Dan and Ellen Hoebeke retired to Orr’s Island eight years ago. Interested in becoming involved with their community, they began volunteering with Harpswell Aging at Home.
Ellen devoted her time to cooking for Meals in a Pinch and Lunch with Friends, and later got involved with Cooking at 43° North. Dan serves as a photographer for various Harpswell Aging at Home events. Together they play an integral role in setting up and maintaining the Sharing Table at the Orr’s Island Library.
Last year, when their son died unexpectedly, they found themselves on the receiving end of Meals in a Pinch. In addition to a twice-monthly meal delivery, Meals in a Pinch offers daily meals to those who may be facing a short-term illness or recovery, or grieving the loss of a loved one.
“It was a godsend,” Dan said. “When we were barely functioning, meals would arrive every afternoon. While those bringing the meals were instructed to just drop them off, many stopped to talk and to see if there was anything else we needed. It was a blessing.”
It’s not unusual for Harpswell residents to both volunteer their time and utilize some of HAH’s offerings.
“Some people have needed short-term help, which makes them aware of the programs HAH has to offer,” said HAH Health and Wellness Chair Gayle Hays. “Then they want to become a volunteer and be involved with helping to have a healthy community. But there is absolutely no expectation that a recipient will become a volunteer.”
When Barbara Osen retired in 2014, she volunteered at the Midcoast Humane Society and The Gathering Place. Four years ago, she needed brain surgery, which necessitated the use of a walker. She needed a ramp to safely get out of her house and contacted Harpswell Aging at Home in the hopes that the Home Repairs Team could get it done.
“This team of guys came out and built it,” Osen said. “The team — and the ramp — were just terrific!”
Surgery left her unable to continue the physical aspects of her previous volunteer work. Grateful for the ramp, she began volunteering with Harpswell Aging at Home to give back. “I’m not a cook,” she laughed. She began as a caller with the Neighbors Connecting program and is now writing cards and notes that are sent along in Meals in a Pinch bags.
A recipient of Meals in a Pinch herself, and occasionally of Harpswell Aging at Home’s ride service, Osen is happy to lend a hand.
“I like being part of HAH,” Osen said. “I love chatting with the woman who delivers my meals. I’m limited in my mobility and I’m glad I can participate in some way. The whole program is terrific!”
With some badly needed repairs to her house on the horizon, Karin Soderberg turned to Harpswell Aging at Home for assistance.
“The Home Repairs Team has done things that I never would have been able to do myself,” Soderberg said. Retired and on a budget, she said, “I never could have stayed in the house I love so much without their help.”
After back surgery, Soderberg utilized the ride service and, in turn, volunteered as a driver for many years. When mobility became an issue, she shifted her focus.
“I’m not a cook, but somehow I ended up joining the Kitchen Cabinet with Cooking at 43° North,” she said, noting her role in helping to plan and organize many of their events.
Despite her claim that she isn’t a cook, she also contributes meals and baked goods to Meals in a Pinch. “For me, volunteering and receiving services was a good balance, and I’ve met very interesting people doing both!” she said.
“We live in a community that is not only willing to do things,” observed Dan Hoebeke. “We are also willing to be vulnerable and accept gifts from the community as well.”
For more information about Harpswell Aging at Home programs and volunteer opportunities, visit HAH’s website at hah.community.
