EAAA announces $1 million endowment

    Gratitude is running high at Eastern Area Agency on Aging (EAAA). Nelson Durgin, board president, Dana Ward, board treasurer, and Noëlle Merrill, executive director, are eager to express their extreme appreciation and to publicly thank the Next Generation Foundation of Maine for the exceptionally generous gift of a $1,000,000 endowment.

    EAAA was selected for this gift out of hundreds of applicants which demonstrates the Next Generation Foundation’s commitment to the aging population in Maine.
    “This major gift will allow us to initiate new programs and expand core services long into the future,” said Merrill. “We are incredibly proud to have been chosen for this award not only because of the enormous benefit it will have on our stakeholders, but also because it is a powerful testament to the importance of the services we provide. It has been critical that we expand our services but until now we were not in a financial position to proceed as far as we have needed to.”
    Maine is the oldest state in the nation, and EAAA’s coverage area spans 13,000 square miles. This substantial endowment ensures the agency’s efforts to help seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers live well and age well will be sustainable. More than 600 people in Maine turn 60 each month, added Merrill.
    “The Next Generation Foundation is pleased to fund an endowment at the Eastern Area Agency on Aging, which will offer financial stability as the agency responds to the growing aging population of Maine. The Trustees were impressed with the strength of EAAA on not just the staff but the board level, and its excellence in serving our seniors,” said a spokesperson in a written statement.
    EAAA was incorporated in 1973 and serves seniors, adults with disabilities and caregivers in Hancock, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Washington counties. EAAA operates more than 18 programs that are designed to greatly improve the quality of life for the people in its vast rural territory.
    The Next Generation Foundation has insured, through its generosity, that many more people in eastern Maine will find the support they need to live the life they deserve. For more information on EAAA, visit www.eaaa.org.
    Next Generation Foundation was founded in 2000. The essence of the Foundation’s mission is to improve health, education, and societal support for the most vulnerable populations of Maine. Its specific interest areas are children, elderly and displaced, basic human needs, education programs that enhance human health, and social equality or Maine’s economy and workforce.