UMaine Center on Aging Awarded $381,042 to Support Senior Companion Program (SCP)

UMaine Center on Aging Awarded $381,042 to Support Senior Companion Program (SCP)

The Center on Aging has been awarded an AmeriCorps Seniors SCP annual grant in the amount of $381,042  from the federal community service agency, AmeriCorps. This grant supports our SCP volunteers serving in Androscoggin, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, Waldo, and Washington Counties in providing companionship and respite volunteer opportunities for older Americans (age 55+) as a Senior Companion Program since it starts in 1981. This award permits the Center on Aging to continue to oversee SCP at the University of Maine under the leadership of its new director, Sara Grant, LMSW.

With this funding, UMaine’s Center on Aging Senior Companion Program will highlight the skills and experience of seniors in our four-county service area to meet community needs. These AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers will serve to fight social isolation and loneliness for clients and caregivers alike, provide companionship to homebound and isolated older adults, respite to caregivers who have earned a well-deserved break, and serve in other capacities including virtually and telephonically, as we adapt to the challenges to safely serve during the Covid-19 pandemic. To join SCP and be matched with a volunteer position, please contact Sara Grant, SCP Director, at (207) 262-7927 to relay your interest and begin the registration and interview process to get started serving your community.