February 2020 Island Connector

Highlights for the Month of February The MDI Coffeehouse on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month through April 2020 The Senior Movie Matinee is on Thursday afternoons at Reel Pizza in Bar Harbor at 1:00 p.m. - Tickets are $ 5.00 and doors open at 12:30 p.m. Age by Design Program scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2008 at the YWCA MDI Our offices will be closed on February 17, 2020 in observance of Presidents' Day

Welcome to the February 2020 Island Connector! We share our monthly newsletter to make the most of our connections in the community! The purpose of the Island Connector is to share our good work and help those who can benefit from our services or who may wish to volunteer and serve our organization for our beloved community. Neighbors Helping Neighbors is what Island Connections is all about and has been for over 22 years.  If you have a family member or know of a neighbor that could benefit from our free transportation services, please have them call us at 288-4457.

Island Connections provides free transportation and other services to seniors and people with disabilities from Mount Desert Island and the surrounding islands to enhance their independence and quality of life by utilizing our core group of dedicated volunteers.

IN THIS MONTHS' ISSUE Island Connector Message from the Executive Director Caring Rides - the Island Connections Story Neighbor Ride Eligibility Friendly reminder to our volunteers Volunteers - Our heart and Soul Neighbors making extra stops NEW Island Connections' Transportation Program Calendar of Upcoming Events MDI Coffeehouse is back! Age by Design Program 4th Annual Chowder AND Chili Chowdown - Recap with winners and pictures! Monthly Giving Program On-Line Volunteer Application AARP Scam Alert Yummy recipes from our volunteers and friends Volunteer Driver Reward Program Neighbor & Volunteers of the Month Healthy Acadia - Neighbor 4 Neighbor Application Events for Seniors Senior Luncheon at the Neighborhood House starts this Thursday, Nov. 7 ISLAND CONNECTIONS' OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH IN OBSERVANCE OF PRESIDENTS' DAY I WOULD LIKE TO DONATE

Message from the Executive Director It's that time of year and love is in the air! What better time to spread it around to our community than now? I'm hoping you read this and become inspired to be a good or better neighbor than you already are in the community. Living in a community that is known for being a beautiful destination to travelers and summer residents, in some places across the island, we've lost the sense of knowing our neighbors. I'm trying to instill in people thinking about the importance of making new and maintaining our current connections to our neighbors to keep them engaged in the community. Currently, Island Connections meets 98% of the transportation requests we get from our neighbors on an annual basis. Given the increase in the number of neighbors we serve and the request for rides over the past several years, we want to ensure that our 1st priority rides, medical rides, are always filled. Having said that, the way you can spread the love to your neighbors is to ask them if they need a ride to the grocery store, Walmart, to the library, or the Senior Movie Matinee on Thursdays at Reel Pizza. If you're already going and you wouldn't mind the company, I'm sure you have a neighbor that wouldn't mind going as well. Perhaps they don't wish to go but could use some milk or bread. It's not a lot to do but has a huge impact on your neighbor. Some of the other things that are needed may vary from shoveling snow from a porch, stairs, pathway to the driveway and/or the driveway, change a light bulb, make sure the batteries in the fire alarm or in the carbon monoxide detector are operational. Please remember to spread the love in the community and just be mindful that we are all in this together. All the best, Doreen Willett Visit our Website CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON BELOW TO WATCH HOW ISLAND CONNECTIONS' VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE CARING RIDES TO OUR ISLAND NEIGBHORS

Who is eligible for Island Connections Free Transportation Services? For over twenty two years, Island Connections has been providing free transportation for seniors and people with disabilities on Mount Desert Island and the surrounding islands. We would like to ensure that all of our island community members are aware of our ride eligibility policy. We provide rides to seniors 70+, with no questions asked, as well as to both people with temporary AND permanent disabilities. To clarify, this means that if you are temporarily restricted or temporarily disabled to drive due to a medical reason determined by a physician and are under the age of 70, you are eligible for free transportation services with Island Connections.  We simply ask you to provide a doctor’s note for our records to support your medical condition. If you are determined to be permanently disabled, under the age of 70 and can provide a benefits statement from the Social Security Administration, you are eligible for free transportation as well. Please share this information with your family, friends and neighbors so that they become fully aware of our ride policy. Thank you.

Friendly Reminder to Our Volunteers Please know that your time and privacy are very important to us at Island Connections. We try to adhere to your time constraints and don't give out your telephone numbers to our neighbors for good reason. We want to be sure that our neighbors are respecting our process of providing rides to them. What we don't want to have happen is that the neighbors are calling you directly for rides and not going through Island Connections. This not only disrupts our scheduling process and muddles our ride counts, but it also opens you up to our neighbors calling you for any number of reasons and, as a result you may not feel comfortable doing what they ask, but may end up doing the ride/task out of guilt rather than refuse them. It’s not to say that we don’t want to encourage good relationships between our neighbors and volunteers but believe that there is a line to be drawn so that you aren’t overburdened. We don’t want to hinder the organic friendships and relationships being created, we just want to be sure that you are always comfortable with the relationship.

VOLUNTEERS - THE HEART AND SOUL OF ISLAND CONNECTIONS

Island Connections Neighbors and Ride Demands Island Connections volunteers amaze me, my staff and board to be able to meet the demands in order to complete 424 rides in the month of January. We added new 11 neighbors needing our services last month. Of course, given the increase in needed transportation services, we are also in need of more volunteers. If you or someone you know would like to find out what it means to become a volunteer driver for Island Connections, please be sure to call and speak to Dana Mastroianni. Our Joy Riding recruitment Program proved to be an excellent recruiting method for Island Connections. Future dates will be announced. Can we ask YOU, our volunteer drivers, to help spread the word about the amazing work YOU do for our island neighbors and how they can help too by volunteering some of their time to do the same. As many know, it's actually very easy to help us and rewarding. We have 720 living hours in a month and by donating 1 hour of time, a neighbor can be transported to and from an in town medical appointment. Please share this newsletter with your friends or family members who who want to volunteer for Island Connections . They can merely click on the I wish to apply to Volunteer link below or call us at 288-4457 and speak to Dana Mastroianni. Thank you for your consideration or helping us spread the word!

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A VOLUNTEER DRIVER?

I WISH TO APPLY TO VOLUNTEER

WHY VOLUNTEER? It brings people together. You get to meet new people and make new friends. It promotes self-growth. You can use your skills and learn new skills. You make a difference. Volunteering makes you feel appreciated and needed. It provides an opportunity to give back what has been given to you. It strengthens our community and breaks down barriers of fear and misunderstanding. Thank you for your consideration

Neighbors needing extra stops with their scheduled rides As we continue to ensure that our transportation program runs smoothly and effectively, we recognize that our neighbors may not fully understand how important our need to do so may be. We are aware that when our neighbors are able to get out to go to a doctor's appointment or otherwise it may be their only chance to stop to get a gallon of milk or bread. Whatever the need may be, we would like to be able to track this information accurately as extra stops increase the services we provide. This information is important for a number of reasons. Firstly and ideally, we would like to obtain this request directly from the neighbor up front when we enter a ride into our system so that when a volunteer chooses to take a ride they know the expectation and time commitment of that ride. Secondly, we certainly don't want our volunteers to feel guilty or obligated if they don't have the time to make unscheduled stops during any ride. Thirdly, we want to report accurate information when applying for grant funding and also provide that information to our community as to the extent of our services. Lastly and most importantly, to ensure that our volunteers aren't feeling pressured or uncomfortable in any way that would give them pause about providing our neighbors future rides. Our volunteers are our greatest asset and with the increase in the number of rides overall, we want to be sure that the systems we have in place are working for everyone. Therefore, in the event that you have made an extra stop during a scheduled ride, we ask that you contact the office by phone or email so that we can be sure to enter it into RideScheduler. We thank you for your cooperation in this regard. 

This is BIG NEWS !!! We are working on putting together a new pilot transportation program which will utilize the multi-passenger van that was donated to us and for which we received the grant award from the Maine Community Founation Hancock County Fund. The plan is to bring several neighbors at a time to Hannaford and Walmart on specific days/times. We are working out a schedule with the MDI & Ellsworth Housing Authority as follows: Malvern Belmont in Bar Harbor Hannaford - Monday pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at 10:30 a.m. Walmart Wednesdays! 3rd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at Noon Rodick Lorraine in Bar Harbor Hannaford - Monday pick up at 9:10 a.m. - return at 10:30 a.m. Walmart Wednesdays! 3rd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:10 a.m. - return at Noon Eden Apartments in Bar Harbor Hannaford - Monday pick up at 9:10 a.m. - return at 10:30 a.m. Walmart Wednesdays! 3rd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:10 a.m. - return at Noon

Woodbury Apartments in Bar Harbor Hannaford - Monday pick up at 9:20 a.m. - return at 10:30 a.m. Walmart Wednesdays! 3rd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:20 a.m. - return at Noon _________________________________ Norwood Apartments in Southwest Harbor IGA Foodmart or Hannaford - Friday pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at 11:00 a.m. Walmart Wednesdays! 1st Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at Noon Ridge Apartments in Southwest Harbor IGA Foodmart or Hannaford - Friday pick up at 9:30 a.m. - return at 11:00 a.m. Walmart Wednesdays! 1st Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at Noon _________________________________ Maple Lane Apartments in Northeast Harbor Walmart Wednesdays! 2nd Wednesday of the month - pick up at 9:00 a.m. - return at Noon

We are looking for up to 5 dedicated volunteer drivers to help get this program moving! If you are interested or know someone that would be and/or want to find out more information, please call Doreen at 288-4457. Thank you!

ISLAND CONNECTIONS 2020 UPCOMING EVENTS

4TH ANNUAL CHOWDER & CHIILI CHOWDOWN

The winners and some really great pictures!!! Congratulations to all of the winners and thank you to all who competed in this event! BUT BEFORE I DO THAT - MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR NEXT YEAR - Saturday, January 23, 2021 at the  Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center  from 5-7 p.m. Now for the results.......insert drum roll here....... In the NEW Chili Competitors : Professional Traditional –  Birch Bay Retirement Village , Chef David Viertel Vegetarian –  Open Table MDI , Mahandeva Singh Vegan –  Maine Seacoast Mission , Jillian Amateur Traditional – Anne Kneeland  Vegetarian –  Chad Kessel  with  Patrick's By The Sea Vegan – Jesse Snider from  College of the Atlantic Chowder Competitors Professional Traditional –  Epi's Pizza , Chef/Owner Mick Vegetarian –  Milk & Honey , Chef/Owner  Eliza Bishop Vegan –  Birch Bay Retirement Village , Chef David Viertel Amateur Traditional – Senachie and Sue from  Bar Harbor Foodie Tours Vegetarian – Alf Anderson, Executive Director of the  Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce - Members Vegan – @Jenny Jones Denegre, Executive Director of the  Bar Harbor Food Pantry People’s Choice Chili –  Bar Harbor Fire Department Chowder –  Peekytoe Provisions  – 4th year in a row!!! I would like to thank our amazing hosts at the  Atlantic Oceanside Hotel & Event Center  and all of those who attended the event to support Island Connections. I would like to recognize our Title Sponsor, Bar Harbor Savings & Loan Association; our Silver Sponsors -  Coston and McIsaac, CPAs ,  Darling's Auto Mall ,  MDI Hospital  and  Side Street Cafe  and ME Shellfish and table sponsors –  Erica Brooks, REALTOR ,  Fiore Olive Oils and Vinegars ,  Maine Shellfish Ellsworth ,  The Knowles Company  and  Queen Anne's Flower Shop . Thanks to our amazing partners in the community who donated all of the raffle items -  The Kimball Shop & Boutique ,  My Darling Maine Island Boutique ,  Cadillac Mountain Sports ,  Mama DiMatteo's Restaurant, Bar Harbor, Maine ,  Peekytoe Provisions ,  Downeast Windjammer Cruises ,  A Slice of Eden ,  Bartlett Bakery ,  Thirsty Whale Tavern ,  Mount Desert Islander, Global Beverage Warehouse ,  Southwest Cycle ,  FT Brown Hardware  and  Cool As A Moose . A big shout out to  Old Dog Baking Co.  for the donation of their delicious bread; Pat Cooney Foster for the cute little snowmen table centerpieces,  Restaurant Barn  for the spoons and Chelsea White, artist and owner of the  The Burnt Porcupine  for the competitor’s awards and to the duo of Sarah and David from COA who played great music,  WABI TV5 ,  Star 97.7  and the  Mount Desert Islander  for promoting the event. We are over the moon with the outstanding turnout which is a direct result in the change in venue which provides more space for a larger number of participants, attendees and provide space for games, music, etc. I want to thank Maegan Haney, our Events Coordinator for an outstanding job! WAY TO GO MAEGAN! All proceeds are used for the operations of Island Connections to provide our necessary services.

Champion Circle Monthly Giving Program As part of our annual appeal, we are able to offer an online giving option that offers you the ability to support Island Connections on a monthly basis. We invite you to seriously consider our Champion Connector’s Circle Program for the following reasons. Monthly giving makes it easier for you to plan ahead for your annual giving, and alleviates the potential challenge of a large outlay of funds at the end of the year.  Your donation can be easily and securely debited from a credit card or bank account of your choosing.  You can set it up to debit your account automatically each month, and not have to think about it again. And it helps Island Connections by providing a consistent and steady cash flow stream throughout the year. All you need to do is click on the link below and simply follow the instructions for the monthly giving program. It’s that easy! Please note that one time gifts can be made on this giving link as well. If you require any additional assistance or have any questions, please call Doreen at 207-288-4457.

MONTHLY GIVING - DONATE NOW

Monthly recipes from our friends, neighbors & volunteers of Island Connections Alaska Salmon Bake with Pecan Crunch Coating Time 30 minutes Makes 6 servings Ingredients 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons butter, melted 5 teaspoons honey 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans 3 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley 6 (4 ounce) fillets salmon salt and pepper to taste 6 lemon wedges Directions Prep 20m Cook 10 m Ready In 30 m Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, butter, and honey. In another bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, pecans, and parsley. Season each salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with mustard-honey mixture. Cover the top of each fillet with bread crumb mixture. Bake for 10 minutes per inch of thickness, measured at thickest part, or until salmon just flakes when tested with a fork. Serve garnished with lemon wedges.  Bon Apetit!

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT OUR VOLUNTEER DRIVER REWARDS PROGRAM? Back in 2011, when gas prices were climbing higher than we had seen, Island Connections started a Driver Rewards Program to help our volunteer drivers who were working hard for our neighbors each day. The way it works is that points are accumulated for every ride given by a volunteer to a neighbor. The point system is based on the number of rides given and destination of the rides. Each month Amy Manring, our Transportation Coordinator, reviews all of the data to create a list of those volunteers who have accumulated 30 points at which time we mail each of them a $ 25.00 gift card from Irving/Circle K. Their points revert back to 0 and they begin accumulating all over again. It's our way of giving back to those who give of themselves, their time and their resources. All of our active volunteers are eligible to accumulate points by driving for Island Connections. Island Connections Driver Rewards Program is made possible through grant funding provided by the Hattie A. and Fred C. Lynam Trust Fund through Bar Harbor Bank and Trust Service and Witham Family Foundation.

Volunteer Reminder We are so fortunate to have so many wonderful neighbors be served by our outstanding volunteers who give of their time and resources. I wish to lend a reminder that YOU, as an Island Connections volunteer, may be the only person that a neighbor may come in contact with that day, that week or otherwise. Not only is the ride they are receiving important but the social aspect of the time spent together goes quite a long way. Please keep in mind that they look forward to their time with you and by nurturing the relationship it can make all the difference to build trust and a real sense of security while in your care. We always want our neighbors to feel safe, secure and confident in your ability to get them where they they need to go while building a lasting friendship. To all of our volunteers - Thank you for supporting our neighbors in every way that you do.

Neighbor of the Month The Neighbor of the Month is Nancy Walder. Nancy has been an neighbor of Island Connections just over 3 years. She enjoys the friendly conversaiton with her volunteer drivers and always makes them smile. We are so happy to provide Nancy with her transportation service needs. Volunteers of the Month The Volunteer of the Month is Peter Houghton who has taken quite a few different neighbors to their needed doctors appointments, exercise classes The Urgent Driver of the Month is Jim Grover. Jim has been providing transportation for Island Connections neighbors for many years and in the last month alone has done multiple van trips to Bangor and Blue Hill. So appreciated Jim!  Our Special Mention Drivers are MaryLee Bayne, Ken Collins, Deb Fisher, Carol Johnston, Grover & Sarah Nevells and David Parker.  Thank YOU ALL for ALL you do to help ensure that our neighbors are getting to their needed appointments, etc.

The neighbor4neighbor Fund Now Accepting Applications What: neighbor4neighbor Fund, a program of Healthy Acadia, is now accepting applications from seniors for grants up to $500 for unexpected expenses Where: Hancock and Washington counties  Dates and Time: Applications accepted year round. Apply online: The neighbor4neighbor Fund, a program of Healthy Acadia, is now accepting applications from seniors who are facing any one of many life crises which arise unexpectedly and for which a senior may not have adequate funds. The neighbor4neighbor Fund’s mini-grants, capped at $500.00, cover such things as new eyeglasses, dentures, medical equipment, household repairs, or other one-time challenges which can arise and undermine a senior’s ability to live independently and have a high quality of life. The philosophy of the neighbor4neighbor Fund is that small grants can make a big difference in a senior’s life and the fund works to provide this kind of financial assistance. The goal is to help people to be healthy, stay in their homes and be able to function independently. Many seniors are struggling just to meet their most basic needs, so unexpected expenses are not part of their budget. The neighbor4neighbor Fund is open to seniors in both Hancock and Washington Counties and is administered by Healthy Acadia. Please contact Nina Zeldin at 667-7171 or nina@heathlyacadia.org to receive an application or learn more about neighbor4neighbor. Applications can also be downloaded by clicking the link below:

Grant Application

HELPFUL INFORMATION: FROM THE BAR HARBOR FIRE DEPARTMENT  Representatives of the Fire Department share the following advice: we should all have carbon monoxide and smoke detectors on each level of our homes; all detectors have expiration dates-so check and replace if needed; and of course replace batteries routinely. If a senior is having difficulty installing a detector or changing a detector battery, the Fire Department graciously offers to come and do that for you. They request you call them on the non urgent line to request this and they will plan a time to come and assist you.  FROM   THE BAR HARBOR POLICE DEPARTMENT   Members of the Police Dept spoke at a gathering last year to advise all citizens to report any suspicious or unsafe items to them. They ask if you accidentally dial 911 that you stay on the line—this negates the need for them to follow up on a hang up call. The Police note that if you have a problem they might assist with –such as needing sand for icy steps that you are not able to go obtain yourself---please call them on the non urgent line and they will make plans to help you.

Local Transportation for Seniors  BAR HARBOR SHUTTLE  (year round service operated by Downeast Transportation)  This bus operates on Tuesdays

We would love your feedback on how we're doing in our community. Please feel free to call or e-mail with your comments.   If you need information about Island Connections or in need of a ride, please contact our Transportation Coordinator,  Amy Manring. CONTACT US Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 9:00 - 5:00 p.m. Telephone: 207-288-4457 Doreen Willett Executive Director  Island Connections   www.islconnections.org  Bar Harbor, ME 04609 director@islconnections.org

Have you given any thought to Planned Giving? Perhaps you would like to speak to us about leaving a bequest to Island Connections but didn't know how to get started. Contact Doreen Willett to start the conversation about creating a sustainable giving plan. We thank you for your consideration.

Island Connections * 93 Cottage Street, Suite 101, Bar Harbor, ME 04609 Phone 207-288-4457 * info@islconnections.org www.islconnections.org

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