Volunteers with Age Friendly Saco accomplished a lot in 2020, despite the pandemic, and were recognized for their efforts at a recent reception. Courtesy Photo

SACO — When the coronavirus pandemic hit Maine in 2020, Age Friendly Saco reached out to more than 2.500 older residents to determine their needs and concerns.

“The number one need that emerged was food insecurity,” said Jean Saunders, Age Friendly Saco director. “We started a new delivery program with Age Friendly volunteers delivering food from the Saco Food Pantry, and we also became a local distributor of the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program, distributing over 5,000 boxes of food to our community at large.”

Those were some of the initiatives undertaken by volunteers in 2020, and their contributions were recognized with a reception last month.

A new project for Age Friendly Saco, in collaboration with Saco Main Street, is the acquisition of an adaptive bicycle to give older, isolated seniors in congregate living facilities the chance to take a ride. Courtesy Photo

During the year, Saunders said Age Friendly volunteers secured a grant to provide computer tablets to older residents, provided a Thanksgiving meal to more than 300 people; gave $3,500 to the Saco Parks and Recreation Department to sponsor two meals through their restaurant meal program; raised more than $6,000 in community funds to support food insecurity; delivered more than 100 sand buckets with Thornton Academy students to older residents to help them keep steps and walkways safe in the winter; received $26,000 in grants to support residents, developed a Tech Handy Halper program, and more.

“Though the world looked very different, our Age Friendly team continued to work reaching out to our residents,” said Saunders. “Our work looked different as well, but we still found ways to meet the needs. ”

Looking to new goals for the year, Saunders pointed to the establishment of an on-demand transportation program for residents. She said Age Friendly Saco received a grant for an Americorps volunteer who will help develop and implement the new system. As well, Age Friendly Saco received a grant from the Huntington Commons Charitable Fund to purchase an adaptive bike called the Chat and in collaboration with Saco Main Street, plans to start offering bike rides to isolated seniors from local congregate living facilities.