At the recent Annual Meeting of the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging (FMCOA) held at the Cushing Center, the first six years of the organization’s community efforts were celebrated. Retiring members, Sue Wood, Chrissie Bascom, Priscilla Ditchfield, Jerry Garcia, and John Turner were acknowledged for their vision and hard work in bringing the Friends to where they are today. New officers and board members for 2018-19 are: Merry Conway, President; Andrea Keene, Membership Chair; Kathy Anderson, Treasurer; Jane Stankiewicz, Secretary. Board members include Joan Asker, Nancy Braitmayer, Jeanne Daly, Clare Healy Foley, Mary Ann Hayes, Edward Hoffer, and Jeanne Lake.
Merry Conway acknowledged and thanked the Friends of the Marion Visiting Nurses for their generous contribution to fund the partitions project at the Cushing Community Center and for the donation they have made towards the renovation of the Center’s office space. Frank McNamee, Chair of the COA Building Committee, shared the plans for the building’s two projects and spoke of the need for improving the existing space to accommodate the growing number of activities as well the need to offer seniors confidential consultation space when taking advantage of the growing number of services that are now available.
Kate Fentress, founder of Coastal Neighbors Network in Dartmouth, was the keynote speaker and outlined their program and how they are serving various needs of their community outside those being offered by local agencies. Socialization has been identified as an important element of their program leading them to solicit ideas for activities that resonate with its members. It was gratifying to hear what is happening in other communities and to realize how much the Marion COA is able to offer our community with a full-time director and building now in place.
Recognizing the success of the regular Monday programming, the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging is committed to ongoing funding to support these well attended educational, social, and engagement events. As programs and attendance at the Marion Council on Aging grows, so must our resources.
Members can make it all happen! To reach our goal, we are hoping to expand our membership with tax deductible contributions – big and small – to continue to support programs. We hope many residents of Marion – young and old – will consider becoming a member of the Friends of the Marion Council on Aging. Each membership will help defray the cost of the growing number of programs offered at the Community Center as well as provide the vital resources that make everything possible. Big or small, membership will make a direct and lasting impact on your Marion neighbors.
Gifts can be made on-line at www.FMCOA.org or by mail to Friends of Marion Council on Aging, P.O. Box 937, Marion, MA 02738. There are a growing number of volunteer opportunities. If you would like to get involved, please let us know.