Highlights for the
Month of October
Registration is open for the Mary Parker Race, this coming Saturday, October 5, 2019
see details below
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WE LOVE OUR TSHIRTS FOR THE MARY PARKER RACE!
THE 1ST 75 TO REGISTER GET A T-SHIRT!
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Welcome to the October 2019
Island Connector!
We share our monthly newsletter to make the most of our connections in the community!
The purpose of the Island Connector is to share our good work and help those who can benefit from our services or who may wish to volunteer and serve our organization for our beloved community. Neighbors Helping Neighbors is what Island Connections is all about and has been for over 22 years.
If you have a family member or know of a neighbor that could benefit from our
free
transportation services, please have them call us at 288-4457.
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Island Connections provides free transportation and other services to seniors and people with disabilities from Mount Desert Island and the surrounding islands to enhance their independence and quality of life by utilizing our core group of dedicated volunteers.
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IN THIS MONTHS' ISSUE
- Island Connector Message from the Executive Director
- Island Connections Story - video below
- Neighbor Ride Eligibility
- Friendly reminder to our volunteers
- Volunteers - Our heart and Soul
- Neighbors making extra stops
- NEW Island Connections' Transportation Program
- Runing for Rides Mary Parker Memorial Race
- Monthly Giving Program
- On-Line Volunteer Application
- AARP Scam Alert
- Yummy recipes from our volunteers and friends
- Volunteer Driver Reward Program
- Neighbor & Volunteers of the Month
- Healthy Acadia - Neighbor 4 Neighbor Application
- Events for Seniors
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CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON BELOW TO WATCH HOW ISLAND CONNECTIONS' VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE
CARING RIDES
TO OUR ISLAND NEIGBHORS
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Message from the Executive Director
I know I don't need to tell you how important our volunteer drivers are to this organization and to the neighbors we serve. Without them, Island Connections can't operate to get our neibghors to their needed appointments.
Having said that, we are at a critical point in our organization that needs immediate attention. To date in 2019, we have registered 63 new neighbors since and ONLY 6 new volunteers. This 10+ to 1 ratio is starting to have an effect on our ability to fulfill the current ride demand. We don't ever want to turn anyone away or not be able to fill a ride frequently. During the time since January, of the 3,771 rides provided there were only 40 times that a driver wasn't available. This is just over 1% of our ride total. We want to maintain this excellent ride fulfillment rate going forward.
While we are working on our volunteer recruitment plans for the coming months, we are reaching out to YOU as interested community members and parties who wish to see our continued success , to help us get the word out about our need for volunteers. Can you please do that for us? Let your family and friends know of a great volunteer opportunity that they are literally in the "driver's seat" in every way when it comes to their volunteer time. They choose what rides they will and won't provide; how long and how often.
The service our volunteers provide has a great impact not only on the neighbor receiving the ride but on their family members as well. They feel comforted knowing that their loved one is not only getting to a needed appointment but safe with a dedicated and reliable member of the community. On the flip side, the rides are incredibly meaningful to the volunteers who wish to give back to the community. So, I'm asking you to please help us reach our community members who have some time to volunteer. I know they will be glad that they did.
Withing you all to enjoy the lovely, cool and fall like days!
All the best,
Doreen Willett
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Who is eligible for Island Connections
Free
Transportation Services?
For over twenty two years, Island Connections has been providing free transportation for seniors and people with disabilities on Mount Desert Island and the surrounding islands. We would like to ensure that all of our island community members are aware of our ride eligibility policy. We provide rides to seniors 70+, with no questions asked, as well as to both people with temporary AND permanent disabilities. To clarify, this means that if you are temporarily restricted or temporarily disabled to drive due to a medical reason determined by a physician and are under the age of 70, you are eligible for free transportation services with Island Connections. We simply ask you to provide a doctor’s note for our records to support your medical condition. If you are determined to be permanently disabled, under the age of 70 and can provide a benefits statement from the Social Security Administration, you are eligible for free transportation as well. Please share this information with your family, friends and neighbors so that they become fully aware of our ride policy. Thank you.
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Friendly Reminder to Our Volunteers
Please know that your time and privacy are very important to us at Island Connections. We try to adhere to your time constraints and don't give out your telephone numbers to our neighbors for good reason. We want to be sure that our neighbors are respecting our process of providing rides to them. What we don't want to have happen is that the neighbors are calling you directly for rides and not going through Island Connections. This not only disrupts our scheduling process and muddles our ride counts, but it also opens you up to our neighbors calling you for any number of reasons and, as a result you may not feel comfortable doing what they ask, but may end up doing the ride/task out of guilt rather than refuse them. It’s not to say that we don’t want to encourage good relationships between our neighbors and volunteers but believe that there is a line to be drawn so that you aren’t overburdened. We don’t want to hinder the organic friendships and relationships being created, we just want to be sure that you are always comfortable with the relationship.
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VOLUNTEERS - THE HEART AND SOUL OF
ISLAND CONNECTIONS
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Island Connections Neighbors and Ride Demands
Island Connections volunteers amaze me, my staff and board to be able to meet the demands in order to complete
420
rides in the month of July.
We added new
13
neighbors needing our services last month. This brings our new neighbor total for the year to 63 so far.
Of course, given the increase in needed transportation services, we are also in need of more volunteers. If you or someone you know would like to find out what it means to become a volunteer driver for Island Connections, please be sure to call and speak to Doreen Willett our Executive Director.
Our Joy Riding recruitment Program proved to be an excellent recruiting method for Island Connections. Future dates will be announced. Can we ask YOU, our volunteer drivers, to help spread the word about the amazing work YOU do for our island neighbors and how they can help too by volunteering some of their time to do the same.
As many know, it's actually very easy to help us and rewarding. We have 720 living hours in a month and by donating 1 hour of time, a neighbor can be transported to and from an in town medical appointment. Please share this newsletter with your friends or family members who who want to volunteer for Island Connections . They can merely click on the
I wish to apply to Volunteer
link below or call us at 288-4457 and speak to Dana Mastroianni. Thank you for your consideration or helping us spread the word!
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ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING
A VOLUNTEER DRIVER?
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WHY VOLUNTEER?
- It brings people together. You get to meet new people and make new friends.
- It promotes self-growth. You can use your skills and learn new skills.
- You make a difference. Volunteering makes you feel appreciated and needed. It provides an opportunity to give back what has been given to you.
- It strengthens our community and breaks down barriers of fear and misunderstanding.
Thank you for your consideration
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October 2019 State Scam Alerts
Please consider publishing these alerts in your local publications, and share them on social media, too. AARP Maine will publish the alerts on their website
www.aarp.org/me
each Tuesday, and then on Facebook and Twitter every #fraudwatch Wednesday. If you have alerts to suggest, please send them to us and we will add them into our scam alert schedule.
Week 1 -- National Cyber Security Month
October is National Cyber Security Month and there are three keys to staying safe online: Own it, Secure it, and Protect it. The “it” is your digital profile – the personal things about yourself that you put online. Living in the digital age means putting a lot of personal information online like your home address, where you work, family members, and much more. Keeping that information safe requires a bit of work. First, you need to
own it by understanding what you’re putting out there (such as what you’re posting on social media). Next, you have to
secure it with strong passwords or using a password manager and enabling two-step authentication where available. Lastly, you need to
protect it by staying current with the latest security updates on your devices and using Public Wi-Fi safely. Learn more at
staysafeonline.org.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at
www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork
or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.
Week 2 -- Scam Tracker Map
Scammers work 24 hours a day, seven days a week looking for their next victims. The unfortunate reality is that millions of people fall victim to scams carried out by sophisticated national and international criminal organizations every year. You can get a sense of how widespread this is by visiting the AARP scam-tracking map at
www.aarp.org/scammap. Understanding how widespread scams are and which ones are trending in your community can help us all stay safe. Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at
www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork
or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim. We recommend using an image of the scam map of your region for this alert.
You can obtain this image using the PC snipping tool.
Week 3 -- Medicare Open Enrollment Scam
Medicare Open Enrollment season is here, which means it is also Medicare fraud season. Between now and December 7
th
seniors across the country will be shopping for the best deal for their health care dollar. Unfortunately some of the deals they will be offered
won’t be deals at all.
Medicare scams are expected to spike during open enrollment season with scammers posing as impostor
s calling and emailing seniors offering free gifts or limited time offers. These scams are all designed to capture your Medicare number so the crooks can charge Medicare for services you didn’t receive.
Be suspicious of anyone who calls, emails or visits you promoting a Medicare plan. L
egitimate health plans can only contact you if you’ve requested information. Don’t give personal information to anyone who calls or visits out of the blue and always review your Medicare statement to ensure fraudulent charges aren’t included. Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at
www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork
or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.
Week 4 – Password Managers
One of the best ways to protect your online information is to use strong, unique passwords for each password-protected website you use. But keeping track of all of these passwords is not easy. One solution is to use a password manager – a software program that creates, stores and retrieves strong and unique passwords for you. Do some research to find an option that best suits your needs and budget.
Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at
www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork
or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.
Week 5 – ID Theft: What to Do Next
We take a lot of precautions to protect our personal information, but we’re not the only people responsible for our data. So many different entities have our personal information it’s hard to keep track of. Our banks, health providers, email TV and Internet provider, retailers and more all have our data and many of them have been hacked. The reality is that most Americans have already had their identity compromised. So what can we do to protect ourselves after the fact? Here are 3 steps to protecting yourself after your personal information has been stolen. 1) Sign up for credit monitoring that will alert you if someone tried to open an account in your name. 2) Place a free security freeze on your credit to help stop identity thieves from opening new accounts in your name. 3) Establish online access to all of your bank accounts, credit cards and retirement accounts and check them frequently. Be a fraud fighter! If you can spot a scam, you can stop a scam.
Visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at
www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork
or call the AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 1-877-908-3360 to report a scam or get help if you’ve fallen victim.
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Neighbors needing extra stops with their scheduled rides
As we continue to ensure that our transportation program runs smoothly and effectively, we recognize that our neighbors may not fully understand how important our need to do so may be. We are aware that when our neighbors are able to get out to go to a doctor's appointment or otherwise it may be their only chance to stop to get a gallon of milk or bread. Whatever the need may be, we would like to be able to track this information accurately as extra stops increase the services we provide. This information is important for a number of reasons. Firstly and ideally, we would like to obtain this request directly from the neighbor up front when we enter a ride into our system so that when a volunteer chooses to take a ride they know the expectation and time commitment of that ride. Secondly, we certainly don't want our volunteers to feel guilty or obligated if they don't have the time to make unscheduled stops during any ride. Thirdly, we want to report accurate information when applying for grant funding and also provide that information to our community as to the extent of our services. Lastly and most importantly, to ensure that our volunteers aren't feeling pressured or uncomfortable in any way that would give them pause about providing our neighbors future rides. Our volunteers are our greatest asset and with the increase in the number of rides overall, we want to be sure that the systems we have in place are working for everyone. Therefore, in the event that you have made an extra stop during a scheduled ride, we ask that you contact the office by phone or email so that we can be sure to enter it into RideScheduler. We thank you for your cooperation in this regard.
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Click the link to the box link below to read the Boston Globe's article on how seniors are grappling with the loneliness epidemic
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This is
BIG NEWS
!!!
We are working on putting together a new pilot transportation program which will utilize the multi-passenger van that was donated to us and for which we received the grant award from the Maine Community Founation Hancock County Fund. The plan is to bring several neighbors at a time to Hannaford and Walmart on specific days/times. We are working out a schedule with the MDI & Ellsworth Housing Authority as follows:
Malvern Belmont in Bar Harbor
Hannaford
- Monday pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at 10:30 a.m.
Walmart Wednesdays!
3rd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at Noon
Rodick Lorraine in Bar Harbor
Hannaford
- Monday pick up at 9:10 a.m. - return at 10:30 a.m.
Walmart Wednesdays!
3rd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:10 a.m. - return at Noon
Eden Apartments in Bar Harbor
Hannaford
- Monday pick up at 9:10 a.m. - return at 10:30 a.m.
Walmart Wednesdays!
3rd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:10 a.m. - return at Noon
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Woodbury Apartments in Bar Harbor
Hannaford
- Monday pick up at 9:20 a.m. - return at 10:30 a.m.
Walmart Wednesdays!
3rd Wednesday of the
month - pick up at 9:20 a.m. - return at Noon
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Norwood Apartments in Southwest Harbor
IGA Foodmart or Hannaford
- Friday pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at 11:00 a.m.
Walmart Wednesdays!
1st Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at Noon
Ridge Apartments in Southwest Harbor
IGA Foodmart or Hannaford
- Friday pick up at 9:30 a.m. - return at 11:00 a.m.
Walmart Wednesdays!
1st Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at Noon
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Maple Lane Apartments in Northeast Harbor
Walmart Wednesdays!
2nd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at Noon
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We are looking for up to 5 dedicated volunteer drivers to help get this program moving! If you are interested or know someone that would be and/or want to find out more information, please call Doreen at 288-4457. Thank you!
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ISLAND CONNECTIONS 2019 UPCOMING EVENTS
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PRINT THE REGISTRATION FORM BELOW AND/OR CLICK ON THE REGISTER BUTTON BELOW TO SECURE YOUR PLACE IN THE RACE! WE ARE LIMITED TO 150 REGISTRANTS AS PART OF OUR RESTRICTIONS SET FORTH BY ACADIA NATIONAL PARK
Return registration to:
Island Connections
93 Cottage Street, Suite 101
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
For more information, please call Maegan Haney at 288-4457
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Champion Circle
Monthly Giving Program
As part of our annual appeal, we are able to offer an online giving option that offers you the ability to support Island Connections on a monthly basis. We invite you to seriously consider our
Champion Connector’s Circle Program
for the following reasons. Monthly giving makes it easier for you to plan ahead for your annual giving, and alleviates the potential challenge of a large outlay of funds at the end of the year.
Your donation can be easily and securely debited from a credit card or bank account of your choosing.
You can set it up to debit your account automatically each month, and not have to think about it again. And it helps Island Connections by providing a consistent and steady cash flow stream throughout the year. All you need to do is click on the link below and simply follow the instructions for the monthly giving program. It’s that easy! Please note that one time gifts can be made on this giving link as well.
If you require any additional assistance or have any questions, please call Doreen at 207-288-4457.
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Monthly recipes from our friends, neighbors & volunteers
of Island Connections
This month, our recipe comes from All Recipes on-line.
Oktoberfest Chicken and Red Cabbage
Prep Time 20 m
Cook 1 h 10 m
Ready in 1 h 30 m
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 tablespoon bacon drippings
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 large apple, cored and sliced
- 1 head red cabbage, cored and sliced
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup dry red wine
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
Directions
- Step 1 - reheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Step 2 - Place bacon in a large oven-safe or cast-iron skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels. When cool, crumble bacon; leave bacon drippings in the skillet.
- Step 3 - Whisk flour, kosher salt, and smoked paprika together in a bowl. Coat chicken thighs in the seasoned flour and brown on both sides in the hot bacon fat over medium heat, about 5 minutes per side; transfer chicken to a plate. Drain bacon grease except for 1 tablespoon; cook and stir onion and apple until onion is translucent and apple is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir red cabbage and bacon into onion-apple mixture, sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt, and cook, stirring often, until cabbage is softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
- Step 4 - Pour red wine vinegar and red wine into skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon and bring cabbage mixture to a boil; cook until sauce is reduced by half, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Arrange chicken thighs on top of cabbage in the skillet.
- Step 5 - Bake in the preheated oven until cabbage is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 40 minutes. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
Nutrition Facts
- Per Serving: 287 calories; 11 g total fat; 74 mg cholesterol; 295 mg sodium. 23.9 g carbohydrates; 22.5 g protein
Bon Apetit!
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DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEER DRIVER REWARDS PROGRAM?
Back in 2011, when gas prices were climbing higher than we had seen, Island Connections started a Driver Rewards Program to help our volunteer drivers who were working hard for our neighbors each day.
The way it works is that points are accumulated for every ride given by a volunteer to a neighbor. The point system is based on the number of rides given and destination of the rides. Each month Amy Manring, our Transportation Coordinator, reviews all of the data to create a list of those volunteers who have accumulated 30 points at which time we mail each of them a $ 25.00 gift card from Irving/Circle K. Their points revert back to 0 and they begin accumulating all over again. It's our way of giving back to those who give of themselves, their time and their resources. All of our active volunteers are eligible to accumulate points by driving for Island Connections.
Island Connections Driver Rewards Program is made possible through grant funding provided by the Hattie A. and Fred C. Lynam Trust Fund through Bar Harbor Bank and Trust Services.
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We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful neighbors be served by our outstanding volunteers who give of their time and resources. I wish to lend a reminder that YOU, as an Island Connections volunteer, may be the only person that a neighbor may come in contact with that day, that week or otherwise. Not only is the ride they are receiving important but the social aspect of the time spent together goes quite a long way.
Please keep in mind that they look forward to their time with you and by nurturing the relationship it can make all the difference to build trust and a real sense of security while in your care. We always want our neighbors to feel safe, secure and confident in your ability to get them where they they need to go while building a lasting friendship.
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To all of our volunteers -
Thank you for supporting our neighbors in every way that you do.
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Neighbor of the Month
The Neighbor of the Month is
Gloria Higgins! Gloria has been a neighbor for just a little while but has been getting a few rides lately and is so gracious to ALL of her volunteer drivers for all they are doing for her and her family. She always has a smile on her face and always loves to make her drivers feel good too! You're a star in our eyes! Last month we featured a video of Gloria on our Facebook page!
Volunteers of the Month
The Volunteer of the Month is
is Carol Johnston. Carol is always willing to help us out when we need someone to do a last minute in-town medical drive; she is a regular Meals on Wheels delivery volunteer for the folks receiving meals in Bar Harbor, takes a neighbor weekly to do their grocery shopping and has gone up to Ellsworth on several occasions. She is the real deal! Thank you Carol!!!!
The Urgent Driver of the Month
is a the two-some of Grover and Sarah Nevells! They did 20 drives between them, including delivering meals, as well as last minute drives that needed to be filled. They have been dedicated drivers for many, many years and are so appreciate by all of us in the office and all our neighbors who they have given rides to. Thank you both for everything!
Our Special Mention Drivers
are
Janet Byers; Deb Fisher; Dean Henry; Peter Houghton; Ned Johnston, Dianne Lytle and of course David Parker!
Thank YOU ALL for ALL you do to help ensure that our neighbors are getting to their needed appointments, etc.
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The neighbor4neighbor Fund Now Accepting Applications
What: neighbor4neighbor Fund, a program of Healthy Acadia, is now accepting applications from seniors for grants up to $500 for unexpected expenses
Where: Hancock and Washington counties
Dates and Time: Applications accepted year round. Apply online:
The neighbor4neighbor Fund, a program of Healthy Acadia, is now accepting applications from seniors who are facing any one of many life crises which arise unexpectedly and for which a senior may not have adequate funds. The neighbor4neighbor Fund’s mini-grants, capped at $500.00, cover such things as new eyeglasses, dentures, medical equipment, household repairs, or other one-time challenges which can arise and undermine a senior’s ability to live independently and have a high quality of life.
The philosophy of the neighbor4neighbor Fund is that small grants can make a big difference in a senior’s life and the fund works to provide this kind of financial assistance. The goal is to help people to be healthy, stay in their homes and be able to function independently. Many seniors are struggling just to meet their most basic needs, so unexpected expenses are not part of their budget.
The neighbor4neighbor Fund is open to seniors in both Hancock and Washington Counties and is administered by Healthy Acadia.
Please contact Nina Zeldin at 667-7171 or
nina@heathlyacadia.org to receive an application or learn more about neighbor4neighbor. Applications can also be downloaded by clicking the link below:
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HELPFUL INFORMATION:
FROM THE BAR HARBOR FIRE DEPARTMENT
Representatives of the Fire Department share the following advice: we should all have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors on each level of our homes; all detectors have expiration dates-so check and replace if needed; and of course replace batteries routinely. If a senior is having difficulty installing a detector or changing a detector battery, the Fire Department graciously offers to come and do that for you. They request you call them on the non urgent line to request this and they will plan a time to come and assist you.
FROM
THE BAR HARBOR POLICE DEPARTMENT
Members of the Police Dept spoke at a gathering last year to advise all citizens to report any suspicious or unsafe items to them. They ask if you accidentally dial 911 that you stay on the line—this negates the need for them to follow up on a hang up call. The Police note that if you have a problem they might assist with –such as needing sand for icy steps that you are not able to go obtain yourself---please call them on the non urgent line and they will make plans to help you.
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Local Transportation for Seniors
BAR HARBOR SHUTTLE
(year round service operated by Downeast Transportation)
This bus operates on Tuesdays
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R indicates stops on request. The one-way fare is $6. The round-trip fare is the same as the one-way fare, provided you complete your trip in one day.
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We would love your feedback on how we're doing in our community. Please feel free to call or e-mail with your comments.
If you are in need of information about Island Connections or in need of a ride, please contact our Transportation Coordinator, Amy Manring.
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday
9:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Telephone: 207-288-4457
Doreen Willett
Executive Director
Island Connections
www.islconnections.org
Bar Harbor, ME 04609
director@islconnections.org
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Have you given any thought to
Planned Giving?
Perhaps you would like to speak to us about leaving a bequest to Island Connections but didn't know how to get started.
Contact Doreen Willett to start the conversation about creating a sustainable giving plan. We thank you for your consideration.
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Island Connections * 93 Cottage Street, Suite 101, Bar Harbor, ME 04609
Phone 207-288-4457 * info@islconnections.org www.islconnections.org
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