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AUGUSTA — AARP Maine celebrated Maine’s 37 community participants in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities at the State House on May 16.
AARP Maine Day offered the opportunity for AARP members and volunteers to meet and greet legislators, attend the Legislative Caucus on Aging, engage in the legislative process, as well as recognize the communities that are particinating in the Age-Friendly Community program, according to a news release from the organization.
Central and western Maine’s Age-Friendly Communities include Augusta, Bethel, Bowdoinham, Hallowell, Newry, Paris, Readfield and Wayne.
“In an age-friendly community, residents benefit from an environment that encourages them to remain active and socially engaged,” said Lori Parham, AARP Maine state director, in the release. “The AARP Network of Age-Friendly Communities helps participating communities become great places for all ages by adopting such features as safe, walkable streets, better housing and transportation options, access to key services, and opportunities for residents to participate in community activities. Here in Maine, we are dedicated to advancing well-designed, livable communities to promote health and sustain economic growth.”
In 2016, Maine had a remarkable surge in the efforts of towns and neighborhoods to advance age-friendly initiatives, the release said. Out of the 143 participating communities nationally listed on AARP’s national website, AARP.org, Maine has 37, making it the top state in the nation. Florida and New York, with 16 participating communities each, are tied for second.
As part of the effort to encourage other towns and communities to develop and advance their own age-friendly ideas, AARP Maine has developed a free guide “The Maine Guide to Building Age-Friendly Communities,” which is aimed at helping residents and municipalities work together to make changes that benefit residents of all ages.
Free electronic or paper copies can be ordered by sending an email to me@aarp.org or by calling 776-6306.
“It is exciting and inspiring to share stories like these that remind us how great a role each of us can play in stimulating positive change in Maine’s towns and neighborhoods,” said Parham.
