COURTESY OF AARP MAINE
As 2024 comes to a close, AARP Maine is proud to share with Bangor Daily News readers the many efforts and accomplishments driven by our dedicated volunteers throughout the past year. A sincere thank you is owed to our citizen advocates, community members and collaborative partners for their spirited, action-oriented, and tireless work.
Once again this year, we filled the halls of Augusta with our trademark red shirts and continued our tradition of Tuesdays at the State House. Each week, volunteers convened at the State House and over Zoom to hear legislative updates, learn the intricacies of policy-making, chat with state representatives, and plan outreach campaigns. Our members and volunteers testified throughout the legislative session and shared powerful stories about important issues such as the challenges of being a family caregiver, the effects of high utility costs on vulnerable households, and the necessity of a stable broadband connection in communities everywhere.
We also hosted over 200 local events for AARP members, volunteers, and community members including a forum on elder abuse, free movie screenings, ice cream socials throughout the summer to advocate for Social Security, and monthly coffee gatherings in Bangor (as well as four other Maine communities) with a variety of guest speakers. All of these events were offered for free to anyone who wanted to participate. Our electric bill workshops helped local Mainers stay informed about their electric bills and better understand ongoing efforts to maintain fair and reasonable utility rates in Maine.
In addition to their legislative efforts, many of our volunteers felt particularly inspired by AARP Maine’s mission: to empower Mainers 50-plus to choose how they live as they age. Some of the volunteer-led activities you might recognize include on-taps at a local brewery, e-bike demos, and special events such as a sold-out performance of Birthday Candles at the Penobscot Theatre.
AARP Maine staff members and volunteers were thrilled to return to Pride festivals in four communities including Bangor, showcasing an unwavering commitment to supporting Maine’s LGTBQ+ community. We see diversity as a source of strength and LGBTQ+ communities are a vital part of the quilt of American life. We met so many local residents at this year’s Bangor Pride and at our documentary screening event of Bar Stories at the Gracie Theatre.
Our office is also deeply committed to supporting communities across Maine and their efforts to become more livable for residents of all ages. We partner with local leaders, organizations and dedicated residents to help make that vision a reality, including in Greater Bangor. As part of our livable communities work, we recently hosted an online event about becoming an advocate for pedestrian and bicyclist safety that highlighted the City of Bangor’s work in this important area.
