News & Media

A MESSAGE FROM SMAA CEO MEGAN WALTON

Like many organizations and businesses, SMAA is facing unique challenges due to the COVID-19 crisis, and we are making some critical and important decisions now to position SMAA for the future and ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the organization.

SMAA is focusing our mission. Moving forward, SMAA will focus its service delivery. The goal is ensuring ongoing services and support for older adults in our region who need it most. We are focusing on the delivery of those services under the Older Americans Act for the near future, which means that we are scaling back investments in programs and program teams that do not directly support the core of our mission. Older American Act services include Meals on Wheels and other nutrition programs, Information and Resource programs, Family Caregiver support services and Evidence Based Healthy Aging programs. Unfortunately, some areas of our organization have had to be scaled back. We are discontinuing Maine Senior Games as a program of SMAA and are committed to helping the Games as they transition to another organization or become an independent organization. Some programs that leverage the strength of our volunteers, like Money Minders, Medicare, and the Agewell programs, will explore innovative ways to keep these services strong.

SMAA has reconsidered its commercial real estate portfolio. After much consideration and study, the SMAA Board of Directors and management have approved a plan to put the SMAA building in Scarborough on the market.  In February, SMAA convened a task force to determine whether the organization’s commercial real estate holdings optimize SMAA’s service delivery and can sustainably support its fast-growing client base. SMAA has not yet chosen a new location for its office staff, but working out of the Scarborough office as a tenant, working at a new leased space, continuing to work remotely, and/or having some employees working from the agency’s Biddeford location are four potential options. SMAA will also continue to utilize non-owned physical locations throughout Cumberland and York Counties, as we always have, to offer all older adults in Southern Maine convenient access to in-person educational programs, fitness classes, Medicare seminars, meal delivery, and more.

SMAA is changing now to better position ourselves for the future.  In this unprecedented time, as we re-imagine the SMAA of the future, we will continue to adapt and innovate the ways we serve our clients.  We know that technology will play an important role in how we reach our clients, how programs are delivered, and how services can be made more available to our community.  We want to continue to find ways to improve how SMAA works with all our constituents—volunteers, clients and partners. The changes we are making now, while difficult, will position SMAA to work more closely and effectively with partners and clients in the community. 

We will continue to rebuild SMAA for the new reality. Our region looks different now than it did at the beginning of the year, and the situation will continue to evolve in six months, a year, or 2-3 years from now. SMAA will continue to remain nimble and flexible so that we can respond to community needs. 

SMAA will continue to do amazing work for our community. We are more committed than ever to serving the needs of our clients and communities.

Thank you for your continued questions and input during these times. 

 

 

 

Megan Walton
Chief Executive Officer
Southern Maine Agency on Aging