Aging Friendly Parish Workshop

Who will decide when you are unable to drive any longer and take away your car keys? You, your spouse, your daughter or son, your doctor, the police?? It is a basic fact of life that all of us are aging, from the very young to the elderly, but it seems some of us are aging faster than others. We have vision trouble. We are slower. We are falling down. We are with walkers or in wheel chairs. Kermit the Frog claims that “it is not easy being green.” Our elderly say “my back hurts, my knee hurts.” And we think “it is not easy getting old.” Come to our parish’s “Aging Friendly Parish Workshop” on Saturday, March 26 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The workshop will be held in the parish hall at St. Maximilian Kolbe Church. There is no fee, it is free. Our presenter will be Mr. Don Harden, Director of Aging Services, Catholic Charities Maine. He will lead the discussion of: What are the Blessings of Aging? How can we develop age positive attitude and culture? How can we develop an Age Friendly (Positive) Parish?

Don is a founding Board Member of the Maine Council on Aging and coordinates the Power in Aging Project, MCOA’s new anti-ageism campaign. He has been affiliated with Catholic Charities Maine for over 42 years, most recently as Director of Aging Services and continues to serve as a Policy Consultant. He partnered with the Parish Social Ministry Team at Catholic Charities to create and deliver Age Friendly Parish Workshops across the State. He was co-convenor of the Maine Aging Initiative’s Workgroup on Workforce and the Economy, served on the Legislative Commission to Study Long-term Care Workforce Issues, and chairs Maine’s Department of Labor Committee on Older Workers.