4th Quarter 2021
Island Connector
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PLEASE NOTE THAT ISLAND CONNECTIONS OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 11 IN OBSERVANCE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S DAY. |
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In this issue:
- Message from the Executive Director
- New Staff Members - Jeannie Anderson, Volunteer Coordinator and Allison Sawyer, Transportation/Office Administrator
- Covid Update
- Want to Volunteer?
- Community Information
- A Note About Monthly Giving
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Our Mission
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.
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A message from Doreen Willett,
Executive Director of Island Connections
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One of my favorite times of year in New England is upon us. The leaves are slowly changing, at some point there will be less tourists and it's also the start of sweatah weathah! As the days get shorter the "Dream Team" at Island Connections, including our amazing volunteer drivers, are doing a great job to keep up with the ride demands. This time of year we do see an uptick in rides for neighbors who want to get to appointments before the weather changes to the "S" word. That's all I'll say about that! The increased rides puts a great deal of demand on our volunteers and that's why we are always in need of new volunteers so that we don't burn out the existing drivers!
In the past few months, we have welcomed 2 new team members, Allison Sawyer the Transportation/Office Administrator and Jeannie Anderson, Volunteer Coordinator. Both are doing a really great job in their new positions and you'll read a bit more about them individually below. I hope by now you have had the pleasure to speak one or both of them. They are very happy to be doing this work in our community and I'm thrilled to have them on the IC Team!
I would like to acknowledge and thank all who were so supportive and generous to not only meet our goal for the 2nd Provide a Ride Match Campaign, but beat it! A special thank you to Betsy and John Cochran, Bar Harbor Campground and Coastal Kayaking Tours and Acadia Bike Rentals. This campaign once again helped us tremendously through another year without fundraising events. I would also like to give a big shout out to Jackie Davidson, her team of staff and board members over at the YWCA MDI for their gracious designation as the beneficiary of the 2oth Luminary Event on MDI which resulted in a donation of $2,913.70. We are incredibly grateful for their support and partnership in the community.
In closing, I wish you all a lovely autumn and wonderful holiday season!
All the best,
Doreen
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CLICK THE PLAY VIDEO BUTTON BELOW TO WATCH HOW ISLAND CONNECTIONS' VOLUNTEERS PROVIDE CARING RIDES TO OUR ISLAND NEIGHBORS
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WE REMAIN DILIGENT IN ADHERING TO COVID PRECAUTIONS
While many locations in and around town no longer require mask wearing, we at Island Connections still require both the driver and the neighbor to wear a mask at all times during the actual ride and transfer time between the car and the pick-up or drop-off location.
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If you are in need of PPE supplies, please contact the office at 288-4457 to make arrangements for pickup if you need a cloth, paper, or plastic mask, gloves, hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes.
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A little bit about
Jeannie Anderson - THE NEW
Volunteer
Coordinator
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Jeannie moved to Maine in 1988 and has spent the majority of the years since then on MDI. She currently resides in Southwest Harbor with her husband, Brenton, and 13-year-old daughter, Janiece, and has 2 other children, Matthew and Ashley, who both graduated from MDIHS. Jeannie has worked extensively in area restaurants and food service businesses and has a passion for excellent customer service and creating personal connections with those she encounters. She loves the MDI community and is so grateful to be able to live and raise her kids here! When she does have downtime, she enjoys a quick swim at Echo Lake, a quiet walk with her dog, Lucy, meeting friends for brunch, and hanging out around the firepit with her family. |
A little bit about
Allison Sawyer Transportation/Office Administrator
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Allison is a native Mainer with a passion for serving others and has made herself right at home at Island Connections. After getting her degree in healthcare and working with laboratory animals, she has found her calling as Transportation/Office Administrator and couldn’t be happier. She loves meeting new neighbors and volunteers and is committed to doing her best to help our community.
When she isn’t at the office, Allison lives on the mainland. She enjoys spending time with her daughter, raising monarch caterpillars, making jewelry, and reading.
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We are sharing the Eastern Area Agency on Aging Newsletter for some great information! |
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A public service message from First National Bank
Protecting the Elderly
From Financial Exploitation
You, or someone you know, could become the victim of a growing crime in our country — financial abuse of older Americans. Seniors have increasingly become targets for financial abuse. As people over 50 years old control over 70 percent of the nation's wealth, fraudsters are using new tactics to take advantage of retiring baby boomers and the growing number of older Americans. Senior financial abuse is estimated to have cost victims at least $2.9 billion last year alone.
What Is Elder Financial Abuse?
It’s a crime that deprives older adults of their resources and ultimately their independence. Anyone who sees signs of theft, fraud, misuse of a person’s assets or credit, or use of undue influence to gain control of an older person’s money or property should be on the alert. Those are signs of possible exploitation. Older Americans that may have disabilities or rely on others for help can be even more susceptible to scams and other fraud. Advances in technology can also make it difficult for seniors to know who to trust and what's safe.
Despite these threats, taking simple steps to safeguard personal information and being aware of warning signs can protect aging men and women from financial abuse.
How Can Seniors Protect Themselves?
- Plan ahead to protect your assets and ensure your wishes are followed. Talk to someone at your financial institution, an attorney, or financial advisor about the best options for you.
- Shred receipts, bank statements and unused credit card offers before throwing them away.
- Carefully choose a trustworthy person to act as your agent in all estate-planning matters.
- Lock up your checkbook, account statement and other sensitive information when others will be in your home.
- Order copies of your credit report once a year to ensure accuracy.
- Never give personal information, including Social Security Numbers, account numbers, or other financial information to anyone over the phone unless you initiated the call and the other party is trusted.
- Never pay a fee or taxes to collect sweepstakes or lottery "winnings."
- If someone asks you to keep a financial transaction "a secret" tell a trusted family member or your bank.
- Never rush into financial decisions. Ask for details in writing and get a second opinion.
- Consult with a financial advisor or attorney before signing any document you don't understand.
- Get to know your banker and build a relationship with the people who handle your finances. They can look out for any suspicious activity related to your account.
- Pay with checks and credit cards instead of cash to keep a paper trail.
- Feel free to say "no." After all, it's your money.
- You have the right not to be threatened or intimidated. If you think someone close to you is trying to take control of your finances, call your local Adult Protective Services or tell someone at your bank.
- Trust your instincts. Exploiters and abusers often are very skilled. They can be charming and forceful in their effort to convince you to give up control of your finances. Don't be fooled — if something doesn't feel right, it may not be right. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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"RIDE WISE" at ISLAND CONNECTIONS:
Looking at the rides for the 3rd quarter of 2021
Island Connections volunteers are amazing! The second quarter of calendar year 2021:
- 1,225 rides were completed
- 14 new neighbors were added
- 8 new drivers were added
Given the increase in needed transportation services, we are in need of increasing our most valuable asset, 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 Jeannie Anderson.
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 apply to volunteer link or call Jeannie Anderson, our Volunteer Coordinator at 288-4457.
Thank you for your consideration in continuing to drive for us or by helping us to spread the word!
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Volunteers Needed!
Do you enjoy driving? Are you a "people person"? Do you enjoy helping others? If so consider driving for Island Connections as a volunteer driver. The number of neighbors we serve far outpaces the number of volunteers that we accrue. If you can attend one of our recruiting events scheduled throughout MDI, you will learn about:
· Who are the people who make up Island Connections and a bit of the history
· Gaining a better understanding of how our drives positively effect the lives of others
· How easy and fun it can be to volunteer with us!
Check our FACEBOOK page or look in the MDIslander for our recruiting events which are known as "Joy Riding".
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WINTER IS COMING!
Do you know someone who has a need for window inserts to help keep the cold air out and the warm air in? If so, here's a great program that can help!
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THANK YOU TO AARP FOR PROVIDING DETAILS OF KNOWN SCAMS TO WATCH FOR as of September 2021
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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 here 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.
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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 our Director or 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.
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Information from other local area agencies... |
Support group offered by Eastern Area on Aging |
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HOW ARE WE DOING???
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 office at:
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
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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.
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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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