I live in a town with a large number of older residents, Harpswell Maine. It’s a small coastal town that is spread across several peninsulas and islands. It is a mix of multi-generational fishing families and older newcomers, mostly retirees who were attracted to the 216 miles of coastline and beautiful views. Despite the challenging geography and lack of a town center, we have a strong sense of community. One of our shared beliefs is that older residents should be able to live in their homes as long as they want to. To support this value we have an active volunteer organization that works with older residents: Harpswell Aging at Home (HAH).

I was living alone in VT when I was injured in a horseback riding accident. Although my friends were very supportive during my recovery, I realized that as I get older I want to live closer to my family; so I moved to Harpswell. My first winter here I fell and broke my ankle. A neighbor told me about HAH. Their Meals in a Pinch program provided me with homemade meals for weeks until I was able to cook for myself again. Meals were delivered by friendly volunteers who not only brought food, but made me feel supported by my new community. I decided that as soon as I recovered I was going to give back to my neighbors, as they had done for me.

I now have a delivery route bringing meals to other older residents. I have come to know these people and they are now neighbors I care about; they are now a part of my Harpswell community. When I deliver food and see that a step is broken or find out the TV is broken, I connect them with HAH’s Home Repairs or IT Support Teams. HAH has many other programs that help older residents thrive as they age in place.

Volunteering for HAH provided an instant community for me in a new town; I am grateful that I live in such a wonderful place!