdf copy.

All AFCI services can be requested by phone, 207-824-4444. For general information or inquiries and suggestions: email infoagefriendlybethel@googlegroups.com, visit our FaceBook page or website www.agefriendlybethel.org.

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