Architectural rendering of the planned Education and Nutrition Center at SeniorsPlus. Submitted photo

LEWISTON — SeniorsPlus, the designated Area Agency on Aging serving Androscoggin, Franklin, and Oxford counties, will announce the launch of the public phases of a $5.5 million capital campaign for construction of a new education and nutrition center on Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. at its headquarters at 8 Falcon Road, Lewiston.

The public is invited to attend the campaign launch, which will feature speakers, music, pastries made by the Meals on Wheels kitchen of SeniorsPlus, and coffee provided by Just-In-Time Recreation. Plans for the 12,000 square foot structure designed by Adam Lemire of the Auburn architectural firm of Platz Associates will be unveiled. Construction of the new facility in an adjoining lot at 14 Mollison Way is planned for 2025.

What: Representatives of SeniorsPlus will announce the “Encompass Campaign,” a capital campaign for the building of a new education and nutrition center facility at 14 Mollison Way designed to help fight isolation by increasing socialization, access to food, and access to education and digital communities.

Who: SeniorsPlus President and CEO Betsy Sawyer-Manter will detail the plans and their impact together with Holly Zielinski and Dustin Ward, chair and vice chair of the board of directors of SeniorsPlus respectively.

This event coincides with Giving Tuesday, a global generosity movement that highlights the impact and needs of nonprofits worldwide.

Donations to the Encompass capital campaign may be made by visiting www.seniorsplus.org/campaign.

“Since 1972, SeniorsPlus has been a vital lifeline for older adults and adults with disabilities in Western Maine,” said Betsy Sawyer-Manter, president and CEO of SeniorsPlus. “As the need for support continues to grow, the new education and nutrition center is urgently needed to provide a crucial space where our community can connect, find purpose, and access essential resources. This center will not only strengthen our Meals on Wheels and nutrition programs, but it will also combat isolation, offering a place for individuals to engage, build friendships, and continue learning.”

Loneliness among older adults is epidemic and, according to the National Institute on Aging, the health risks of prolonged isolation are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The need: SeniorsPlus has seen significant growth over the last few years. The members of our diverse community of older adults and adults with disabilities are living longer, often remaining in their own homes. For more than 50 years, SeniorsPlus has been committed to helping this growing demographic live fulfilling, independent lives in their preferred communities, ensuring they receive the respect and engagement they deserve.

The response: To meet these growing needs, SeniorsPlus is excited to announce plans to break ground on a new facility in Spring 2025. This space will feature a state-of-the-art kitchen for Meals on Wheels, and an expanded education center–both essential to helping older adults and individuals with disabilities remain in their homes, close to their families and communities they’ve built throughout their lives.

The new kitchen will replace a rented, cramped, outgrown facility that has been utilized for more than a decade. New technologies have rendered our current education center outdated and the construction of this building affords us the opportunity to take older adult education to a new level in Western Maine.

The 12,000 sq. ft. structure will be located at 14 Mollison Way in Lewiston, adjoining the current headquarters of SeniorsPlus, and designed by the Auburn architectural firm Platz Associates.

Features of the new facility include the following.

• Meal preparation and storage for more than 175,000 meals annually, benefiting 1,000 older adults and adults with disabilities in Androscoggin, Oxford, and Franklin counties annually;

• Designated workspace for nutrition staff and clients to convene to ensure confidentiality;

• A pet food pantry to support Meals on Wheels clients with pets;

• A social dining area with kitchen access, adjoining the education center;

• Professionally-led adult learning classes and activities including book clubs, support groups and health promotion, exercise classes, etc., benefiting an estimated 400 clients annually;

• Digital access and equity; and

• An expanded education center with two “privacy pod” rooms to allow for telehealth, behavioral health, familial, and legal consultations.

The project will create a welcoming space for lifelong learning and access to nutritional food and engagement, critical to reducing isolation and depression while encouraging good health.

The campaign goal is $5.5 million. At the time of this announcement, more than half of the goal has been met through state, federal, municipal grants, and individual donations.