Founded in July 2015, Harpswell Aging at Home provides free or low-cost initiatives to help older adults thrive in their homes. HAH was created — and is supported and led — by volunteers.
This year, HAH turns 10 — and what a decade it’s been! The idea for HAH originated during a 2013 retreat led by Jess Maurer, executive director at the Maine Council on Aging, to discuss models for making Maine friendlier to aging residents. Maurer thought Harpswell could use an aging-friendly organization, given that it’s home to one of Maine’s oldest populations.
HAH’s founders drew on a survey, meetings with town officials, and conversations among neighbors to identify residents’ most pressing needs and form its first teams to provide services. These services included home repairs, rides to medical appointments, and the Lunch with Friends community meal program, which provides food and social interaction to residents.
The early programs gathered momentum surprisingly quickly. How? The founding team won residents’ trust by asking them what they needed, not telling them. And rather than reinvent the wheel, HAH opted to create partnerships with town officials and local organizations.
These partnerships have enabled the participating organizations to maximize their efficiency and effectiveness. For instance, People Plus funds background checks for volunteer drivers, Habitat for Humanity helps fund home repairs, and the town helps match residents to needed services. As Maurer explains, “We think of it as letting the river flow and encouraging tributaries to join.”
HAH’s commitment to its founding principles has generated impressive results in its first decade. A taste: HAH now has 400-plus volunteers, with total volunteer hours reaching nearly 16,000 in 2024. Last year saw 6,805 meals served, 38 home repair projects completed and 726 rides given (with nearly 12,000 miles driven).
But these metrics tell just part of the story. HAH has accumulated the knowledge and resources required to offer new services as needs have arisen, such as the Home Transitions Program, the Health and Wellness Committee, and the Living History Project, which helps residents record their life stories.
Equally important, HAH has helped bring the town together. As Surrey Hardcastle, chair of the Food Committee, notes, “Ten years ago, people from one ‘side’ of town wouldn’t go to events held on the ‘other side.’ Now, people come to Lunch with Friends, for instance, even if it’s across town.”
What’s more, HAH’s work has helped to ease the discomfort many residents used to feel about asking for help — especially as some service recipients decide to volunteer, and some volunteers become recipients.
“We can all use a hand sometimes,” Hardcastle adds. “I’ve seen 90-year-olds cooking for our meals program and 60-year-olds receiving meals.”
With a decade under its belt, HAH surely has a bright future. As Peggy Orlando, another HAH founder, puts it: “I’m very proud of HAH and what it has accomplished. From a small group of people sitting in a circle discussing how to help older adults stay in their homes to what the organization is today, it’s been an amazing journey.”
Clearly, there’s a lot to celebrate! Come help mark HAH’s milestone birthday by joining us at Mitchell Field on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 3-5 p.m., for our big 10-year bash. Enjoy cake and ice cream, lawn games and laughter, and chats with neighbors. Everyone’s invited, and you don’t need to RSVP. Hope to see you there!
