Age Friendly South Portland

Age Friendly South Portland - Jun 10 2026 Agenda Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 6:00 PM South Portland Main Library - Community Room Lower Level (482 Broadway, South Portland) Page A. Opening 1. Call to Order B. Review of Minutes 1. Reading of May 13, 2026 Minutes 2 AFSP Minutes 5.13.26 DRAFT.pdf C. Old Business 1. Emergency Preparedness Project 6 Review of report on recent Emergency Preparedness Project events and activities. Emergency Preparedness Project Report June 2026.pdf 2. AARP Challenge Grant Updates about the recently awarded AARP Challenge Grant D. New Business 1. Review of Age Friendly Annual Meeting Discussion regarding the statewide Age Friendly Annual meeting, which several South Portland Age Friendly committee members attended. 2. Co-Generational Story Sharing Potluck Supper 7 Community Plate - June 2026.pdf E. Public Comment F. Adjournment Page 1 of 8 ​Age Friendly South Portland Regular Meeting​ ​Minutes​ ​May 13, 2026 - 6:00 PM​ ​South Portland Main Library - Community Room, Lower Level​ ​Attendees:​ ​●​ ​Members: Lisa Joyce, Maxine Beecher, Rachael Coleman, Nancy Crowell,​ ​Andy Chandler, Carol Kilroy, Jason Adour​ ​●​ ​Other: Kathy Adams, Jessica Hughes (City Clerk), Chris Pupke (Staff​ ​Liaison), Sue McCormick (public), Jill Johanning (Alpha One).​ ​●​ ​Excused absences: Karen Taylor, Tony Grande​ ​1. Call to Order​ ​The regular meeting of the Age Friendly South Portland was called to order at 6:02​ ​PM by Maxine.​ ​2. Presentation by Mike Tremblay, P.E. Director of Transit Development, Greater​ ​Portland Metro​ ​●​ ​The item was cancelled as Mike Tremblay was unable to attend.​ ​3. Approval of Minutes​ ​The minutes from the previous meeting held on April 8, 2026 were reviewed.​ ​Nancy moved to accept. Lisa seconded with correction: adding her name. Passed​ ​unanimously.​ ​5. Public Comment​ ​●​ ​Members of the public were invited to share comments or concerns related​ ​to the Age Friendly South Portland Committee.​ ​○​ ​Lisa noted that AFSP received the AARP Challenge Grant for the​ ​Weatherization Program, in collaboration with the City’s Sustainability​ ​Department, the South Portland Housing Authority and Habitat for​ Page 2 of 8  ​Humanity. Lisa noted that the committee will have a table at Gnome​ ​Fest this Saturday where they will officially debut the program.​ ​○​ ​Nancy noted that along with materials for the above, the table will​ ​also include information about Emergency Preparedness and Jason’s​ ​balance program.​ ​○​ ​Nancy also noted that she has completed the Resource Magnets and​ ​will have some to hand out at Gnome Fest.​ ​○​ ​Rachael noted that there is new funding for 4 City Mailers. There is​ ​also a City email Newsletter that the public can sign up for.​ ​○​ ​Nancy indicated that she would like to remind the Committee that one​ ​of the Committee goals was to get a Council resolution​ ​acknowledging Older Americans Month. Rachael indicated that she​ ​would work on this but that the deadline has passed. Nancy offered​ ​to speak during the Public Comment section of the next Council​ ​meeting to acknowledge Older Americans Month.​ ​○​ ​Lisa introduced Jill Johanning, who is the architect for Alpha One.​ ​■​ ​Jill has provided a flyer regarding bus stop design (attached to​ ​agenda).​ ​■​ ​Lisa discussed how concerns regarding bus stops have been​ ​ongoing. She mentioned how in the past, private citizens have​ ​taken it upon themselves to install benches, however this is​ ​against City code and had to be removed.​ ​■​ ​Jill discussed some issues she knows of: allowing parking at​ ​bus stops and bike lanes that share space with bus stops. She​ i​dentified that benches are an ongoing issue along the entire​ ​Metro service area.​ ​○​ ​Lisa noted that Jill and her may work with someone who has​ ​experience with trying to increase ridership.​ ​■​ ​Lisa noted some ideas: a garden tour; a bus party.​ ​■​ ​Rachael noted that an important consideration is that before​ ​Metro can add on-demand shuttles to the South Portland route,​ ​ridership must increase.​ ​■​ ​Lisa led discussion on the Committee’s broader transportation​ ​goals and how this relates to the shared goal of increasing​ ​metro ridership.​ ​○​ ​Lisa discussed plans for next month’s meeting and the two big topics​ ​she wants to discuss:​ ​■​ ​The Weatherization Project.​ Page 3 of 8  ​●​ ​The messaging is that this will benefit all residents of​ ​South Portland, not just older adults, and that this project​ ​brings together several groups. These groups have​ ​resources available and can utilize their paid staff to​ ​meet the goals of this project. Lisa noted that out of all​ ​the work that South Portland Housing Authority and​ ​Habitat for Humanity can do regarding critical home​ ​repair, the one thing that no one can work on is sewers.​ ​●​ ​Lisa noted that as part of this program, the Sustainability​ ​Department will have open office hours to work with​ ​residents on weatherization.​ ​●​ ​There are plans to host a window dressing event next​ ​year. There will be a chance for folks to volunteer. Jill​ ​noted that she had looked into bringing this event to​ ​Westbrook, and that in working on that learned that the​ ​window dressing event in Windham is looking for​ ​volunteers so there is an opportunity to volunteer in​ ​advance of AFSP’s own event.​ ​■​ ​Partnership with Community Plates​ ​●​ ​Lisa noted that Community Plates is an organization that​ ​holds potlucks throughout the State to connect​ ​community members who don’t know each other. They​ ​have been featured on national news outlets such as​ ​NPR and 60 Minutes​ ​●​ ​They would like to expand the program to connect​ ​multigenerational community members, and the proposal​ ​was to hold an event in collaboration with AFSP and​ ​SMCC’s Culinary Department.​ ​●​ ​This proposal will be on next month’s agenda for​ ​Committee consideration and vote.​ ​○​ ​Discussion was held that Bike Ped is hosting another Share the Path​ ​event on the Greenbelt and they would like to have AFSP participate.​ ​○​ ​Discussion was held regarding that a missing gap in critical home​ ​repairs is the need for ramp installation. Lisa noted that Alpha One​ ​has funding through CDBG to install ramps for households that meet​ ​the criteria. Discussion was held around the limitations of available​ ​resources for this need.​ Page 4 of 8  ​○​ ​Kathy reminded attendees that the Senior Resource Fair will be held​ ​on September 18th. Lisa said she can ask SPCTV to film the event;​ ​Kathy asked if SPCTV can do a promotional piece ahead of the fair.​ ​○​ ​Nancy noted that she’ll be hosting an Emergency Preparedness event​ ​at Betsy Ross House this month.​ ​○​ ​Discussion was held about the SPPD Senior Walks events and it was​ ​noted that these walks have been a success.​ ​○​ ​Lisa led a discussion on the Committee’s finances.​ ​○​ ​Discussion held regarding the Committee’s summer schedule. It was​ ​decided that there will be no July meeting.​ ​○​ ​Lisa wanted to note for the record how grateful she is about how​ ​much help from City Staff the committee receives and that without​ ​that support, the Committee would not be able to do the work they​ ​do.​ ​6. Adjournment​ ​A motion was made by Lisa to adjourn the meeting at 7:33. The motion was​ ​seconded by Nancy and passed unanimously.​ ​Minutes submitted by Chris Pupke, Director of Social Services, Committee Staff​ ​Liaison and interim Secretary.​ Page 5 of 8  ​Updates June 2026​ ​Age Friendly South Portland​ ​Emergency Preparedness workgroup report​ ​June 10, 2026​ ​The display and information table at Gnome Fest/Spring Fest on May​ ​16, reached 61 people.​ ​Nancy Crowell spoke on behalf of AFSP, during the public comment​ ​period of the May 19 City Council meeting, to note that May was Older​ ​Americans Month. Nancy’s comments included examples of AFSP’s​ ​collaborative projects with city departments and committees.​ ​Nancy joined South Portland Housing Authority staff on May 20 to​ ​present emergency preparedness information and kits to residents at​ ​Betsy Ross Crossing. Six residents and staff attended.​ ​Additional File of Life materials have been received from Lifelong​ ​Maine and have been assembled for distribution.​ ​Report submitted,​ ​Nancy Crowell​ Page 6 of 8 ​Community Plate​ ​Serving community one food story at a time.​ ​Utilizing shared meals and storytelling to foster connection across generations​ ​Community Plate​ ​Community Plate’s mission is to foster human connections through the sharing of food, personal​ ​stories, and family recipes. At a time when our society is divided more than ever by political and​ ​cultural disagreement, when loneliness is an epidemic, when we often spend more time​ ​engaged with screens than with a fellow human being, sharing a meal, a story, a recipe, is​ ​modest gesture that can create an outsized impact.​ ​Community Plate hosts Story Sharing Potluck Suppers, partnering with community​ ​organizations to bring people together in multigenerational, non-partisan, secular, cross-cultural,​ ​spaces all across the state of Maine. Since 2023 we have hosted more than 45 suppers in all 16​ ​Maine counties, facilitating connection between Mainers of all ages and backgrounds.​ ​The idea behind a Story Sharing Potluck Supper is incredibly simple, but it’s elevated by an​ ​execution that is both structured and thorough. Through the act of bringing food and stories to​ ​share, participants are immediately engaged in a process of both giving and receiving, inviting​ ​them to be both generous and vulnerable, eager to be seen and heard. Intentions are set at the​ ​beginning for attention, generosity, inclusion and belonging. As the evening and meal unfolds,​ ​story prompts around food topics and a theme tailored for each particular community and event,​ ​provide scaffolding for conversations. At the end of the meal, an organized lineup of practiced​ ​storytellers entertains those gathered around the tables. Many of the storytellers are from the​ l​ocal community, some telling their story publicly for the first time, supported in their brave act​ ​through Community Plate storytelling workshops that take place in the weeks before the supper.​ ​At the end of the meal, recipes and stories are gathered together, and in the weeks that follow a​ ​small booklet is edited, designed, printed, and mailed to each attendee, an artifact and reminder​ ​of the connections forged and community created, that preserves the family recipes and stories​ ​for posterity.​ ​A co-generational approach connecting high school / college students and​ ​older community members​ ​Community Plate’s co-generational supper program fosters intentional intergenerational​ ​connection and collaboration. We identify and bring together two specific generational groups:​ ​Gen-Z (roughly 18-25 year olds) and older community members (60+) for a series of cohorts​ ​that collaborate on the planning of a Community Plate-style Story Sharing Potluck Supper for​ ​their communities.​ ​@2026 Community Plate​ Page 7 of 8 ​Partnering with high school extracurricular programs, colleges and age-friendly groups in the​ ​surrounding communities, we invite 5-6 local participants from each generational group to start​ ​the process by participating in an intergenerational storytelling workshop, in which each​ ​participant learns the art of storytelling, develops a personal narrative, practices and receives​ ​feedback from the group and a professional facilitator, and then has the opportunity to tell their​ ​story at event that will be planned by the intergenerational group. These workshops provide the​ ​framework, support, and encouragement needed for participants to perform a personal narrative​ i​n front of a live audience. They also provide opportunities for connection, as participants​ ​perform exercises sharing stories, examining their own life experience and hearing about​ ​others.​ ​Connections among participants strengthen as the group plans the community supper: choosing​ ​a theme, developing a set of story prompts to facilitate conversations, preparing a dish to share,​ ​and even cooking together in intergenerational teams. Finally, the group selects the lineup of​ ​storytellers who will perform their stories at the supper. Community Plate facilitates an initial​ ​meeting, the two session workshop, and meets an additional 2-3 times with the full​ i​ntergenerational cohort to guide them through the supper planning process as they choose a​ ​theme, develop story prompts, find a venue, and invite guests.​ ​We have seen first hand that these Story Sharing Potluck Suppers have been successful​ ​engaging both of the targeted demographics. The suppers play into the strengths and skills of​ ​the older generation as the keepers of family recipes, stories, and cooking knowledge. An event​ ​that promotes the value of family recipes and stories makes our older participants feel seen and​ ​heard.​ ​Our younger participants are familiar with popular culture storytelling events, StorySlams, and​ ​podcasts, such as The Moth, and are excited by the opportunity to participate in a program that​ ​brings first person narrative storytelling, in this style, to their community. They also enjoy the​ ​challenge of sharing stories based on the story prompts provided — there are many​ ​contemporary games based on this idea.​ ​Recent data points to the two identified demographics as being the most severely impacted by​ ​the epidemic of loneliness. Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH, author of the book, Project UnLonely:​ ​Healing our Crisis of Disconnection, President and Founder of the Foundation for Art &​ ​Healing, and a member of the Community Plate advisory council, points to a recent Gallup study​ ​from October 2023. The study cites statistics showing the loneliest adult demographic worldwide​ ​now being those between the ages of 18 and 28, with the next loneliest group being 65 – 75.​ ​The good news is that the need for connection by both of these two groups can be addressed​ ​simultaneously and successfully by facilitating connections between them through sharing food​ ​and stories.​ ​For more information about Community Plate visit​​https://communityplate.me​ ​For more information about bringing an Co-generational Story Sharing Potluck Supper​ ​and Storytelling Workshop to your community contact Karl Schatz, 207-337-6101,​ ​karl@communityplate.me​ Page 8 of 8