ENCorps eNews - September/October 2016 - In This Issue:
Upcoming Events

ENCorps Fall Workshop: Finding Balance and Building Teams
Wednesday, October 5th from 1pm to 3pm

Candace Green will be leading our next workshop. She promises fun for workshop attendees while she  teaches us how to find better balance in our lives  and guides us in team building activities that you can take back to your volunteer sites.  She is widely regarded as an expert in the field of personal and group transformation, helping groups to improve communication, enhance performance and achieve their goals. RSVP by October 3rd.

For more information, click here for the event flyer. 

2016 Blaine House Conference on Service and Volunteerism 
Tuesday, October 11th from 8am to 4:30pm
Early bird registration fee: $75 (ends September 30)
Full fee: $90
Click here to learn more.

Age-Friendly Communities in Maine
About a year ago, Allen and Jacquelyn Cressy read the book "Being Mortal"  by Atul Gawande. Like it has for so many others, this revolutionary book's message on end-of-life issues struck a chord for them. They were so inspired that  they worked with their local Senior College to arrange two open meetings. Each was a panel discussion - the first on the need for conversations with family on en d of life issues and the second was focused on aging-in-place. Both meetings were well attended and the aging-in-place meeting prompted a small group of community-minded individuals to break off, continue the conversation, and ultimately set in motion some exciting opportunities for the region.

This group has made great strides in a year. They have created the first regional age-friendly community recognized by AARP currently including the towns of Bethel, Newry, Greenwood, and Woodstock, with possibly a fifth joining soon. The concept of an "age-friendly" community encompasses all ages, but does focus on seniors who are at a greater risk of isolation among other issues.

Upon acceptance into the network, the group applied for and was awarded a grant from AARP, funded by the John T. Gorman Foundation. They used this money to conduct a community needs assessment survey. Based on survey findings, top community issues of concern were transportation, building a community center, and knowledge of available resources. Task forces and partnerships have been established, follow up surveys circulated, and subsequent community meetings have been held in working toward resourceful solutions to the identified problems. This new age-friendly region has momentum and is moving forward full steam ahead toward becoming a great place to live for people of all ages and abilities.

We are seeing the AARP network of communities expanding greatly in Maine. Many towns are committing to becoming more age-friendly and several communities are exploring the option of regionalizing similar to the Bethel area group. This example of community members banding together is an inspiring example of the positive change a small group of people can set in motion. We are eager to see how this age-friendly movement changes the narrative of aging in Maine and applaud your efforts and successes! For more information about the age-friendly communities model, visit: www.aarp.org/livable-communities/network-age-friendly-communities/info- 2016/8-domains-of-livability-introduction.html 
VOLUNTEER IN ACTI ON

Doug Malcolm
 
We are excited to welcome new member Doug Malcolm to ENCorps! Doug is an enterprising guy with a long history of non-profit, philanthropic and volunteer work. He's got an entrepreneurial spirit with five start ups under his belt since he was 18. Doug has been active in philanthropy, giving to exciting nonprofits here and around the country. He's particularly proud of his early, lead donation to the Maine Island Trail Association, which was well timed in supporting them in becoming the thriving organization they are today. He also founded Maine Initiatives, a progressive organization that still carries on his initial vision despite his having passed the torch years ago.

His most recent endeavor is one he is especially passionate about. He was inspired to start the volunteer-led Portland Wheelers during a visit to his mother on Cape Cod a couple of years ago, where there is a program that uses "wheelchair trikes" to bring mobility impaired elders outdoors for rides and to reconnect with their community. Inspired by his background as a rehab nurse in Portland, he thought he could go deeper with a similar program in Greater Portland. With approximately 160,000 people, there is a huge diversity of disability. Doug saw a way to use this model to reach and improve the lives of those who struggle with any disability. Within a few weeks he decided to pursue this venture, left his job and has been doing Portland Wheelers full time for nearly two years.

Portland Wheelers has grown in its relatively short lifespan. When Doug first set out it took him 45 days to raise $10,000 to buy the program's first hybrid tricycle or "trike", specially designed with a detachable wheelchair. Currently, Portland Wheelers has 20 trained pilots who have taken more than 250 "wheelers," from as young as six years to as old as 99 years, for more than 500 rides totaling over 1500 miles. They are now partnering with 12 area facilities and will take anyone challenged by disability for a ride. Once they refine the model, Doug envisions Portland Wheelers as a nonprofit ride therapy model for the country.

The benefits of simply getting folks out for rides when they don't have the ability to get out on their own are striking. Doug states that from studies done in Canada, which Portland Wheelers plans to replicate next spring, giving rides on a regular basis, providing frequent opportunities for connection between "wheelers", as well as offering the chance to look forward to the next ride - together, these dramatically improve the quality of life for those who are stuck inside residential facilities or their own homes with little to do or participate in. He is passionate and proud of the work Portland Wheelers is doing, and he's looking forward to it growing to reach the demand. They are in the process of adding a third trike to their fleet, and are actively looking for volunteers to fill a number of roles, especially that of pilots.

We are impressed and inspired by the work Doug is doing with Portland Wheelers and what he has been built in a mere two years. We are so pleased to welcome you to ENCorps, Doug, and wish you great success as you take your model to a national stage.

Would you like to be our next Volunteer in Action?
Contact:  info@encoreleaders.org
  
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

United Way Volunteer Reader Project
United Way of York County is looking for a skilled volunteer to help run our Volunteer Reader Project, which places volunteer readers into elementary schools and pre-schools. The objective of the project is to ensure that all children in York County read proficiently by the end of 3rd grade.
For more information: http://volunteer.buildcommunity.org/need/detail/?need_id=201805

Habitat for Humanity Board Member 
Consider attending a monthly Board meeting to join others in the community who recognize the basic right of everyone to adequate shelter--that each and every one of us deserves the opportunity for a better future, and that a decent place to live can remove barriers to opportunity, health and success that might have been part of a family's life for years, and in many cases for generations.
For more information:  http://unitedwayem.galaxydigital.com/need/detail/?need_id=212870

Portland Housing seeks volunteers to support academic success of low income youth
The Portland Housing Authority (PHA) Study Centers are an after-school program that serves low income students in and around Public Housing in Portland, Maine. The centers' collective goal is to help students become academically and socially successful and thus remain in school.
For more information:  http://volunteer.unitedwaygp.org/need/detail/?need_id=202627

The Green Gem
An exciting new wellness and holistic healing center in Bangor has a number of volunteer opportunities available! Ways to help include:
- Sharing your skills: Event Planning; Volunteer Coordination; Operational Support; Volunteer Coordination; Operational Support; Groundskeeping; Data Entry; Budgeting; Fundraising; Legal Assistance, or other.
- Joining a Committee: Curriculum, Marketing, Fundraising, Operational Support, Business Plan, Market Analysis, Retreat Development, Arts and Events.
- Helping with Events
To discover how you can help the Green Gem grow, contact GreenGemInME@gmail.com for available volunteer opportunities or visit their website here:  http://thegreengem.org/volunteer-information/.

Other volunteer opportunities can be found at www.volunteermaine.org!

"You make a living by what you get. You make a life by what you give."
-Winston Churchill

MEMBER HOURS
ENCorps members have volunteered 80,917 hours to date! Keep up the great work!

Why Report Hours?
The purpose of ENCorps is to support your efforts to improve your community with training and networking opportunities. All of our programming - the Summit and training events - are free for ENCorps Volunteers. Since we are privately funded through grants, we need to report how you're doing. One tangible way is to keep track of our volunteers' hours each month. It's also a great way for us to acknowledge your good work! Please help us by reporting your hours by the 15th of the following month (ex. for February hours, please report by March 15). 


Encore Leadership Corps

207-262-7928

info@encoreleaders.org

www.encoreleaders.org


ENCorps is a program of the University of Maine Center on Aging in partnership with the Maine Community Foundation and with the cooperation of local, state, and national organizations. Funding in support of ENCorps has been provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Aging Initiative, The Atlantic Philanthropies, The Maine Community Foundation, Jane's Trust, Margaret E. Burnham Charitable Trust, Davis Conservation Foundation, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation.