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In April, in recognition of National Volunteers Month, we celebrated our volunteers and their immense contributions to the Southern Maine Agency on Aging's programs. We would like to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU to all of our volunteers for all you do for the agency. SMAA truly would not be able to touch as many lives if it weren't for your hard work and service, and so for that, we thank you!
In addition to our monthly updates, in this issue of our eNews, a few of our volunteers share their volunteer experiences. If you would like to share yours, please, do not hesitate to reach out to us at volunteer@smaaa.org.
Mary & Paul
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Meet the Volunteer Services Team |
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Mary Hadlock, RSVP/Volunteer Services Director, joined the staff of Southern Maine Agency on Aging in 2008.
Mary is a licensed social worker with over 14 years of experience working together with volunteers.
In her spare time, Mary enjoys playing with her 7 grandchildren.
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Paul Hofelich has been the Volunteer Coordinator for the past 8 months.
Paul moved to Maine from Ohio in July of 2021, where he previously worked extensively with volunteers in various museum settings.
In his free time, Paul enjoys collecting vinyl records and spending time outdoors with his wife, Hannah.
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I Volunteer with SMAA because... |
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"We are David & Penny Cole.
Penny
: After retiring David had free time and was doing Money Minders and Meals on Wheels.
David
: Penny retired 2 years after David and wanted something to do. So she started to do Meals on Wheels.
Penny
: David has been doing it for 20 years. I have been doing it for 18.
David feels that he is a reliable driver and he enjoys delivering the meals and talking to the people. A lot of them enjoy having someone come in and visit for a while. David
: Penny likes to talk to people. She is a talker. She enjoys visiting with people.
She does some errands for people. Like getting food for them at the store. And talking with them for a while.
We hope to be able to do this for as long as possible. We are getting up there in age. It is called Old Age."
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Read more of our volunteers stories on our Facebook page. You do not need to have a Facebook account to read them. |
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SMAA Volunteers serve across our programs: |
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Advance Our Work with Diverse Communities |
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SMAA Services in Other Languages
In the past few months, in partnership with Catholic Charities, we have translated a number of different flyers with information about SMAA services and programs in Arabic, French, and Kinyarwanda.
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Act as a Catalyst and Convener for Social Connections |
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The Savvy Caregiver 12-hour training for family caregivers of people with dementia provides:
- Knowledge - Learn what dementia is and how it affects personality and behavior.
- Skills - Communicate more effectively with the person you are caring for, making each day better for you both.
- Attitudes - Learn how to take care of yourself to reduce stress.
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May 10th - June 14th, 2022
Tuesdays, 3 - 5 pm
on Zoom
To REGISTER: call 207-396-6541 by May 9th
There is no charge for these classes, but donations are accepted.
It is important to plan to attend all six classes.
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NEW COMMUNITY CAFE location:
Gray/New Gloucester Community Cafe
Hosted by Gray Parks & Recreation
(24 Main Street, Gray)
2nd Wednesday of every month
Meals served at noon
207-926-4126 |
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Join us for “The Exchange,” a networking meeting for providers. This meeting is open to any organization, business, or community initiative working on behalf of older adults in York and Cumberland Counties!
The Exchange
Southern Maine Alliance for Older Adults
Wednesday, May 25th, 2022
Noon - 1:30pm
Zoom
If you are a non-profit, business, government agency, community partner, or simply a member of the community who cares about the well-being of older Mainers, join us for the first networking Exchange event!
The Exchange is an opportunity for individuals who are working on behalf of the older adult population in York and Cumberland Counties to connect, collaborate, and share resources as we aim to improve the health and well-being of older adults in Maine.
Our first meeting will be via Zoom. Register today and we will send be sending you more details as the date comes close.
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Putting the Client at the Center |
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We Would Love to Hear Your Feedback:
Did you have a good experience with SMAA? A so-so experience? A terrible experience? We want to know! We are capturing information about ways to improve our client-centered goals and would love to hear your feedback. Tell us more: email at marketing@smaaa.org or 207-396-6520 |
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Build Community Awareness |
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SMAA classes made possible with the generous support of the Town of Yarmouth:
- A Matter of Balance sessions from May 2nd through May 25th, at the Yarmouth Community Center - Click to REGISTER by Friday, April, 29th
- Medicare Seminar on May 18th 1:30-3:30pm via Zoom
- Money Management Class on May 17th at 1pm at the Yarmouth Community Center
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Maine Relief Checks 2022 (from Cashmaine website)
The Maine Legislature has approved the supplemental budget and it was signed into law by Governor Mills on Wednesday, April 20. Here are the important details:
- Inflation Relief Checks
Relief checks of $850 will be mailed to most Maine residents, starting in June. To be eligible, you must be a full-time resident and file a 2021 Maine income tax return by October 31, 2022. Seniors receiving social security who do not typically file tax returns will have to file to receive a payment. Get your questions answered here.
- Tax Breaks for Maine Retirees
Exempts additional Maine retirement pension from income tax, improving the deductions for residents from $10,000 to $25,000 in tax year 2022, to $30,000 in tax year 2023 and to $35,000 in tax years 2024 and beyond. Retirement pension income from any source will be tax-exempt in Maine up to $35,000 per individual by the tax year 2025, providing an annual average tax cut of approximately $795.
- Property Tax Fairness Credit
The Property Tax Fairness Credit has been expanded to give low and middle-income households relief on property tax or rent. The refundable tax credit will be up to $1,000 each year and $1,500 maximum for seniors.
- Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
The EITC, available to families making less than $57,414, has been increased. The benefit per family will be an average of $764 per year.
While SMAA does not help with filing taxes (call Cash Maine for tax help: Cumberland County: (207) 347-2335 and York County: (207) 207-324-5762), SMAA Resource Specialists can help you with accessing the Property Tax Fairness credit as needed.
Contact us at 207-396-6500.
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Important News from Medicare & the Social Security Administration
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is providing equitable relief to individuals who could not submit premium-Part A or Part B enrollment or disenrollment requests due to challenges contacting them by phone in a timely manner. This relief applies to the 2022 General Enrollment Period, Initial Enrollment Period, and Special Enrollment Period.
If you or someone you know was unable to enroll or disenroll in Medicare because they could not reach SSA by phone after January 1, 2022, they will be granted additional time, through December 30, 2022.
For more information, call 1-800-772-1213 or use SSA's Office Locator to find the number for a local office.
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For Community Providers:
Did you know you can refer clients to SMAA services through the HIPAA-compliant Community Provider referral form located on SMAA's website?
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Do you know a potential partner organization, client, or community that could benefit from SMAA's services or could help advance our mission? Please connect with Meredith Anderson, Community Services Outreach Manager!
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If this newsletter was forwarded to you and you wish to join our mailing list, sign up here |
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If you or your organization is interested in partnering with us, please, contact us at info@smaaa.org |
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