On October 5, nearly 200 guests gathered at our Portland Center for Age Forward: Building Maine’s Future Together. Under a beautifully lit tent surrounded by fall décor, neighbors, friends, and community partners shared an evening of delicious food, conversation, and possibility.
It was a chance to celebrate the people who make our work possible, consider the future of aging in Maine, and introduce a new name that reflects our commitment to that future: AgeMaine.
Building Maine’s future together
Keynote speaker Matt Thornhill brought a perspective that connected closely with the purpose of the evening: older adults have experience, skills, and ideas that are essential to Maine’s future.
His presentation, The Next Chapter in Maine’s Story, invited guests to consider the opportunities in Maine’s changing demographics and the contributions older adults can make as volunteers, neighbors, workers, and community leaders. At the heart of that message was an invitation to widen the circle, welcoming more people to contribute and help shape what comes next.
That spirit of shared responsibility carried into dinner and conversation. Building Maine’s future together begins with recognizing what people have to offer and making room for them to take part.
A taste of our mission
Dinner offered guests a delicious connection to the work they were there to support. Birch Stream Farms, which prepares the meals for our Meals on Wheels program, provided the evening’s food. By serving Meals on Wheels meals, we brought a familiar part of our everyday mission to the table.
Throughout Cumberland and York counties, those meals arrive at neighbors’ doors alongside a friendly visit and someone checking in. Sharing them at Age Forward gave guests a taste of that work and a reminder of the care behind each delivery.
Introducing AgeMaine
The evening held a special milestone for our organization. President and CEO Megan Walton revealed our new name and identity, AgeMaine, to the community gathered with us.
The unveiling connected our history with our hopes for Maine’s future. After more than 50 years as Southern Maine Agency on Aging, we’re building on relationships with generations of older adults, caregivers, volunteers, and community partners. Those relationships will continue to guide us as AgeMaine.
The new identity also echoed the evening’s conversation about the role we can play in Maine’s future. Alongside our services in Cumberland and York counties, we’ll continue bringing the needs and perspectives of the people we serve into statewide conversations about aging.
It was a moment to celebrate where we’ve been and look ahead together, with the familiar staff, volunteers, and programs our community counts on.
Learn more about our new name and what it means for you.
A space to create and connect
The evening also included recognition of Unum’s generous support with the naming of the Create & Connect Studio in our Adult Day Program. The name celebrates opportunities for members to express themselves, share experiences, and connect with one another.
We’re grateful to Unum for investing in our work and helping make these everyday moments of connection possible.
With gratitude to our community
To our guests, sponsors, volunteers, board members, Advisory Committee, and staff: thank you for making Age Forward such a warm and memorable evening. Your time, generosity, and care help sustain the everyday work that brings support and connection to older adults and caregivers.
We left the evening grateful for the community around us and hopeful about what we can build together. Thank you for being part of this moment, and for moving forward with us as AgeMaine.
