Equity Statement

As an Area Agency on Aging, a core piece of our mission is to serve older individuals of the greatest social and economic need, particularly low-income and minority persons, older individuals with limited English proficiency, and older persons living in rural areas. 

Southern Maine Agency on Aging (SMAA) honors the many unique experiences, perspectives, and identities of the individuals that make up our community. We vow to regularly nurture the advancement of DEI knowledge and education of our Board, Advisory Council, staff, and volunteers, look within to challenge our own biases, and to speak up in the face of injustice, racism, and ageism.  

SMAA is committed to fostering a more accessible, diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment because we know that we can better serve older adults and their caregivers when we celebrate and appreciate our differences. We are committed to being a workplace where all people feel welcome and affirmed, and we know that building an inclusive and diverse staff is necessary for transformational change throughout the systems in which we operate. 

We recognize that collaborating with a diverse community of individuals and organizations is key to addressing the systemic barriers, structural injustices, and health inequities that are prevalent in our society, especially among older adults and others who have been historically marginalized. We strive to listen to and engage with our communities, and to update our processes, practices, and programming to reflect what we learn from these communities. Our values and DEI committee help hold us accountable to these goals. Collectively, we can make equity and inclusion permanent features of our community.   

As we work toward our mission of empowering older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers to live to their fullest potential, we aim to enhance healthy aging, well-being, and dignity for all individuals. We are committed to working together and learning from one another to disrupt historical levels of oppression and exclusions, both within SMAA and within the broader systems that our clients, staff, volunteers, and family caregivers navigate.  

For more information about our DEI Committee, please feel free to contact us.