Julie Richardson, personal banker for Norway Savings Bank’s Kennebunk branch, shares a view of the Spaulding Center for Active Living that is held by many community contributors who have made the Spaulding Center an impactful reality.

“I think the Spaulding Center’s mission to provide support and companionship for the community’s seniors is important to the well-being of our community as a whole,” wrote Richardson in a news release. “Volunteering here also inspires me to find ways to build connections with the people around me.”

Norway Savings Bank recently donated $2,500 to the Spaulding Center for Active Living (formerly, The Center). Dan King / Kennebunk Post

Located at 175 Port Road in Lower Village Kennebunk, the center is a nonprofit organization that serves over 500 adults, ages 50 and older, by offering a variety of community outreach programs that provide support, sensitivity, and smiles to residents in Kennebunk and beyond.

It’s an organization and mission that continues to inspire local businesses to offer assistance, including Norway Savings Bank which recently donated $2,500 to the center and has contributed countless volunteer hours and over $25,000 to the organization since 2020.

“The center remains the focal point for seniors in the Arundel, Kennebunk, and Kennebunkport communities,” wrote Jason Fitzgerald, market and indirect relationship manager for Norway Savings. “Members come together on a daily basis for interaction, health and fitness, education, and the opportunity to meet new people.”

Fitzgerald served on the center’s board of trustees for nearly a decade. “It’s an organization with a sole mission of togetherness,” he said.

The idea sprang from Annie and Hank Spaulding’s shared and painful experience of watching their parents age and become isolated from the community. Three decades later, that idea has become a revered institution in the area.

“Norway Savings Bank has been a generous sponsor for years,” said Bridget Dempsey, executive director of the Spaulding Center. “The Norway Savings Bank team members who have volunteered are highly skilled and community minded. They have strengthened our operations with their active support. We truly appreciate the bank’s community involvement and their commitment to caring for the area’s seniors.”

The list of activities and offerings stretches page after page, including games, a walking group, crochet classes, wellness workshops, luncheons, crafting, book clubs, movies, art sessions, yoga, and dancing. The center also offers the chance for seniors to add skills and knowledge through specialized gatherings like a French Club, finance workshops, a mindfulness course, a ukulele group, technology seminars, and the opportunity to schedule free and private meetings with a lawyer to ask legal questions. A caregiver support group provides solace for those caring for seniors as they navigate their journey.

The Spaulding Center continues to stand as a source of support and community for people of all ages.

“To be able to play a small role in sustaining a place where friends meet, hobbies and activities are shared, and memories are made is a thrill for us,” said Dan Walsh, president and CEO of Norway Savings Bank. “The Spaulding Center is a beacon of hope that also makes a tangible difference.”

For more information about the Spaulding Center for Active Living, its mission, or volunteer opportunities, visit www.seniorcenterkennebunk.org, call 207-967-8514, or email info@seniorcenterkennebunk.org.