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From The Times Record, Dec. 7, 2006

'Grant promotes Community for All Ages'

BRUNSWICK

   The Florence V. Burden Foundation, based in New York City, has awarded
a $25,000 grant to People Plus to help Brunswick become a  community for
all ages," an idea advanced by Temple University professor Nancy Henkin,
who connected the foundation with People Plus.

   The grant, which was announced in November for a January award date,
will enable People Plus to hire a part-time coordinator who will work to
educate the public about communities for all ages and identifying the
resources and obstacles for bringing young and old together. People Plus
plans to hire someone for the position by the end of January.

   The part-time coordinator will map community assets by identifying
existing relationships between community groups, agencies, neighborhoods,
schools, businesses, public entities and others to maximize opportunities
for meaningful interaction across the life span.

    When young people are learning from older people, and older people are
engaged in their community, everyone wins," said Michael Feldman, chairman
of the People Plus board of trustees.  This grant will enable us to move
forward, and to begin to put our dreams and ideals into action."

   To do that, Brunswick will foster core values of all-age communities,
which include interdependence, reciprocity, individual worth, diversity,
inclusion and social connectivity, according to People Plus executive
director Sig Knudsen.

   Likening a goal for an all-age community to President Lyndon Johnson's
Great Society" goal of eliminating poverty, Knudsen said,  The board of
trustees and staff of People Plus believe passionately in the ideals of
Communities for All Ages, and they have committed our center to working
toward creating such a place right here in Brunswick."

   Because Brunswick is one of the first towns in the nation working to
become a community for all ages, Knudsen will join other colleagues to
present at a spring conference sponsored by the National Council on the
Aging and the American Society on Aging.

   Convening the panel discussion will be Nancy Henkin, executive director
of Temple University's Center for Intergenerational Learning, who spoke to
125 people in May at Communities for All Ages forum in Brunswick.

   Since the May event, a People Plus steering committee headed by People
Plus board member Martha Cushing has been developing a plan to embrace the
concepts of communities for all ages within Brunswick.

   Other members include Kathy Christiansen of United Way of Mid Coast
Maine; Marlise Swartz of Mid Coast Senior Health Center; Thomas Farrell of
Brunswick Parks and Recreation; Dick Morrell, Downeast Energy, honorary
chairman; Mathew Eddy, Brunswick economic development; Sig Knudsen, People
Plus; Sara Poe, Coastal Transportation; Muriel Scott, Senior Spectrum; the
Rev. Rebecca Wegner, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church; Rick Wilson, Bruns wick
High School; and Nancy Porter, People Plus.