Scores of local residents gathered at George J. Mitchell Field on Sept. 14 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Harpswell Aging at Home.
The 2015 founding of the nonprofit organization was led by original co-Chairs Dave Brown and Jess Maurer. They and a core group of co-founders were concerned about their neighbors aging alone without sufficient access to services and social engagement.
Over the past decade, the group’s cadre of volunteers has grown to more than 400. They provide a wide range of programs and services, including home repairs and safety upgrades, free rides, meal deliveries, bereavement support and cooking classes.
Each month, the group’s Meals in a Pinch program delivers roughly 400 meals to Harpswell residents, many of them made in volunteers’ homes. A newer program, Cooking for Friends, enables participants to cook for Meals in a Pinch in a commercial kitchen while making new friends.
Another popular program launched in 2023 is Harpswell ROMEOs — Retired Older Men Eating Out — which brings men together to share meals, attend events such as antique car shows, and enjoy each other’s company without pressure or formality.
In its 10 years of operation, Harpswell Aging at Home has driven locals enough miles to circle the Earth three times, prepared about 45,000 meals, and installed more than 800 smoke detectors, 1,000 feet of wheelchair ramps and 2,000 feet of handrails in residents’ homes, according to a brochure for the anniversary event.
“The title is real — it really does help people age at home,” said Linda Kreamer, the organization’s secretary. “It’s also an incredible way for people to connect.”
Kreamer became a volunteer after a hospitalization, which led to the group’s Home Repairs Team offering to install safety features in her home. She said a team of six volunteers spent three hours installing ramps, handrails and smoke detectors.
“It was amazing,” Kreamer said.
Local resident Karin Soderberg had a similar experience of going from recipient to volunteer. In her case, she decided to join after Harpswell Aging at Home offered to get her to a medical appointment. Its volunteers installed grab bars in her home for good measure.
“I still use them every day,” Soderberg said.
Brown, the founding co-chair, said he and Maurer met at a retreat and came up with the idea of combining their expertise to help older residents in town. Brown is a retired professor of organizational behavior, and Maurer is executive director of the Maine Council on Aging.
“We both knew that Harpswell was an older town and might have a lot of people who need this service,” Brown said. “It obviously took off, and that was not something I was expecting.”
Harpswell Aging at Home is currently led by co-Chairs Lili Ott and Bill Snellings. Ott attributed the group’s growth and longevity to a combination of Brown’s organizational skills and Maurer’s deep professional connections, plus the hard work of its dedicated volunteers.
Ott said Harpswell is full of skilled people who want to help their neighbors. At the same time, many of those residents are lonely and looking for reasons to get together with others.
“We’ve blurred the line between who gives services and who gets services,” Ott said.
Correction: Because of a reporter’s error, a previous caption misidentified Karin Soderberg, and the story and caption misspelled Linda Kreamer’s last name. The Anchor regrets the errors.
