Windham was originally settled primarily by farmers who came here in the middle of the 1700s. The agricultural lifestyle continued through most of the town’s history until the industrial age. Several wars and many societal changes have created the town we know today which is primarily residential and includes a large commercial center.
We have several organizations in Windham who are serving the needs of older people but there is no umbrella under which all are connected. Town human services, the library, local churches, the adult education program and the parks and recreation program all offer support and programs for the 50+ community. There is also a regional senior program but it is housed in Gorham and transportation for some of our seniors to their activities is limited. There is programming at the senior housing units in our town but again are limited to those residents. We are in the process of planning a new community center and residents who have attended planning meetings have identified the need for a space for seniors and recreational opportunities. We feel there needs to be an overarching organization/committee that will help identify the needs of our aging population and plan/coordinate/advocate for those needs.
The needs of our senior residents have been identified in several surveys done by the town. In the Comprehensive Long Range Plan survey done in 2014, the needs of senior citizens was listed as 5th on the long list of community needs. At recent meetings on the new community center, a space for senior residents was identified along with recreational opportunities for the 50 + members of our community. The Human Services Advisory committee talked to several town officials about what they saw as needs in our community and most identified the needs of senior citizens as an issue that had not been addressed so that is why we looked to the WHO and AARP and the age friendly community programs to see if we could better identify needs for our community and make recommendations to the town council and the greater community. We also hope to see the Human Services Advisory Committee changed to an official town committee with a town council representative once we have established a clear purpose and have data to support the need through a community survey.