It was an honor and a pleasure to receive formal recognition of the People Plus 50th anniversary Tuesday in Augusta from Senate President Mattie Daughtry (D-Brunswick) and Sen. Denise Tepler (D-Sagadahoc). People Plus is celebrating this “Golden Anniversary” all year with monthly events, programs and happenings.

The official People Plus sentiment reads as follows:

People Plus, a nonprofit in Brunswick is celebrating its 50th anniversary. People Plus serves over 4,000 area residents and will see over 35,000 visits to the program this year! The nonprofit offers over 200 monthly programs, classes and events, improving health, longevity, nutrition and mental well-being at the center while also providing free transportation, grocery and pharmaceutical delivery services for nearly 1,000 homebound older adults. They provided over 35,000 miles of free rides last year, making People Plus’s Volunteer Transportation Network the largest free-ride program in Maine. We extend our congratulations and best wishes to Executive Director Stacy Frizzle-Edgerton and her entire staff and board of trustees for creating and nurturing such an incredible program in our community!

Daughtry said: “For 50 years, People Plus has been the heart of community life in Brunswick — bringing generations together, supporting older Mainers with dignity and care, and creating opportunities for young people to learn, grow and serve. When we invest in connection across generations, everyone benefits. Their commitment to health, wellness and belonging strengthens not just individual lives, but our entire community. I’m proud to celebrate this milestone and deeply grateful for all they do every single day.”

Sitting in the Senate chamber hearing those words was a humbling experience. I was surrounded by not only the senators who represent their communities but also by the folks who were being honored for their accomplishments. There was a choral director celebrating 40 years of service, several dozen folks who received the Spirit of America Foundation Award, a third-grade girls’ basketball team that won the Maine league championship and People Plus was recognized for five decades of service. I was in good company for sure!

For the ceremony at the State House, I had originally planned to bring about 15 People Plus members, staff and board trustees who were looking forward to both the ceremony and trip to the capital. However, the blizzard of the century had something else to say about it, so we have postponed the trip with a larger crowd until March. We will try again to head up to Augusta where Reps. Poppy Arford, Dan Ankeles and several others will host us as the Legislative Sentiment is presented to the House of Representatives.

And once again, I got a little sentimental thinking how incredibly supportive our community comprised of Brunswick, Topsham, Harpswell, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Durham and Bath is, and how incredibly proud I am of being part of the team at People Plus. We are a bunch of do-gooders who look forward to doing good work every day and for another 50 years at the center that has been building community since 1976.

Tepler said: “People Plus is the Midcoast region’s senior and teen community programs serving Brunswick, Harpswell and Sagadahoc County with services for older adults at the People Plus Center in downtown Brunswick and for youth in grades six through 12 at the Coffin School building. They also offer in-home services including free transportation, nutrition/pharmaceutical delivery and free durable medical equipment. People Plus has seen over 1 million visits to its senior community center in the last 50 years and has provided 265,000 miles of free transportation to homebound seniors! As a member, I am always impressed by the number of classes and clubs that are offered and would never miss the Teen Center Gelato Fiasco Scoop-a-Thon fundraiser, a much-loved community event.”

Stacy Frizzle-Edgerton is the executive director of People Plus.

The Times Record Sustaining Sponsor
We believe a community must be informed to thrive. bowdoin.edu