United Way campaign provides hope in a cold season

Some things are a given in November. The last few leaves cling desperately to the trees, there’s a craft fair every weekend, and it’s dark by 5 p.m.

Something else happens this time of year that has a powerful impact on the people of eastern Maine. By mid-November, the United Way’s annual campaign in is full swing, raising money through workplace employee donations.

The money garnered from these businesses and organizations help fund 75 programs offered by 45 nonprofit partner agencies. Among these programs are some services offered to seniors.

Eastern Agency on Aging receives a grant from United Way, which is applied to the Meals for Me and Community Services programs. Meals for Me serves hot nutritious lunches to seniors, either in community dining rooms or, if necessary, through the home delivery program.

Community Services provide information and assistance to older people to ensure that they are aware of all the benefits and programs available to them. This helps them maintain their independence and often can improve their quality of life.

Penquis CAP offers the Foster Grandparent program that allows low-income seniors to earn additional income while spending time with children and making a difference in their young lives. It’s a twofold program – the seniors feel needed and the children receive extra attention.

The Warren Center for Communication and Learning has a Regional Hearing Aid Back program, REHAB, that provides free refurbished hearing aids to low-income individuals who have no resources available to pay for it. For many older people, the cost of a hearing aid is out of reach, even if a doctor deems one necessary. This program gives back seniors a quality of life associated with being able to hear.

The Warren Center also has a program that gives caregivers the knowledge and skills they need when communicating with a family member who has a memory disorder like Alzheimer’s disease.

The Coping with Memory Disorders through Communication program provides educational workshops that teach specialized communication techniques and strategies that help the caregivers and their loved ones. Effective communication helps Alzheimer’s patients maintain their independence and remain at home longer.

The Old Town-Orono YMCA offers an Older Adults program, which encourages seniors to get fit with exercise classes, and learn new skills or renew old ones. There are classes on computers, quilting and crocheting. The YMCA also offers presentations on a variety of health-related topics and special field trips to cultural events.

The United Way helps to meet the needs of its partner agencies, but doing so is not always easy. The campaign has netted more than $1.15 million, some 42 percent of the $2.65 million goal.

“Although this year’s campaign is behind where we’d like to be at this point, we’re not ready to sound any alarms,” said Bill Lucy, campaign chairman and executive vice president of Merrill Bank. “Last year’s campaign was challenging as well, and yet individuals were extraordinarily generous and United Way was able to surpass its goal. We live in such an amazing community. I have every confidence that people will rise to the challenge and do that again.”

Lucy points out that no donation is too small and “every gift, in every campaign, in every workplace, counts.”

United Way’s vision and mission statements explain their purpose.

“Our vision is that Eastern Maine will be recognized as the best place to live, and our mission is to improve lives by mobilizing the caring power of communities,” said Carrie Elliott, associate director of resource development at United Way. For more information about United Way, call 941-2800.

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA programs and services, call the resource and referral department at 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.