Listening Sessions

What’s your plan for aging? How about your neighbor? Your community?

We know that our needs change as we age. We’re going to need more health care, adapted or different housing, help with transportation, more caregivers, and our social engagement needs will not only change - they will become even more vital to our well-being.

We need to work together to listen to one another to share our best ideas about how to adapt - both personally and with the organizations that serve our communities.

That’s why we’re meeting throughout Windham County. And we want you to come and participate.

Here are the sessions we’ve done and that we’re planning.

  • October 9 - Brattleboro Memorial Hospital

  • November 20 - Brattleboro Area Hospice Board Meeting

  • December 13 - Winston Prouty Center - Focus on Housing

  • January 27 - Valley Cares in Townshend

  • February 22 - Windham Windsor Housing Trust Board Meeting (private)

  • February 22 - Whitingham ROMEO Group - 8:00AM, Wilmington Bowling Alley

  • February 22 - Whitingham Senior Meal 12:00 Noon, Whitingham Municipal Center

  • February 26 - Vernon Senior Group

  • March 8 - Neighborhood Connections in Londonderry

  • March 9 - Halifax Cafe

  • April 11, 12:00 Noon - Wilmington hosted by Senior Solutions at the Old Firehouse - low income and housing are the focus topics.

  • April 25, 9:00 AM - Grafton Community Church

  • April 28, 2:00 PM - Newfane Congregational Church

  • May 9, 1:00 PM - Guilford Cares - Broad Brook Community Center

  • Date and Time TBD - Grafton Senior Meals

  • Date and Time TBD - Newfane - senior meal once per month

  • Date and Time TBD - Jacksonville congregate meal site

Would you like to host a listening session? Contact us and let us know.

An introduction to why we are hosting listening sessions

What we aim to accomplish at listening sessions

  • Are you older?

    We hope attending a listening session will help you make new or better plans for your own aging.

  • Do you have an older neighbor?

    We hope attending a listening session will help you help your neighbor make better plans for their aging. Or you may decide to connect with a volunteer organization in your town, like a Cares organization.

  • Are you a community leader?

    We hope attending a listening session will help you learn about and adapt your direction based on this demographic shift? Every leader has their own sphere of influence depending on your role as a select board member, non-profit leader, employee or volunteer, small business owner, etc.

  • Are you a philanthropist?

    What strategy do you want to support in your community? We’ve documented several much needed projects - which idea do you want to get behind? Attending a listening session will help you learn some of the options.

  • Do you have experiences to share?

    We hope to learn what’s working and what’s needed. Windham Aging needs to hear and understand your experiences in order to update our suggested strategies and outcome measurements.

  • Do you want a listening session near you?

    We hope attending a listening session will help inspire you to bring a listening session to your community. We will help you host.

Listening Session Sponsors

✺ Frequently asked questions ✺

  • Some people have found it useful to have a pen and paper. But nothing is required.

  • We have had as few as ten, and as many as 22. But the number of people who attend is less important than the desire to discuss aging.

  • Our very loose agenda is:

    When you think of aging, what matters to you?

    What worries you?

    What are the best ideas you have heard, either today or in some other setting.

    But we will also follow the conversation wherever it goes as long as it feels relevant to the overall topic. And we’ll also tell you about some of our thinking about the topic.

  • There really isn’t. Just come with you thoughts, concerns, ideas and questions.

  • You can contact Julie Holland, the coordinator of Listening Sessions, directly by email at juliehollandpc@gmail.com or click here.